40 Minute Mentor

“I don’t want Gaia to be seen as a women’s health business. 50% of the cases that we see are male factor infertility. This is a family building problem that affects men and women equally.” 1 in 6 couples are affected by fertility issues, but with aspiring parents spending over £14k on average on their treatment, only 1 in 7 people in the UK who require IVF, end up accessing it. One Founder on a mission to change that and make fertility treatment more accessible is today’s 40 Minute Mentor, Nader AlSalim, the Founder and CEO of the world’s first IVF insurance, Gaia. In today’s episode we find out: ➡️ How Nader’s exceptional work ethic gave him control over this career [06:09] ➡️ His own fertility journey and the beginnings of Gaia [10:43] ➡️ Why this is his first and last startup [12:18] ➡️ The evolution of his leadership style [15:15] ➡️ More about Gaia’s offering [18:41] ➡️ Making the topic of fertility less taboo [19:37] ➡️ More about our sponsor’s Alchemist [22:08] ➡️ His personal legacy [23:02] ➡️ Fundraising advice [25:07] ➡️ The evolution of Gaia’s team and the culture [29:34] ➡️ Keeping your team to high standards [33:52] ➡️ Changes needed in the fertility industry & Gaia’s plans for 2023 [37:01]  ⛳ Helpful links:➡️ More about Nader: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nader-alsalim-45146674/➡️ Check out Gaia: https://gaiafamily.com/ 💙 A big thank you to our Sponsors:Alchemist - an industry leading learning and development company, whose learning journeys and experiences help organisations who want to grow, change or transform by putting the learner first to optimise organisational performance.To learn more about Alchemist and see how they work with some of the most innovative companies in the world, head over to https://thisisalchemist.com/40minutementor/  to find out more.  🏆 Want to partner with us? Do you want to get your brand in front of leading Startup Founders, Investors and C-Suite decision-makers, and attract some of the sharpest talent in the Startup/Scaleup scene? Get in touch with our Head of Marketing and Producer, Hannah to find out more about how we can co-produce content that will help you stand out and engage with over 40,000 loyal monthly listeners. You can reach her on hannah@jbmc.co.uk ⭐Enjoyed this episode?⭐️Keep up to date with all our latest episodes, by hitting the subscribe button on your favourite podcast platform. And for any feedback on what you enjoy the most and ideas on what we can do to make 40 Minute Mentor even better, please leave us a review on  https://ratethispodcast.com/40mm  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

One of the biggest trends we’ve seen in hiring over the last year has been the rise of fractional careers. It doesn’t just give talent more flexibility and freedom, but also gives Founders the opportunity to hire highly experienced operators at a fraction of the cost, and even try before they buy. To discuss how you actually build a fractional career, the benefits to both talent and employers, plus the downfalls you might want to consider before pursuing a portfolio career, we’ve invited JBM board advisor and Fractional Managing Director, Ben Sanders to share his own experience with us.  ⛳ Helpful links:➡️ Connect with Ben: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ben-sanders-b280716/➡️ More about JBM SOS: https://jbmc.co.uk/sos-candidates/ 💙 A big thank you to our Sponsors:Alchemist - an industry leading learning and development company, whose learning journeys and experiences help organisations who want to grow, change or transform by putting the learner first to optimise organisational performance.To learn more about Alchemist and see how they work with some of the most innovative companies in the world, head over to https://thisisalchemist.com/40minutementor/  to find out more.  🏆 Want to partner with us? Do you want to get your brand in front of leading Startup Founders, Investors and C-Suite decision-makers, and attract some of the sharpest talent in the Startup/Scaleup scene? Get in touch with our Head of Marketing and Producer, Hannah to find out more about how we can co-produce content that will help you stand out and engage with over 40,000 loyal monthly listeners. You can reach her on hannah@jbmc.co.uk ⭐Enjoyed this episode?⭐️Keep up to date with all our latest episodes, by hitting the subscribe button on your favourite podcast platform. And for any feedback on what you enjoy the most and ideas on what we can do to make 40 Minute Mentor even better, please leave us a review on https://ratethispodcast.com/40mm Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

