Not My First Guess

Today I’m joined by Abi Foster, Founder of Elent.After becoming a qualified ACA Chartered Accountant, Abi began her professional career in the luxury magazine sector at Condé Nast, before moving on to Hearst Publishing's finance department.She enjoyed spending time outside of work supporting colleagues and friends to better understand their own personal finances, though through this experience Abi noticed that many people, specifically women and young people, had low financial literacy and had received little to no financial education in school or at university.From this realisation, Elent was born.With the mission to help eradicate inequalities in our society by making financial education accessible to all from a young age, Abi founded Elent in October 2021 and has since partnered with 24 schools, educating over 20,000 students and counting.In this episode we discuss:Why you never want to be a finished productGrowing from 3,000 to 60,000 followers in a monthFinding the right combination of people to build your dream teamCalling out acronyms as a key life lessonAccepting growth in all aspects of your life as a founder, not just businessAnd so much more!Links:Checkout Elent - https://elent.com/Follow Abi on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/abigail-elent-finance-education/Follow Elent Finance on Instagram for finance tips - @elent_financeCheckout our new sponsor shipshape.vc - https://bit.ly/43Kq99N

Today I’m joined by Martha Silcott, Founder of FabLittleBag.Martha invented FabLittleBag after she was forced to smuggle her used tampon from the bathroom to her handbag at a friends dinner party when faced without a bin in their downstairs loo. The experience was so awful that she decided to do something about it and the more she looked into it, the more she was horrified at the impact of flushing tampons and pads down the toilet.Determined to bring her invention to market she left the corporate world behind and set out to change the world, one FabLittleBag at a time, with her now patented disposal bag.FabLittleBag exists to protect rivers, oceans and beaches from the pollution caused by flushed period products. With the UK alone flushing 2.5m tampons and 1.4m pads down the toilet each day, it’s a big issue. FabLittleBags are also made of plants (which means they are carbon reducing) and recycled plastics, supporting the circular economy of waste.With FabLittleBag, Martha is on a mission to educate and convert flushers into being binners and help people who menstruate by making an often awkward and uncomfortable experience become one that enables them to feel good, hygienic, and confident.In this episode we discuss:Asking the right person the right question at the right timeNaming your business, under pressureWhy perfectionism is the enemy of progressCreating empathyThe costs of fund raisingAnd much more!Links:Checkout FabLittleBag - https://fablittlebag.comSurfers Against Sewage - https://www.sas.org.ukMarine Conservation Society - https://www.mcsuk.orgHere We Flo - https://www.hereweflo.coListen to our episode with Lottie Unwin - https://open.spotify.com/episode/2iRxjMLNUXviNhpVPJXmiE?si=50ycebb2SKy3CuYJcYeVZAListen to our episode with Devin Hunt - https://open.spotify.com/episode/4JYwEzyipbroKM59ISB805?si=vAPKNVclS9iiurMKA0oaHw

Today I’m joined by Farah Kabir, Co-founder of HANX.One day, while enjoying a stable career in Asset Management at Goldman Sachs, Farah stood in line at her local Boots ready purchase a box of condoms when she realised her boss was standing behind her.Utterly mortified, Farah felt the very relatable pang of shame rise within her until… she suddenly thought “actually, why should I be embarrassed about this?” and so over a bottle (or two) of wine, she decided to jump into bed with her best friend Sarah (who also happens to be a doctor) and give birth to HANX - a sex-positive, anti-awkward approach to contraception.HANX are on a mission to change the world, and champion unapologetic sexual and intimate health for everyone. Coupled with clever partnerships, creative campaigns and conscious ingredients, they’re taking on the condom industry by banishing stereotypically ‘masculine’, penis-centric messaging, not to mention gross chemicals that shouldn't be anywhere near a vagina.In this episode we discuss:How doing it with the lights off and grazed knees are a sign of great… businessSafe sex at Number 10 Downing StreetCo-existing with competitorsWhy selling yourself in store is still a great way to attract customersBeing open and honest with your teamAnd much more!Links:Get yourself some HANX - https://www.hanxofficial.comListen to our other episode “Fundraising as a diverse founder” featuring Farah and some of our other incredible guests - https://open.spotify.com/episode/0LIiOdqRsdUOqy2hu8iXbw?si=kXb2iuMCTKGby58HqOdfTwListen to our episode with Lauren on scarcity mindset - https://open.spotify.com/episode/3fesy7fsEVgLLrcOs0BIDK?si=p-xXyVx8SEyaI_OtHzzTRALearn about getting back to basics as a founder with Marcus Exall - https://www.linkedin.com/in/marcusexall/Check out Kayode Odeleye to learn about financial storytelling - https://www.linkedin.com/in/kayodeodeleye/

