
Jimmy's Jobs of the Future
Former Downing Street adviser, Jimmy McLoughlin interviews top entrepreneurs, politicians, and just about anyone at the top of their game on where they think the future of our economy is going through the prism of jobs.
Latest episodes

Jan 9, 2022 • 41min
Rishi Sunak: How to fail in politics and keeping your mental health in check
Welcome back to Jimmy's Jobs of the Future. It's great to say we are now starting our fourth series. The aim of this podcast is to ask people who are at the forefront of our economy about their jobs and what the future of their industry will look like.Some of the topics and sectors we explore can be complex, but we try to ask the obvious questions of the brightest minds as that can lead to the most revealing answers.And in this series, we are kicking off with one of the biggest jobs of them all, Chancellor of the Exchequer. We've all seen Rishi Sunak on the TV, holding up the red box on budget day. But what actually does it involve? What do the civil servants in the treasury do? And what is the aim behind the government's new economic compass in Darlington? And in a world of so much information, what sources does the Chancellor use to keep on top of developments in the modern economy?We recorded this episode in the Locomotion train museum in the Northeast of England. A dramatic backdrop near the government's new economic campus in Darlington. We filmed the episode and you can watch it and get the transcript on our website at www.jobsofthefuture.co and you can subscribe to our new YouTube channel @jimmy'sjobs. And you can follow me on Twitter @jimmym.We recorded this episode in the Locomotion train museum in Darlington, before the severity of Omnicrom became real, a dramatic backdrop near the new treasury campus in the North West. We discuss with Rishi:
How Stanford formed his worldview
What is the job of the Chancellor of the Exchequer? And how does the treasury work?
Why have they set up their new campus in Darlington?
How he encourages a culture of failure
How we can get more capital into people's hands
Which policies are working best and how he's introducing business practices like A/B testing into government
How he's using data in government
Where the opportunities are for the UK economy and where the jobs of the future are coming from?
How the UK can take advantage of the creator economy
Where are there regulatory opportunities from Brexit?
How we can encourage healthy business culture and how the government can help with that
How businesses can put themselves out there
If Rishi was 22 in 2022, where. would he start his career?
What sources of information does he read? (amazing answer)
What are his New Year's resolutions and how does he look after his mental health?
How has this job changed him in two years? (more grey hairs!)
What's his top parenting advice? (be nice to your parents and read your daughter's this book)
Some amusing quick-fire questions e.g. Bored Apes or CryptoPunks? Red or Brown sauce? His first-ever job? Favourite biscuit?
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

Nov 24, 2021 • 33min
Tessa Clarke - OLIO - Series 3 finale
Welcome to the final episode in the third series of Jimmy’s Jobs of the Future.Throughout this series, we've heard from amazing guests on topics ranging from the future of care to uncovering the hidden world of NFTs to discussing how entire technology fields are dedicated to improving women’s health.Another emerging trend of this series has been the rise of social enterprises - whilst potentially at risk of being a buzzword, it has struck me just how many modern startups come with a mission to improve our lives and the planet. And someone who speaks about this with more passion than anyone else is today's guest- Tessa Clarke, CEO & co-founder of sharing-app, OLIO.Initially created to reduce food waste by allowing unwanted food to be shared with neighbours near you, the app has grown into something far greater. To date they have over 5 million users worldwide, sharing over 34 million portions of food and saving over 9 billion litres of water. And that’s just their consumer side- businesses can work with OLIO to distribute leftover goods throughout communities and partnerships with Pret-a-Manger and even Tesco have allowed big business to reach net-zero faster.In September of this year, OLIO announced a $43m series B round making the founders Tessa and Sacha the most heavily backed female founding team in the whole of the United Kingdom. This series' partners, Octopus, have a mission to invest in the ideas, industries, and people that will change the world- so it comes as no surprise that OLIO is an Octopus portfolio company, having attracted their attention back in 2018 where they lead OLIO's series A round.With a focus on true sustainability, education and action, I couldn’t think of a better company to sign off our third series before we return in 2022.We discuss with Tessa:
Where the name OLIO came from.
Why they decided quickly to expand into services beyond food waste.
How OLIO grew from 1 million to 5 million users during the pandemic.
The difference between mission-driven founders and ‘mercenary’ founders.
Why the model of consumption is broken- and what ‘virgin retail” means.
The race to net-zero.
How making OLIO globally accessible so early allowed them to expand into unlikely markets by following the data.
How they will use their recent $43m Series B to propel OLIO forward.
Why they are hiring for a Head of Customer Insights and Head of Product Design- and what those roles actually do!
What harnessing gamification can do to spark sustainable action.
Their amazing partnership with Tesco- and how it took 3 and half years to achieve.
How they were remote working before it was cool- and why no one believed it could work.
Recruiting not just for mission fit but for mission obsession.
Books that inspired Tessa’s journey: The Lean Startup by Eric Ries & Capitalism vs the Climate by Naomi Klein.
You can follow us on social media:Instagram: 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