“If I’m doing exactly the same things this year, in exactly the same ways that I did last year, then I’m failing.”It’s been a turbulent year for the energy sector and many of us have seen the aftermath in our energy bills.To get first-hand insights into the energy crisis and the movement towards greener and more sustainable energy sources, we’re joined by Zoisa North-Bond, the CEO of Octopus Energy Generation and Octopus Energy for Business.In today’s episode, Zoisa shares with us:➡️ Her alternative route to CEO [07:29]➡️ Why she joined Octopus Energy [10:18]➡️ The challenges of being in a dual CEO role [12:55]➡️ The number one skill any successful CEO needs [15:33]➡️ More about our sponsor, Alchemist [17:20]➡️ Octopus’s focus on community [18:29]➡️ The push to greener and more sustainable energy [25:48]➡️ Navigating the energy crisis on the other side of the fence [28:03]➡️ The number one thing you can do to reduce your energy bills [30:17]➡️ The future of the energy sector [30:55] ⛳ Helpful links:➡️ Connect with Zoisa: https://www.linkedin.com/in/zoisa-north-bond-33143a4/➡️ More about Octopus Energy: https://octopus.energy/💙 A big thank you to our Sponsors:Alchemist - an industry leading learning and development company, whose learning journeys and experiences help organisations who want to grow, change or transform by putting the learner first to optimise organisational performance.To learn more about Alchemist and see how they work with some of the most innovative companies in the world, head over to https://thisisalchemist.com/40minutementor/  to find out more.🏆 Want to partner with us?Do you want to get your brand in front of leading Startup Founders, Investors and C-Suite decision-makers, and attract some of the sharpest talent in the Startup/Scaleup scene?Get in touch with our Head of Marketing and Producer, Hannah to find out more about how we can co-produce content that will help you stand out and engage with over 40,000 loyal monthly listeners. You can reach her on hannah@jbmc.co.uk⭐Enjoyed this episode?⭐️Keep up to date with all our latest episodes, by hitting the subscribe button on your favourite podcast platform. And for any feedback on what you enjoy the most and ideas on what we can do to make 40 Minute Mentor even better, please leave us a review on https://ratethispodcast.com/40mm Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

For this week’s bit-sized 40 Minute Mentor episode, we’re joined by Amir Nooriala, the Managing Partner of Aurias. Amir has previously joined us on the podcast, sharing his experience as COO of Callsign and OakNorth Bank. This time, he’s telling us more about his new venture, Aurias, offering business owners a retirement pathway that ensures the legacy of their company and employees. In today’s episode, you’ll find out: ➡️ Amir’s career journey to COO and angel investor➡️ How this experience sparked the idea for Aurias ➡️ The benefits of entrepreneurship by acquisition and what that looks like for Founders ➡️ Why there are so many impressive bootstrapped Tech businesses that deserve more attention ➡️ Advice for anyone looking to get into entrepreneurship  ⛳ Helpful links:➡️ More about Amir: https://www.linkedin.com/in/amirnooriala/➡️ Check out Aurias: https://www.aurias.co.uk/ 💙 A big thank you to our Sponsors:Alchemist - an industry leading learning and development company, whose learning journeys and experiences help organisations who want to grow, change or transform by putting the learner first to optimise organisational performance.To learn more about Alchemist and see how they work with some of the most innovative companies in the world, head over to https://thisisalchemist.com/40minutementor/  to find out more.  🏆 Want to partner with us? Do you want to get your brand in front of leading Startup Founders, Investors and C-Suite decision-makers, and attract some of the sharpest talent in the Startup/Scaleup scene? Get in touch with our Head of Marketing and Producer, Hannah to find out more about how we can co-produce content that will help you stand out and engage with over 40,000 loyal monthly listeners. You can reach her on hannah@jbmc.co.uk ⭐Enjoyed this episode?⭐️Keep up to date with all our latest episodes, by hitting the subscribe button on your favourite podcast platform. And for any feedback on what you enjoy the most and ideas on what we can do to make 40 Minute Mentor even better, please leave us a review on  https://ratethispodcast.com/40mm Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