Today I'm very excited because we are doing a special episode all about fundraising.This is a topic I get asked about all the time from founders wanting to know who they should go to for investment, what investors are really looking for, and what they should be asking investors in turn.It's a topic we've talked about a ton on this podcast. We've had angel investors give their perspective, venture capitalists share theirs, and founders of all different stages talk about their journeys. So it seemed only right that we start to amalgamate some of these.When we came to it, though, we had so much content it couldn't fit in a single episode. So this will in fact be the first in a small series. Don't worry if you love our guest deep dive interviews as well, we promise they'll be back in between. So stay tuned to not miss any of it.In this episode, we dive into five different perspectives with three founders turned investors, and two founders sharing their experience one of crowdfunding and one of going after Angel Investment.We discuss:The Flick Test and other tips from Founder and Angel Investor, Chris HowardLessons on taking it to the crowd with Sophie Meislin Baron, founder of MamamadeHow Venture Capital really works with Zoe Peden, Partner at Ananda Impact VenturesThe most common advice Devin Hunt, Venture Partner at Seedcamp, gives startups he invests inThe magic of never giving up with Amber Probyn, Co-founder of PeequalAnd much more!Links:Startup wrecks, smarter fundraising, and rattling the accelerator model, Chris Howard, founder of The Rattle - https://open.spotify.com/episode/3exPXbxTmqXAWo7ZZKBPZE?si=p-u6rIusSA-m3kCVr6DvBQKitchen to 40k+ community and £1.5m crowdfund, with Sophie Meislin Baron, founder of Mamamade -https://open.spotify.com/episode/4i5DfzfIAW7niBQToRn4Ly?si=feube4F6RyerId9fRNvO0gBehind the venture capital curtain, with Zoe Peden, Partner at Ananda Impact Ventures -https://open.spotify.com/episode/7FiiIpZ6w2LeLvSbtMtgdj?si=UNyrAUfBTPSFly6EWiSNNALessons from Y Combinator, Burnout, Investing and Book Writing, with Devin Hunt -https://open.spotify.com/episode/4JYwEzyipbroKM59ISB805?si=vAPKNVclS9iiurMKA0oaHwFounding the first female urinal with Amber Probyn, Founder of Peequal -https://open.spotify.com/episode/0tifsaBCFwbFSnYiIscIZG?si=PShlSE9CQfium7E0sZMC4QWe also highly recommend listening to Fundraising as a Diverse Founder, with Guests Simi Lindgren, Nick Telson and Farah Kabir, as it’s practically it's own special episode in itself -https://open.spotify.com/episode/0LIiOdqRsdUOqy2hu8iXbw?si=JdLxp-xIRyy6xZai5Bd0cg

Today I’m joined by Sanya Rajpal, Founder and CEO of AdagioVR.Sanya is an Activist, International Development Expert and Serial Entrepreneur dedicated to transforming systems that unleash individual potential - and a truly remarkable individual in her own right.She built her first company while at Law School, Dignifly, with the goal to empower people to transform their own lives and solve problems in their communities and the world.She then went on to the UN to focus on growing tech entrepreneurship ecosystems before co-founding her latest venture, AdagioVR with her father.AdagioVR is a mental health and high-performance startup using cutting-edge clinical and therapeutic techniques that drive preventative mental wellbeing and behaviour change through Virtual Reality.Now, I'm often skeptical about VR being applied to lots of, in my opinion, not very useful use cases. But this is one where I have personally used the tech, and for me it was genuinely game changing, helping me work through some trauma that I have put a lot of time and therapy into, and hasn't made the same difference.So personally, I am honestly forever grateful to Sanya already for the work she's done.In this episode we discuss:What Nobel Prize winner and social entrepreneur Muhammad Yunus told Sanya about creating changeHow to secure leverage in businessWhen your strength becomes your weaknessBeing told you’re the wrong person to front your own venture if you raise - hello, a lot of biasWhy it’s time to let go of funding FOMOLinks:Checkout AdagioVR - https://adagiovr.comJoin the waitlist - https://adagiovr.com/jointhewaitinglistConnect with Sanya on Instagram & LinkedInRebel Ideas: The Power of Diverse Thinking by Matthew Syed - https://www.matthewsyed.co.uk/book/rebel-ideas-the-power-of-diverse-thinking/Listen to our episode with Joyeeta Das - https://open.spotify.com/episode/2NV8fCzOUKaGSU0xeUQwMJ?si=8blzNAQQR2uErhOpj0SN2w

