Jimmy's Jobs of the Future

Today's interview is with Cassandra Stavrou, co-founder of PROPER Snacks. One of the top female entrepreneurs in the UK, Cassandra helped to kick-start the revolution in the snacking industry that has gripped the UK for nearly a decade. I've been incredibly excited for this episode and Cassandra shares candidly her experience on everything from founding an iconic British Brand to being a female founder in a male-dominated world.This episode is part of our campaign for International Women's Day. You can see our other bonus episodes on our podcast page, each one shining a light on the amazing female entrepreneurs we've had on the show. In this episode we discuss: What is behind the name proper- and how it formed the company's ethos Why Cassandra is obsessed with an emphasis on product and following the advice of ‘keeping the main thing, the main thing’. The moment She thought ‘I have something here’ and how people can scale their lockdown hobbies How Top Gear gave her the inspiration for her first product What Cassandra had to go through to get that initial £10,000 to start the business- and her  low moments in this journey The things that drive Cassandra toward success Her first hire at Proper and the importance of prioritizing sales What the next ten years of food innovation will look like  Jobs of the future in food How to maintain culture when growing so fast and the problems of over-complicating culture Becoming a B-Corp so early on Mentors on her journey The importance of international women’s day Hiding her pregnancy during negotiations to sell her business  Pass the mic- the entrepreneur Cassandra wants to shine more light on 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

This is one in a short series of episodes, taking a look back at some of the amazing female entrepreneurs we’ve had on the podcast in celebration of International Women’s Day.Things haven’t gotten easier for women in the last 30 years. Anne Boden CEO and Founder of Starling Bank exemplifies what female entrepreneurs can achieve in the tech and finance spheres. She talks about the higher standards diverse groups are held to and how building her bank was fuelled by proving these people wrong.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

This episode is unlike anything we've tried before. Last week we were invited to the National Farmers Union Conference to find out what the future of farming looks like. Farming has been hit by three massive shocks in the past few years: Brexit, the pandemic and the energy crisis. We've all felt the effects of these events but farmers are so totally reliant on external factors, they have felt it more than most. Now facing unprecedented inflation and a worrying situation in Ukraine, farmers are nervous about the future. But farmers are at heart entrepreneurs and uncertainty breeds innovation. So we went into the field (pardon the pun) and interviewed a range of exciting young farmers to ask them all the same question: how are you innovating for the future?This episode is an audio essay about what we found out: a drive and desire towards sustainability. But you'll see it's far more than that. This episode is brought to you in partnership with the National Farmers Union, which represents over 50,000 farmers across the UK.  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 Ruth Handcock, CEO of Octopus Investments. Ruth has had a really interesting career. She's gone from working on checkouts and factories during the nightshift to being the CEO of one of the UK's biggest financial service firms. It's an incredible journey and one we're excited to share with you.Investing can often seem an opaque world but Ruth talks us through what Octopus Investments does and dismantles the long-held beliefs about what you need to start investing.  Ruth is also the Chair of Octopus MoneyCoach.  The British tendency not to talk about money means we are often shy when it's going well but are especially tight-lipped when things go wrong. In this episode, we delve more into the role MoneyCoach plays in reducing people's money worries and why it's so crucial for employers to offer this type of service. In this episode with Ruth we discuss: Her experience as Global finance director of Bacardi , specifically martini whiskey and cognac. Ruth's wide variety of jobs including checkout operative, salad chopper on a nightshift and car washer- what did those jobs teach her about being CEO of an investment firm?  What do CEOs look for when hiring? Learnings from her own entrepreneurial failure  What attracted her to join Octopus? What does Octopus Investments do?  How much money do you need to invest?  The difference between Octopus Ventures and Investments. What is the role of a Chief Executive?  How the pandemic was an opportunity to do that better. Setting boundaries in the world of work. What more can we do to inspire women at the top of financial services?  What the government can do to help this? How easy has she found it to achieve work-life balance?  How did she find what she was passionate about?  What is Octopus Moneycoach and what does it do? Where are there opportunities to improve education post-pandemic?  If Ruth was 22 in 2022, what sectors would she like to work in?  What sources of information does she consume?  What her cocktail of choice is?  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 we're looking at one of the world's oldest sectors: Farming.  Specifically how it's updating itself for the 21st Century. We spoke to Jo and Charles Mear, egg farmers from Full Circle Growing, who have been farming for over 2 decades and recently launched the UK's first AI-powered Insect mini-farm. Farming is inherently entrepreneurial and in this episode you'll hear terms that wouldn't be out of place at any UK startup: product-market fit, concerns on marketing, adapting to shifting consumer trends, thinking how to retain shelf space in supermarkets and more. The future of agriculture is tech - and there are so many examples of British entrepreneurship and innovation happening right across this sector. This episode is brought to you in partnership with the National Farmers Union, which represents over 50,000 farmers across the UK.  I'm speaking at their annual conference and will have another episode from there in a few weeks about how British farmers are continuing to innovate. In this episode we discuss: Their routes into the world of work.  What running the UK’s first AI-powered insect mini-farm actually looks like. What they thought when the opportunity for an AI-powered farm presented itself.  What sort of sounds a chicken can make (really!). The challenges of running an AI farm. Impact on the quality of the livestock as a result.  Why aren’t more farmers using it yet?  How can listeners support British farmers?  Farms becoming more self-reliant. Farming during the pandemic. Impact of Clarkson's farm in terms of people appreciating farming more. Working as a husband and wife team.  The future of British farming.  The role of the NFU. 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