“Plastic has its use cases. In the medical industry, it saves lives every day. But for takeaway uses, where it’s used for a short amount of time, that’s where it’s a real issue.” For today’s 40 Minute Mentor episode, we’re joined by Pierre Paslier, the Co-Founder and Co-CEO of Notpla, a sustainable packaging startup. To this day, Notpla have partnered with the likes of Lucozade, to replace single use plastic cups and bottles at the London Marathon, and JustEat, to launch a  food container coated with seaweed - a revolutionary move for the takeaway industry. Following this huge progress in the industry, to help ease the damage made to the environment, the Notpla team have recently been awarded with Prince William’s prestigious, 1 million pound Earthshot prize. Today, Pierre shares tons of insights with us, including: ➡️ How he became a Founder, following years at L’Oreal [03:57] ➡️ The experiences at L’Oreal that led to the creation of Notpla [05:23] ➡️ Notpla’s mission and how their packaging works [07:33] ➡️ Seeing Notpla’s packaging being used at the Women’s Euros [11:16] ➡️ Winning the Earthshot Prize [13:16]➡️ Meeting Prince William at the Earthshot retreat [15:53] ➡️ More about our sponsors, Alchemist [18:11] ➡️ Dealing with increasing media attention and keeping an eye on your mission  [19:28] ➡️ Building the Notpla team [22:03] ➡️ Advice for moving into sustainability [28:28] ➡️ The part we can all play in reducing plastic packaging [31:03]  ⛳ Helpful links:➡️ More about Pierre: https://www.linkedin.com/in/pierrepaslier/  ➡️ Check out Notpla: https://www.notpla.com/ 💙 A big thank you to our Sponsors:Alchemist - an industry leading learning and development company, whose learning journeys and experiences help organisations who want to grow, change or transform by putting the learner first to optimise organisational performance.To learn more about Alchemist and see how they work with some of the most innovative companies in the world, head over to https://thisisalchemist.com/40minutementor/  to find out more.  🏆 Want to partner with us? Do you want to get your brand in front of leading Startup Founders, Investors and C-Suite decision-makers, and attract some of the sharpest talent in the Startup/Scaleup scene? Get in touch with our Head of Marketing and Producer, Hannah to find out more about how we can co-produce content that will help you stand out and engage with over 40,000 loyal monthly listeners. You can reach her on hannah@jbmc.co.uk 🤝 Explore Hidden Pages: For this year’s Black History Month, we’ve had the great pleasure of partnering with Samuel Tholley and Hidden Pages - a zine discovering hidden Melanated history & lists of sources exploring the Melanated/"Black" experience. We talked about his motivation behind Hidden Pages, why it's so important to normalise black history and he shares some amazing historic figures we can all learn from.This is only the beginning of this partnership, so make sure you check out our initial conversation with Samuel here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kF_-blY_kUQ ⭐Enjoyed this episode?⭐️Keep up to date with all our latest episodes, by hitting the subscribe button on your favourite podcast platform. And for any feedback on what you enjoy the most and ideas on what we can do to make 40 Minute Mentor even better, please leave us a review on https://ratethispodcast.com/40mm Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Following on from our pledge last year to continue shining a light on History’s influential black voices, beyond Black History Month, we welcome back Samuel Tholley, the Founder of Hidden Pages - a zine discovering hidden Melanated history & lists of sources exploring the Melanated/"Black" experience. Today, and in continuation of celebrating International Women’s Day, beyond March 8th, Samuel shares two stories of female trailblazers with us, who have significantly shaped the world we live in today. First we’ll be learning more about Baroness Doreen Lawrence and her battle to reform the police service, following the murder of her son, Stephen Lawrence in 1993. Then, Samuel will catapult as further back in history and share the incredible story of Mary Jane Seacole, the British-Jamaican nurse and business woman who set up the “British Hotel” behind the lines during the Crimean War.   