Today I’m joined by Milly Tamati, founder and CEO of Generalist World.After growing up on a farm in rural New Zealand, Milly set herself the North Star of travelling the world in her twenties. Driven by a deep desire to keep moving, she found herself venturing down the path of entrepreneurship as a way of funding her wanderlust.Along her journey, she’s founded multiple businesses across the globe as a solo and a co-founder; including one of the largest hop on hop off wine tours in Victoria, Australia.Though it was when she was asked to write her own job description for a Mental Health startup that she realised she didn’t want to be defined by a list of bullet points and became the Director of Miscellaneous instead. Thus the seed for her latest venture, Generalist World, was planted.Milly’s now on a mission to change how the world sees generalists, and how generalists see themselves - all from a rural island in Scotland. And with Generalist World celebrating its first birthday, the day we recorded this episode, Generalist Universe is firmly in Milly's sight (literally, she’s got it sketched it on a napkin).In this episode we discuss:How to utilise a non-linear career pathThe hidden asset that is rural entrepreneurshipThe highs and lows of having a co-founderGetting your first customer within 12hrs of testing an ideaRethinking the “growth at all costs” mentalityLinks:Join the Generalist World Community - https://www.generalist.world/Connect with Milly on LinkedIn & TwitterListen to our episode with Lauren Currie - https://open.spotify.com/episode/3fesy7fsEVgLLrcOs0BIDK?si=4qvsnI0pRVacFFfy6N-yQwListen to our episode with Zoe Peden - https://open.spotify.com/episode/7FiiIpZ6w2LeLvSbtMtgdj?si=sLSsIhFLTZaIZzELIV9pvAListen to our episode with Sach Kukadia - https://open.spotify.com/episode/7EZwcaqJ6r8ZkXXnJVI7Ti?si=XlePYE5UQAS1xrGrPH-0fQ

Today I’m joined by Victoria Armstrong, Angel Investor, Advisor and Mentor. Victoria is an inspiring player on and off the pitch with an impressive entrepreneurial background of 20 years worth of experience in rapidly growing start-ups including Biotech, Mental health and SaaS, and has the stories to prove it. She’s invested her journey across three very different markets (New Zealand, the US, and the UK), in seven different startups, four of which she founded and exited, with one being acquired out of the US. Victoria now holds multiple board and advisory positions in various tech businesses and immensely enjoys helping others be “founder fit” to have sustainable journeys of their own. Oh and she also happens to be on the Board of Advisors for, our favourite, Female Founders Rise!In this episode we discuss:Exposing unconscious bias, especially your ownNurturing business and human babies in tandemWhy it takes a village to raise a businessCalling your A Team before a crisis hitsHow to create psychological safety with external stakeholdersStepping away from your founder identityLinks:Connect with Victoria on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/victoriaarmstrongCheckout Female Founders Rise - https://femalefoundersrise.com/Listen to our episode with Emmie Faust - https://open.spotify.com/episode/79dEjWYv8Aotkp7TTfznMY?si=dBZPCU0IQx-Fo0ANzBlAZAListen to our episode with Lauren Currie - https://open.spotify.com/episode/3fesy7fsEVgLLrcOs0BIDK?si=4qvsnI0pRVacFFfy6N-yQwListen to our episode with Valentina Milanova - https://open.spotify.com/episode/4jfFTiaD2hRyiuCHUaproV?si=tW-5vWe5TrOa9ibLkLNUJAListen to our episode with Nick Telson at Sifted Summit - https://open.spotify.com/episode/0LIiOdqRsdUOqy2hu8iXbw?si=TBjVTQVNR6GEVGn55yyA2wListen to our episode with Zoe Peden - https://open.spotify.com/episode/7FiiIpZ6w2LeLvSbtMtgdj?si=sLSsIhFLTZaIZzELIV9pvA

Today I’m joined by Emmie Faust, Serial Entrepreneur, Investor, Advisor, Mum of four, Host of The Growth Podcast with Emmie Faust and Founder of Female Founders Rise.Emmie is an experienced exited entrepreneur with over 20 years in digital marketing, having personally scaled and sold not one, not two, but three businesses. She also has the rare and exceptional tale of facing modern day dragons on Dragons’ Den and winning - though her investment didn’t come without battle scars.Last year, Emmie decided to take on a new adventure and set out on a mission to help other female founders succeed by creating Female Founders Rise. Female Founders Rise is a UK based community of over 1000+ female and non-binary founders providing advice, connection, resources and the support they need to scale their businesses, and is quickly growing itself.In this episode we discuss:Paying a painful price for SEOLearning how to listen to what the universe is telling youNavigating stressful exitsDeciphering what to believe and who to trust as a founderBalancing organic growth with global aspirationsLinks:Join the Female Founders Rise community - https://femalefoundersrise.com/Listen to the Female Founders Rise Playlist on Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/playlist/5LD1Fd1vgVjUchVDEiXQ3DListen to The Growth Podcast with Emmie Faust - https://emmiefaust.com/podcast/Learn about Black Hat SEO - https://blog.hubspot.com/marketing/black-hat-seoLearn about Special Purpose Vehicles (SPV) - https://www.investopedia.com/terms/s/spv.asp#:~:text=of the risks.-,The Bottom Line,and perform separate financial transactions.Listen to our episode with Simi Lindgren - https://open.spotify.com/episode/0LIiOdqRsdUOqy2hu8iXbw?si=TBjVTQVNR6GEVGn55yyA2wListen to our episode with Lottie Unwin - https://open.spotify.com/episode/2iRxjMLNUXviNhpVPJXmiE?si=50ycebb2SKy3CuYJcYeVZA