Every professional or personal conversation that I've had over the last month has started with the other person asking: "Can you PLEASE explain what is going on at Derby County?".I've previously given small updates about the campaign to save Derby County Football Club but this bonus episode explains what exactly is going on in the effort to #SaveDerbyCounty. Football clubs unite communities across the UK. This campaign shows the power local teams can have and the loss they instil if they were to disappear. But we won't let that happen.  We are Derby County. And we'll fight to the end.  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

"A bizarre mix of accelerator lead, angel investor and agony aunt."so today's guest, Marta Krupinska, describes herself. Marta has done 'the big three' of entrepreneurship: failed, scaled and sold. That's why she's perfectly placed as the head of Google's new(ish) institution in London- rising from the ashes of the infamous Google Campus, Google for Startups is designed to support thriving, diverse, and inclusive startup communities.Today's discussion is a must-listen for anyone seeking advice in developing and scaling their business. Marta is also the host of 'Scale-Ups and Downs", an upcoming panel podcast powered by Google for Startups, which invites founders at all stages of their journey to pick the brains of some of the most successful business leaders and experts in the UK.In today's show we discuss with Marta: What is the role of Head of Google for Startups?  The closing of Google Campus and creating a new institution for startups in London How Google for Startups is focused on opening up opportunities beyond just central London and increasing access to finance, talent and jobs. The different roles in the Google for Startups team and how they have changed. The Black Founders Fund Europe- Google using their brand to shine the light on important founder-lead issues. They have invested £2million into 30 black-lead startups from the EU, including 20 from the UK. Since then, those founders have raised $63m in follow on funding.  The coolest thing Marta has seen at Google that we might not know about.  If Marta was 22 in 2022, where she would start her career.  Advice to those applying for jobs at Google-and how it's far more than just your academics that matter.  Scale-ups and Downs, the Google for Startups podcast helping entrepreneurs solve problems of scale.  What resources inspire Marta on a weekly basis.  If Marta could go back in time at any point in history for 24 hours when would she go? Entrepreneurs and companies Marta believes deserve more recognition.  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

Our guest today is Sarah Ellis,  co-founder of career- development company Amazing If. Founded with her long-time friend Helen Tupper, what began as a side project to help people with their careers has now grown to a full-on career-boosting powerhouse. They created the concept of 'squiggly careers'- the notion that in the modern world, people's careers are no longer linear with no defined and rigid growth ladders.  Sarah and Helen are the hosts of The Squiggly Careers podcast and the authors of two books, their first being a Sunday Times Bestseller. Their TED talk has also been viewed over 1.5 million times.   Their most recent book is called "You Coach You" and it forms the basis of today's discussion: that coaching works but it’s often only available to the fortunate few.  Packed with practical exercises, tools and advice from inspiring people this book will help you to find answers, take action and achieve more in your career.I also wanted to quickly shout out to an amazing British entrepreneurial story in John Wardle. John is the creator of viral game Wordle and recently sold the game to the New York Times for a 7 figure sum.  Just a few months ago it was played by only a handful of people- it's now played by millions. It shows how something created for friends and family can blow up into something enormous. In today's episode with Sarah we talk about: What Amazing If does What did Sarah did before Squiggly careers and Amazing If What is the process of “co-blending” and did it work for Sarah? Successful career change always happens incrementally The upcoming book You Coach You its the key themes on coaching Explaining the difference between a coach and a mentor Which chapters of her book are the most pwoerful. The importance of 'experimenting' rather than failing in your career.  Any advice that would tell her former self What’s it like founding a business with a close friend Her podcast Squiggly Careers and the best episodes to listen to: #243 How to be a Learn it All and from the Ask the Expert series- Empathy with Roman Krznaric Her Favourite book: The Start-up of You by Reid Hoffman  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

