40 Minute Mentor

No matter whether you’re negotiating your salary, promotion, a new project or a deal with a client or investor - today’s episode will help you get it across the line. For this 40 Minute Mentor bite-sized episode, we’re joined by Selena Rezvani, award-winning journalist, coach, speaker and author of ‘Quick Confidence’. Ahead of her book launching on May, 9th 2023, Selena shares with us some easy to follow mentorship on: ➡️ The fundamental pillars of building your confidence ➡️ What makes someone a great negotiator ➡️ The GPS framework which will help you navigate your next negotiation ➡️ How to deal with difficult negotiations ➡️ Plus, what to do when you don’t get the outcome you wanted ⛳ Helpful links:➡️ Connect with Selena: https://www.linkedin.com/in/selenarezvani/➡️ Get a copy of her book ‘Quick Confidence’ out on May 9th: https://www.selenarezvani.com/books 💙 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

⚠️ Content Warning: This episode contains topics of mental health and suicide attempts, that may be harmful or traumatising to some audiences. If you’re affected by any of the topics discussed, please make sure you reach out to the helplines listed below. ⚠️  “Nothing prepared me for that loss of identity that I had without football.” Have you ever wondered what it’s like to be a professional footballer in England? And what life looks like once you decide to retire from your career in sport? In this week’s 40 Minute Mentor episode, we’re joined by Clarke Carlisle, former professional footballer, mental health advocate and ambassador for the mental health charity Mind. Clarke has had an illustrious football career, having played for a number of top clubs, including Leeds United, Watford and Burnley, and winning three caps for England under 21s. Alongside all the successes, Clarke also had to deal with plenty of hardship, including serious injuries, his battle with depression and attempted suicide. Clarke has been refreshingly open about his professional and mental health journey, and shared with us: ➡️ The misconceptions that come with being a professional footballer [03:17] ➡️ His biggest failure and biggest success all wrapped up into one [07:21] ➡️ Why football needs to be treated more like a workplace [09:45] ➡️ Signing his first professional football contract [14:23] ➡️ Winning his England U21 caps [17:29] ➡️ More about our sponsor, Alchemist [22:10] ➡️ Bouncing back from a setback [23:22] ➡️ Why you need to stop searching for happiness [29:14] ➡️ Retirement from professional football [31:42] ➡️ Attempting suicide and ongoing mental health battles [36:26] ➡️ Advice on opening up about your mental health [45:29] ➡️ Improving mental health at work [48:29]  ⛳ Helpful links:➡️ More about Clarke: https://www.linkedin.com/in/clarke-carlisle-and-carrie-carlisle-765aa749/➡️ Check out the work Clarke & Carrie are doing: https://www.clarkeandcarrie.com/➡️ Mind Charity: https://www.mind.org.uk/➡️ Mental Health Foundation - https://www.mentalhealth.org.uk➡️ The Samaritans can be reached on 116 123 ➡️ And for local help and support, call the Mind Infoline at 0300 123 3393 or text 86463 💙 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 there’s one thing that became obvious during the pandemic and the various different lockdowns, it’s the importance of human connection. But what happens to us when we get disconnected from our peers? How do we build actually lasting connections? And what are the best ways for team leaders to facilitate and create opportunities for human connection in an increasingly hybrid world? To answer all of these questions, we’re joined by Simone Heng, a human connection specialist and author of ‘Secret Pandemic: The Search for Connection in a Lonely World.’  ⛳ Helpful links:➡️ Connect with Simone: https://www.linkedin.com/in/simone-heng-speaker/➡️ Get a copy of her book ‘Secret Pandemic - the search for connection in a lonely world’: https://simoneheng.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

“You need to recognise that your mental health is a muscle and it’s not a case of doing a 30 day cleanse and mediations and you’re all good. That’s not how it works.” What started off as a new way to eliminate the daily stresses of life in the city, turned into the UK’s favourite soft drinks brand. This week’s 40 Minute Mentor is Olivia Ferdi, the Co-Founder of popular CBD brand, TRIP. Coming from a law background, there were plenty of early stage challenges Olivia and her Co-Founder and husband, Dan, faced together and we loved learning more about their journey in today’s episode. Olivia shares with us: ➡️ The glamorisation of startup life [03:37] ➡️ Resilience and building a Founder mindset [05:23] ➡️ Her law career and transitioning to a startup [08:54] ➡️ More about our sponsors, Alchemist [16:30] ➡️ The inspiration behind TRIP [17:27] ➡️ Her stand-out milestones from her journey with TRIP [26:07] ➡️ How her law background has helped and sometimes hindered along the way [29:25] ➡️ Building a wellbeing routine that lasts [36:30] ➡️ TRIP’s exciting plans for the year ahead [40:40] ➡️ Why a “no” is never a “no” [43:37]  ⛳ Helpful links:➡️ More about Olivia: https://www.linkedin.com/in/olivia-ferdi/➡️ Check out TRIP: https://drink-trip.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

Public speaking - an instrumental skill to perfect for any Founder and executive. It’s also one of the most dreaded aspects of being a business leader. To help make your next presentation a less stressful experience, we’re joined by Alex Merry,  former COO, turned public speaking coach.  Alex doesn’t only help leaders deliver high-stakes presentations at work and globally recognised conferences, through his coaching and online speaking club, MicDrop, but he’s also published his advice in his book, ‘Make It Count’. In this bite-sized episode, we’re looking at: ➡️ What makes a good public speaker ➡️ How to manage your nerves ➡️ The one thing you should never finish your presentation on ➡️ How to handle difficult questions  ⛳ Helpful links:➡️ Connect with Alex: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mralexmerry/➡️ Join MicDrop: https://alexmerry.com/micdrop-web/➡️ Get your copy of ‘Make it count’: https://alexmerry.com/get-the-book/ 💙 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

“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