🤝 To learn more about Hidden Pages and the importance of normalising black history, check out our previous 40 Minute Mentor episode with Samuel here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kF_-blY_kUQ 💙 A big thank you to our Sponsors:Alchemist - an industry leading learning and development company, whose learning journeys and experiences help organisations who want to grow, change or transform by putting the learner first to optimise organisational performance.To learn more about Alchemist and see how they work with some of the most innovative companies in the world, head over to https://thisisalchemist.com/40minutementor/  to find out more.  ⭐Enjoyed this episode?⭐️Keep up to date with all our latest episodes, by hitting the subscribe button on your favourite podcast platform. And for any feedback on what you enjoy the most and ideas on what we can do to make 40 Minute Mentor even better, please leave us a review on https://ratethispodcast.com/40mm Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

“The only way that the world will see women and diversity differently, is when we create something that is so big and transformational that people will never underestimate women again.” In today’s 40 Minute Mentor episode, and to mark this year’s International Women’s Day, we’re joined by Sue Fennessy, the Founder & CEO of WeAre8. WeAre8 is a hate-free community that is built upon the idea that collective change and daily actions can make the world a better place. The team have been on an incredible journey and you may have seen their ads on TV or across London’s billboards. In today’s episode, we don’t just get a front row seat to WeAre8’s evolution, but also get an insight into Sue’s incredible career. Plus, she, of course, shares tons of great mentorship with us. You can expect to hear more about: ➡️ A podcast recommendation from us [00:19]➡️ The dark side of social media [03:32] ➡️ Why VCs have become predictable and how that’s holding diverse Founders back [06:29] ➡️ What drives her mission to make the world a better place [08:49] ➡️ The benefits of starting to see your work as a hobby [12:14] ➡️ How entrepreneurship chose her and more about her early career [15:22] ➡️ More about our sponsors, Alchemist [21:40]➡️ The importance of storytelling [22:44] ➡️ More about WeAre8 and why it’s so different compared to other social media platforms [28:46] ➡️ Rio Ferdinand’s involvement in WeAre8 [37:44]  ⛳ Helpful links:➡️ More about Sue: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sue-fennessy/➡️ Check out WeAre8: https://www.weare8.com/ 💙 A big thank you to our Sponsors:Alchemist - an industry leading learning and development company, whose learning journeys and experiences help organisations who want to grow, change or transform by putting the learner first to optimise organisational performance.To learn more about Alchemist and see how they work with some of the most innovative companies in the world, head over to https://thisisalchemist.com/40minutementor/  to find out more.  🏆 Want to partner with us? Do you want to get your brand in front of leading Startup Founders, Investors and C-Suite decision-makers, and attract some of the sharpest talent in the Startup/Scaleup scene? Get in touch with our Head of Marketing and Producer, Hannah to find out more about how we can co-produce content that will help you stand out and engage with over 40,000 loyal monthly listeners. You can reach her on hannah@jbmc.co.uk 🤝 Explore Hidden Pages: For this year’s Black History Month, we’ve had the great pleasure of partnering with Samuel Tholley and Hidden Pages - a zine discovering hidden Melanated history & lists of sources exploring the Melanated/"Black" experience. We talked about his motivation behind Hidden Pages, why it's so important to normalise black history and he shares some amazing historic figures we can all learn from.This is only the beginning of this partnership, so make sure you check out our initial conversation with Samuel here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kF_-blY_kUQ ⭐Enjoyed this episode?