Nov 17, 2021 • 53min
Kelli Fairbrother - xigxag - Reinventing the audiobook and taking on Audible
All startups share the same fear - what if Google, Amazon or Apple decide to invest in this space?Well, today's guest faces a slightly different problem- what if they already have?The world of audiobooks is dominated by Audible/Amazon - but it has not really updated from cassette tapes of 40 years ago. Enter xigxag which you can check out at www.xigxag.co.uk/jimmyKelli Fairbrother - co-founder and CEO of xigxag, a company that has created a new type of audiobook which allows you to read, listen, quote, search and see illustrations all in one. It's a fitting finale to our third season - the earliest stage company ever to be on the show taking on the 4th largest in the world. With such a unique guest, we spend a bit more time discussing the ins and outs of creating a startup than usual to create a fuller picture of what it takes just to get something to market.We chat to Kelli about:
Why audiobooks are primed for disruption
How xigxag customers actually read more
Why crowdfunding is such a powerful tool
Why starting a career in the Army lead Kelli into a world of books
Job creation in the Audiobook space
Why she's growing a company in Cornwall
If you'd like to check out xigxag for yourself head to xigxag.co.uk/jimmyxigxag have just launched their crowdfunding campaign on Seedrs which you can find here. Legal disclaimer: This show does not provide investment advice and your capital is at risk. You can follow us on social media:Instagram: @JimmysjobsTwitter: @JimmysjobsAnd most importantly on LinkedInSubscribe 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

Nov 3, 2021 • 50min
Hugo McDonaugh - Exploring the world of NFTs
When I left Downing Street, I took a small stake in a company called Cryptograph - a leader in the Non Fungible Tokens (NFT) space and more broadly digital art as a whole.It was founded by today’s guest, Hugo, who is one of the UK's pioneers of NFTs, having got interested in it in 2017.NFTs are a brand new technology and the industry is fast-moving and complicated - it's widely discussed in tech circles but is yet to really enter the mainstream. In fact, it's never yet been mentioned in the House of Commons. I find them beautiful and compelling- if you haven’t seen an NFT before, have a google of Cryptopunks and Lava Labs and look at those pieces of art - some of these are trading for millions of pounds and, though they look like simple JPEGs at first glance, they have grown on me over time. The purpose of today’s episode is to explore exactly what NFTs are with one of the UK’s experts - with me asking the stupid questions, so you don’t have to!And as you’ll learn in this episode, NFTs are a whole lot more than meets the eye- so to use Hugo’s words, let’s go down the rabbit hole...As we get prepared for our 4th and 5th series, we are running some customer feedback of our own - so if you would be prepared to answer some questions then please get in touch via our website or via hello@jobsofthefuture.coYou can follow us on social media:Instagram: @JimmysjobsTwitter: @JimmysjobsAnd most importantly on LinkedInSubscribe 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

Oct 27, 2021 • 52min
Dr Eliza Filby - History of recent generations
Today's guest has one of the most interesting jobs I've ever come across.Dr Eliza Filby is a Generations Expert - a writer, speaker and historian who specialises in ‘Generational Intelligence’.With her research incorporating everything from Boomers to Gen Z, she helps companies to understand generational shifts in everything from politics to society and, most importantly for this episode, the workplace.How work will change after COVID is a conversation on everyone's lips - but ask 5 people and you'll get 5 different answers. Dr Eliza Filby offers a fascinating perspective on this topic by looking at the future through the lens of the past. And just what exactly is a millennial anyway?Eliza is also the host of the new podcast “It’s All Relative” where she speaks to members of two generations from the same family for a light-hearted look into the differences that define us and the similarities that unite us. The second episode with Bake Off Judge Dame Prue Leith is out now.As we get prepared for our 4th and 5th series, we are running some customer feedback of our own - so if you would be prepared to answer some questions then please get in touch via our website or via hello@jobsofthefuture.coYou can follow us on social media:Instagram: @JimmysjobsTwitter: @JimmysjobsAnd most importantly on LinkedInSubscribe 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