Today I’m joined by Lauren Currie (OBE) Founder of UPFRONT and Host of the podcast UPFRONT Moment with Lauren Currie.UPFRONT is an organisation dedicated to changing confidence, visibility, and power for 1 million women and non-binary people. The idea was born of Laurens own frustration with the lack of women speakers and the dominance of all-male panels at conferences. She’s been doing this work since 2016 and wherever she goes, it’s her aim to take other women with her and amplify their voices. She and the UPFRONT team do this through Bonds (6-week course), The UPFRONT Global Community Bond (their membership community), and content.Besides running UPFRONT, Lauren’s also a CEO, a speaker and the Trustee and Chairperson of Pregnant Then Screwed, an organisation dedicated to ending maternity discrimination.She’s been building businesses since she graduated from University. She was CEO and co-founder of Stride; a digital platform on a mission to democratise leadership development. She co-founded Snook, one of the UK’s leading service design agencies when she was 23. She was the Managing Director of NOBL Collective in the UK and Europe. And before that, she was Director of Design at Good Lab.Lauren’s work has been featured in The Guardian, Design Week, and Creative Review and she was awarded an OBE for services to design and diversity. She’s been named “woman changing the world under 30” by ELLE magazine, “one of the UK’s top businesswomen under 35” by Management Today, and "one of the UK's top 50 Creative Leaders" by Creative Review.Essentially, she’s a ridiculously impressive and even more ridiculously kind and supportive woman!In this episode we discuss:How to trust yourself to do the thing that feels like the oneTesting an idea with a post-it on the back of a toilet doorHow to redress your lack of confidenceThe most important thing you need to know about imposter syndromeWhy you need to double your price, nowLinks:Follow Lauren and UPFRONT on Instagram - @_laurencurrie_ and @upfrontglobalCheckout UPFRONT - https://weareupfront.comSign up for Bond 7 - https://bond7.weareupfront.comCoupon code for 10% off Bond 7 for NMFG listeners is - NOTMYFIRSTGUESSJoin Laurens free Masterclass on May 11th - https://workshop.weareupfront.comListen to the UPFRONT Moment Podcast - https://weareupfront.com/podcastVisit Pregnant Then Screwed - https://pregnantthenscrewed.comThe Good Lab - http://www.thegoodlab.co.uk/Valentina Milanova’s Episode - https://open.spotify.com/episode/4jfFTiaD2hRyiuCHUaproV?si=qlUCRHE_TCuHPEEEtBxT1Q

Today I’m joined by Jessica Alderson, Co-founder and CEO of So Syncd.So Syncd is a dating app and website that matches compatible personality types.Based on the 16 personality types theory, So Syncd is the first dating app to connect compatible personality types by pairing couples who have just enough similarities to understand each other and just enough differences to create a spark.After breaking up with her boyfriend of three years (who she moved to Australia with) Jess returned to London ready to date again, but was left disappointed after meeting people on dating apps and not feeling a real connection. Jess and her sister (now co-founder) Lou were having drinks one night and agreed there had to be a better way to date. Their colleagues and friends were also wasting a lot of time on bad dates and it was clear why: personality compatibility is the key to any amazing relationship, yet dating apps were still matching people on the basis of a couple of photos. It just didn’t make sense to them and they believed there had to be a better way to help people find exciting, fulfilling and long-lasting relationships, thus So Syncd was born.With a match on So Syncd being seven times more likely to result in a conversation compared to the industry average, Jess and Lou are proving their theory to be right. So Syncd already has around 400k users globally and an almost 50/50 split of male:female which is super rare on dating apps as they’re usually heavily male weighted, and has helped lead to an exceptionally high success rate of people finding love through the app – including a wedding less than a year after launching and recently welcoming their first So Syncd baby!In this episode we discuss:The real power of true success storiesA better way to find investmentHow to stand out in an overcrowded marketOvercoming personality bias in the workplaceFinding the right CTO and tech team as non-technical foundersThe cost of customer acquisitionWhy we all need to talk more about the value of the right co-founder personality matchLinks:Checkout So Syncd - https://www.sosyncd.com/Quiet by Susan Cain - https://susancain.net/book/quiet/Lunchclub - https://lunchclub.com/The 16 Personality Types - https://www.sosyncd.com/personality-type-guide/