⭐️Keep up to date with all our latest episodes, by hitting the subscribe button on your favourite podcast platform. And for any feedback on what you enjoy the most and ideas on what we can do to make 40 Minute Mentor even better, please leave us a review on https://ratethispodcast.com/40mm Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Recruitment and Tech are both not industries with the best reputation when it comes to Diversity, Equity and Inclusivity. That’s why JBM and 40 Minute Mentor are on a mission to change that. With our podcast specifically, we’re always looking to feature unique and inspiring stories, especially giving underrepresented voices a platform to share theirs. We’re very much still a work in progress and are always looking to improve series on series and year on year. With that in mind, we have had the great pleasure of welcoming industry trailblazers and leading voices and DE&I over the years. In today’s bite-sized episode, we’re looking back on some of our favourite moments, featuring DE&I advice from: ➡️ Claire Valoti, VP for EMEA at Snap Inc ➡️ Check Warner, Partner at ADA Ventures ➡️ Sharmadean Reid, Founder of The Stack World ➡️ Marta Krupinska, former Head of Google for Startups UK and Co-Founder of CUR8 ➡️ Grace Beverley, Founder and CEO of TALA and SHREDDY ➡️ Baroness Oona King, VP of DE&I at Snap Inc ➡️ Alice Bentinck, Co-Founder of Entrepreneur First  💙 A big thank you to our Sponsors:Alchemist - an industry leading learning and development company, whose learning journeys and experiences help organisations who want to grow, change or transform by putting the learner first to optimise organisational performance.To learn more about Alchemist and see how they work with some of the most innovative companies in the world, head over to https://thisisalchemist.com/40minutementor/  to find out more.  🏆 Want to partner with us? Do you want to get your brand in front of leading Startup Founders, Investors and C-Suite decision-makers, and attract some of the sharpest talent in the Startup/Scaleup scene? Get in touch with our Head of Marketing and Producer, Hannah to find out more about how we can co-produce content that will help you stand out and engage with over 40,000 loyal monthly listeners. You can reach her on hannah@jbmc.co.uk 🤝 Explore Hidden Pages: For this year’s Black History Month, we’ve had the great pleasure of partnering with Samuel Tholley and Hidden Pages - a zine discovering hidden Melanated history & lists of sources exploring the Melanated/"Black" experience. We talked about his motivation behind Hidden Pages, why it's so important to normalise black history and he shares some amazing historic figures we can all learn from.This is only the beginning of this partnership, so make sure you check out our initial conversation with Samuel here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kF_-blY_kUQ ⭐Enjoyed this episode?⭐️Keep up to date with all our latest episodes, by hitting the subscribe button on your favourite podcast platform. And for any feedback on what you enjoy the most and ideas on what we can do to make 40 Minute Mentor even better, please leave us a review on https://ratethispodcast.com/40mm Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

“The best way of treating people is not as if they're a resource, but by working with them to create something amazing.” In today’s 40 Minute Mentor episode, we’re joined by Anouk Agussol, the Founder and CEO of Unleashed. Unleashed are on a mission to gear up early stage and scaling companies for speedy and sustainable success, through people and culture. They help create thriving businesses and great places to work, through leadership programmes, coaching, bespoke people projects and embedded partnerships. JBM have loved collaborating with Anouk and the wider Unleashed team over the years and we loved finding out more about Anouk’s journey and her advice for any Founders and leaders, in today’s episode.  