If you're a tech founder in the last 10 years, you'll know who Steve O'Hear is. Chances are, you've even pitched him your business. Steve is best known for his 15 years as a technology and business journalist, including reporting for TechCrunch, covering European startups and venture capital. He was the first to write about the now household names of Deliveroo, Monzo and Transferwise. Steve is now the VP of Strategy at home-delivery brand Zapp.  Steve was born with muscular dystrophy and you'll hear in this episode how in the midst of the pandemic, this has shaped his mid-career switch from journalism to building the future of convenience retail. Someone at the top of their game and changing their career is a unique situation on the show. Whether you're looking to get into journalism or looking for strategy roles at upcoming startups, I'm incredibly excited to share this episode with you.  If you're interested to try Zapp, Jimmy's Jobs listeners can get £10 off when they spend £20 by using the code ZAPPJIMMY at checkout.We're not taking any commission from this link, we're just using it to test how many of you amazing listeners click through.In this episode with Steve we discuss: How he defines the job of a journalist and what the best route is to become one And how has the job of a journalist changed? When did people start coming to him with stories rather than the other way around? And how did he cultivate online relationships? When pitched dozens of businesses a day, what he looked for in the stories to cover. Famous stories that stuck with him and companies that weren’t successful that he thought might be Why he made the decision to leave journalism What is strategy and what is a Vice-President? The growth of Zapp and how to maintain a culture Where does the name come from? Why did he join Zapp specifically? Tips for working from home?  Different roles Zapp are hiring for and expansion plans for Zapp The future of Zapp and the scale of the problem it's tackling Why do we need this instant delivery? If Steve was 22 in 2022, where would he look to work? What more can we do to get disabled people into work? If you could go back in time to any point in history, when and where would it be? A tech-themed quickfire round Join the #SaveDerby campaign by using this template to email your MP and raise the issue with them- we've generated amazing support and have even had a question asked in parliament. Even if you're a casual football fan, local teams are the lifeblood of UK towns and it would be a travesty to let one of the oldest clubs in the UK fall into the history books. 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

I wanted to interview today's guest for quite some time.Nigel Phan is the founder of Whirli - a toy subscription service.My family is expecting our second daughter and all the clichés about parenthood are true: it changes your perspective on everything. One thing that changes most dramatically is the number of toys around the house- I am terrified that child number 2 could lead to a doubling of the toy rate.  That's where Whirli comes in. When a child loses interest in a toy (which believe me can happen with surprising regularity) you can return it and swap it for a new one. Whirli have raised a round of £5 million from this series' headline sponsors, The Octopus Group. The Octopus Group is a collection of 8 entrepreneurially minded businesses that look to back the people, ideas and industries that will change the world. If you want to check out Whirli you can get a 30% discount by visiting https://whirli.com/offers/jimmysjobs or using referral code JIMMYSJOBS at the checkout.We're not taking any commission from this link, we're just using it to test how many of you amazing listeners click through.In this episode with Nigel we discuss: Where he came up with the idea for Whirli despite not being a parent Where the name Whirli came from His career, including time as a partner at McKinsey What did he hire his first employee to do? How he chooses what toys go on the platform How Whirli focuses on at-home education How parents can use the Whirli subscription What jobs he is hiring for (didn't we all want to work in a toy shop when we were younger?) The most popular toys on the platform (not what you might expect) How he approaches marketing to parents and building trust digitally Why he is hiring for a Head of People and what that means What the toys of the future are going to be What adults can learn from playing with children's toys Letting toys be toys- removing the gender bias that is prevalent in the industry His favourite toy of all time Future plans for Whirli including the plans for experiential events Join the #SaveDerby campaign by using this template to email your MP and raise the issue with them- we've generated amazing support and have even had a question asked in parliament. Even if you're a casual football fan, local teams are the lifeblood of UK towns and it would be a travesty to let one of the oldest clubs in the UK fall into the history books. 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