Oct 22, 2021 • 5min
Sir David Amess MP - a tribute
How do you ever adequately mark the passing of someone, how can you even vaguely come close when someone has been murdered. How do you leave a mark that lasts longer than just flowers?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

Oct 20, 2021 • 48min
Henry de Zoete - The best ever deal on Dragons Den
This episode is one of two worlds colliding. Today's guest, Henry de Zoete, similarly began his career as a special advisor in government- in the service of Michael Gove in the Education Department.Since leaving government, Henry went on to land the best money-to-equity deal ever seen on Dragons Den - a record which still stands to this day. Henry was the co-founder of Look After My Bills (LAMB)- a revolutionary startup that tackled the energy industry overcharging loyal customers by automatically switching them onto better deals.LAMB was then bought by the Go Compare Group earlier this year and so we hear Henry's perspective on life as an angel investor, advice for how to properly exit your startup and what lessons from politics he brought with him to the private sector.As we get prepared for our 4th and 5th series, we are running some customer feedback of our own - so if you would be prepared to answer some questions then please get in touch via our website or via hello@jobsofthefuture.coYou can follow us on social media:Instagram: @JimmysjobsTwitter: @JimmysjobsAnd most importantly on LinkedInSubscribe 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

Oct 13, 2021 • 27min
How to grow a #1 charting podcast - 1 year anniversary special
Amazingly it's been a year since I first published Jimmy's Jobs of the Future - when my daughter hadn't yet learnt to walk and we were only allowed outside 1 hour a day.Since then we've reached the top 10 of Apple's Business Podcasts, charted #1 in careers, grown to a team of 4 and are allowed to go to concerts once again.But why did I start a podcast? How did we get to this stage? Where's it going? This episode is a deep dive into how I ended up starting this show, how I grew it to where it is now (by no means on my own!) as well as my thoughts on the future of the podcasting industry.This is a deeply personal episode and a fitting reflection on a whirlwind year that stretches from sleeping under the stars in an RV in Yosemite to bottle-feeding during interviews. As always you can find out more on our website or get in touch via hello@jobsofthefuture.coYou can follow us on social media:Instagram: @JimmysjobsTwitter: @JimmysjobsAnd most importantly on LinkedInSubscribe 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

Oct 6, 2021 • 41min
Peter Dowds - Elder - A start up for the older generation
Earlier in this series, we looked at Bubble, a marketplace digitising trust to help fix a sector in dire need of innovation: childcare.This episode is looking at another marketplace but this time at the other end of the care spectrum, Elderly care, which is in equal need of a shakeup. With care homes dominating headlines over the past few weeks, this episode explores just exactly how Peter thinks the industry will change over the next ten years and what the government can do to build this particular sector back better. We also explore how businesses can help remove societal stigmas (in this case the stigmas around the role of carers) and the importance of framing old age in a positive way. As we mention in the introduction, our partners Octopus Ventures have created a report on the Future of Fertility tech, exploring the issues and emerging trends in this relatively new sector. You can find the full report on Octopus' website here: https://octopusventures.com/future-of-fertility/As always you can find out more on our website or get in touch via hello@jobsofthefuture.coYou can follow us on social media:Instagram: @JimmysjobsTwitter: @JimmysjobsAnd most importantly on LinkedInSubscribe 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

Sep 29, 2021 • 55min
Gavin Barwell - What does a Chief of Staff do?
This is the first in a new type of episode for Jimmy's Jobs of the Future - instead of exploring an entrepreneur or a business, we're looking at specific jobs and asking leading people in that field just exactly what it entails.There is an increasing trend in entrepreneurship and business of the title "Chief of Staff". It's even been mentioned a few times on this show, with Salima Vellani from KBox Global starting off her career as one and Alex Stephany from Beam currently hiring for one.Today's guest is Gavin Barwell who has been the highest-profile chief of staff in the country - first introduced by Tony Blair in 1996, the Prime Minister's Chief of Staff has become a big feature of British politics and Gavin was one of the longest-serving in recent memory under the premiership of Theresa May. We hear about just how he landed that job, why you need a swiss army knife skillset and what business could learn from the role. Since leaving Number 10, Gavin has written a book called Chief of Staff, which we discuss in the episode. It's available in many places but we'd like to point you towards bookshop.org to support local bookshops near you. You can find out more on our website or get in touch via hello@jobsofthefuture.coYou can follow us on social media:Instagram: @JimmysjobsTwitter: @JimmysjobsAnd most importantly on LinkedInSubscribe 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