We chat about: ➡️ More about our sponsors, Alchemist [00:16] ➡️ Overcoming imposter syndrome [3:19] ➡️ The juggling act of being a parent and a Founder [04:37] ➡️ Anouk’s career journey and why she chose the People function [09:08] ➡️ Why the People function is becoming increasingly more popular [11:13] ➡️ Her transition from Chief People Officer to starting her own business [14:17] ➡️ More about Unleashed [18:28] ➡️ Why HR is dead [21:55] ➡️ A podcast recommendation from us [23:16] ➡️ What a difference Unleashed has made to teams over the years [24:31] ➡️ Why your culture won’t evolve organically [28:00] ➡️ When is the right time to hire a People person for your startup [32:01] ➡️ The key steps to evolving your culture [34:51] ➡️ How to attract and retain great talent [39:04] ➡️ The evolution of the People function in 2023 and beyond [42:05]  ⛳ Helpful links:➡️ More about Anouk: https://www.linkedin.com/in/anoukagussol/➡️ Check out Unleashed: https://www.unleashed.company/ 💙 A big thank you to our Sponsors:Alchemist - an industry leading learning and development company, whose learning journeys and experiences help organisations who want to grow, change or transform by putting the learner first to optimise organisational performance.To learn more about Alchemist and see how they work with some of the most innovative companies in the world, head over to https://thisisalchemist.com/40minutementor/  to find out more.  🏆 Want to partner with us? Do you want to get your brand in front of leading Startup Founders, Investors and C-Suite decision-makers, and attract some of the sharpest talent in the Startup/Scaleup scene? Get in touch with our Head of Marketing and Producer, Hannah to find out more about how we can co-produce content that will help you stand out and engage with over 40,000 loyal monthly listeners. You can reach her on hannah@jbmc.co.uk 🤝 Explore Hidden Pages: For this year’s Black History Month, we’ve had the great pleasure of partnering with Samuel Tholley and Hidden Pages - a zine discovering hidden Melanated history & lists of sources exploring the Melanated/"Black" experience. We talked about his motivation behind Hidden Pages, why it's so important to normalise black history and he shares some amazing historic figures we can all learn from.This is only the beginning of this partnership, so make sure you check out our initial conversation with Samuel here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kF_-blY_kUQ ⭐Enjoyed this episode?⭐️Keep up to date with all our latest episodes, by hitting the subscribe button on your favourite podcast platform. And for any feedback on what you enjoy the most and ideas on what we can do to make 40 Minute Mentor even better, please leave us a review on  https://ratethispodcast.com/40mm Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In today’s bite-sized 40 Minute Mentor episode, we’re taking a look back on some of our most popular 40 Minute Mentor author episodes.Just in time for World Book Day, later this week, we’re going to hear about the journeys our 40 Minute Mentor authors have been on and how they’ve taken their best-selling books from ideation to launch, and all the ups and downs in between.Whether you’re thinking about writing your own book yourself, or you’re simply looking for some new books packed with mentorship, to add to you ‘to be read’ list, you won’t want to miss this episode. 📚 All books mentioned in this episode:➡️ The Green Startup by Juliet Davenport➡️ How to be a Founder by Alice Bentinck➡️ World Class by Will Greenwood➡️ How to Win by Sir Clive Woodward➡️ Squiggly Careers by Helen Tupper & Sarah Ellis➡️ Slay In Your Lane by Elizabeth Uviebinene➡️ She’s In CTRL by Dr Anne-Marie Imafidon➡️ Solve For Happy by Mo Gawdat➡️ Solo: How to work alone by Rebecca Seal 💙 A big thank you to our Sponsors:Alchemist - an industry leading learning and development company, whose learning journeys and experiences help organisations who want to grow, change or transform by putting the learner first to optimise organisational performanceTo learn more about Alchemist and see how they work with some of the most innovative companies in the world, head over to https://thisisalchemist.com/40minutementor/  to find out more. 🏆 Want to partner with us?Do you want to get your brand in front of leading Startup Founders, Investors and C-Suite decision-makers, and attract some of the sharpest talent in the Startup/Scaleup scene?Get in touch with our Head of Marketing and Producer, Hannah to find out more about how we can co-produce content that will help you stand out and engage with over 40,000 loyal monthly listeners. You can reach her on hannah@jbmc.co.uk ⭐Enjoyed this episode?⭐️Keep up to date with all our latest episodes, by hitting the subscribe button on your favourite podcast platform. And for any feedback on what you enjoy the most and ideas on what we can do to make 40 Minute Mentor even better, please leave us a review on https://ratethispodcast.com/40mm  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices