40 Minute Mentor

“It’s easy to look from the outside in and think ‘wow, what an adventure’ and it is an adventure, but if you’re thinking about going on a startup joinery you need to ask yourself: am I okay if this fails?” For episode 1 in our brand new 40 Minute Mentor season, we’re joined by Clare Jones, ex CCO of what3words and CEO of Polarsteps. Clare has had an impressive career so far, including joining what3words in its very early days as a startup and helping them scale to post-Series C in 8 years. Earlier in the summer, Clare joined Polarsteps, a rapidly growing team building the essential tool for modern day explorers - before, during and after their trips. In today’s episode we discuss the leadership skills that helped her through her tenure as CCO and now CEO, what makes a successful CCO and what it’s been like to join as the first CEO hire, as a succession hire from the Founders. Episode Chapters: ➡️ Her upbringing in an activist household [04:30] ➡️ Early NGO experiences & transferable skills [06:15] ➡️ Joining what3words as a scrappy startup [09:50] ➡️ Lessons from scaling the what3words team [13:45] ➡️ More about today’s sponsors [20:55] ➡️ Becoming comfortable with failure [22:00] ➡️ Deep dive into the CCO role [26:15] ➡️ Why the move to Polarsteps & the origin story [28:30] ➡️ When it’s time for Founders to step back [31:55] ➡️ Making Founder succession work [43:00] ➡️ Learning to be patient [47:25]  ⛳ Helpful links:➡️ Connect with Clare: https://www.linkedin.com/in/clare-jones-/ ➡️ Find out more about Polarsteps: https://www.polarsteps.com/ 🔔 Find out more about today’s sponsors Today’s episode was sponsored by Amplified Group - the People services group that supports technology companies from inception to IPO. Together, the Group combines the leading brands in the People, Talent, Culture and HR space to provide the services Founders and Leadership teams need to build high-performing teams and businesses. Find out more at www.amplifiedgroup.com or drop the team a note on people@amplifiedgroup.com ⭐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

We’re officially DAYS away from launching Season 12 of our 40 Minute Mentor podcast. And this might be one of our best seasons yet. We have an amazing line-up of 40 Minute Mentors sharing the highs and lows of their entrepreneurial journey - all the way from that initial idea to launching and breaking world records along the way. For a preview of some of the amazing pocket-sized mentorship that will land in a set of headphones near you starting this Wednesday, check out our season trailer. If you like what you’re hearing, make sure you hit subscribe or set a reminder to check back this Wednesday morning for a fresh dose of pocket-sized mentorship. 🤔 Know someone who will enjoy this? Share the trailer with them today! 💡Ideas on how we can make the trailer even better? Leave us a review or drop us a note on hannah@jbmc.co.uk  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

“Everyone needs different things, but if we’re going to spend so much time going to work, at least do something where you feel that you matter and that you make a difference here.” As we’re approaching this year’s Sifted Summit in London, we thought we’d use our final Replay episode as a throwback to our live podcast recording at the Summit two years ago. In this episode, we’re joined by Nikki Wicks (The Body Coach), Emma Steele (Ascension) and Amali De Alwis (ex Subak), to discuss putting purpose over profit and accelerating impact. Gone are the days in which top talent are looking to go into Banking, Consulting or Investing. Now the best of the best are on a mission to find companies and Founders with a strong purpose, to really make a difference in the world… Episode chapters:➡️ What is purpose and why does it matter [03:00] ➡️ Measuring impact [08:40] ➡️ Accidentally building a purpose driven business [10:45] ➡️ When you should and shouldn’t raise from VCs [16:50] ➡️ Profit vs Purpose - defining what matters [22:00] ➡️ Turning down million pound partnerships [24:55] ➡️ Purpose & Talent attraction [31:20] ➡️ Sacrificing big salaries for purpose [33:20] ➡️ Hiring challenges [37:30] ➡️ Purpose driven investment thesis & fundraising advice [40:00] ⛳ Helpful links:➡️ Watch the full recording at Sifted Summit: https://jbmc.co.uk/podcasts/live-at-sifted-summit-purpose-v-profit-with-nikki-wicks-the-body-coach-emma-steele-ascension-amali-de-alwis-subak/ ➡️ Connect with Nikki Wicks: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nikki-wicks-15065661/ ➡️ Connect with Emma Steele: https://www.linkedin.com/in/emma-steele-b7a98832/ ➡️ Connect with Amali De Alwis: https://www.linkedin.com/in/amali/ ⭐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

“Being a mum is my superpower. If a company doesn’t want my superpower, then I don’t want to be in that company.” Whether you’re an aspiring GM, leader in Tech or are navigating the workplace after becoming a parent - you won’t want to miss today’s 40 Minute Mentor. In today’s Replay episode, we’re revisiting our conversation with the brilliant Claire Valoti, prolific angel investor and Founding Partner of Haylo Ventures. When we had Claire on the podcast, she was VP at Snapchat, where she grew Snap’s EMEA region to over 1 billion in revenue with 20x headcount growth and a 5x productivity boost. In today’s episode, you’ll hear more about… Episode chapters:➡️ Claire’s brilliant career from media and advertising into Tech [01:25] ➡️ The lessons she learned from her parents owning a Hotel [03:50] ➡️ The importance of public speaking in any career [08:55] ➡️ What an early career in agency land taught her [11:00] ➡️ Progression does not mean leaving the company you’re with [15:40] ➡️ Highlights from working at Facebook [18:00] ➡️ Moving to Snapchat & being hired while pregnant [19:50] ➡️ Advice for aspiring GM’s [22:00] ➡️ A typical day at Snapchat [25:50] ➡️ Challenges of scaling a team [28:15] ➡️ Collaborating across different countries and timezones [31:25] ➡️ Driving DE&I from the top down [35:15] ➡️ What Claire looks for when assessing talent [39:30] ⛳ Helpful links:➡️ Follow Claire on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/clairevaloti/?originalSubdomain=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

“Ability is equally distributed but opportunity isn’t. It’s about giving people the freedom to fail and the right and opportunity to fully participate in all levels of the society we live in today.” Social Mobility has always been an important topic for us on 40 Minute Mentor. Not just as a topic to openly discuss on the podcast, but as a production team to continue to find underrepresented stories to share with you every week. Although a lot of progress has been made across industries in the last 4 years since we initially recorded this roundtable episode, a lot of what our guests have shared is (sadly) still relevant. In this Roundtable episode, you’ll hear from: ✨ Mandy Nyarko MBE, Co-Founder of Startup Discovery School ✨ Lucy McCarthy-Christofides, Fractional Commercial Product Marketing, ex Tails.com✨ Ezechi Britton MBE, Co-Founder & CEO of Code Untapped, Founding Member of Impact X and CEO of Centre of Finance, Innovation and Technology ✨ Euan Blair, Co-Founder and CEO of Multiverse ✨ Ruth Penfold, Founder & Creator of Bloom, ex Launchpad and Onfido Together, they discuss…. Episode chapters:➡️ Why social mobility is important [02:15] ➡️ The role of education [09:50] ➡️ Continuous learning and reskilling [15:10] ➡️ Improving social mobility as an employer  [25:20] ➡️ Social Mobility in hiring [30:00] ➡️ Building a truly diverse and inclusive team [42:20] ➡️ Social Mobility in VC [52:50] ⛳ Helpful links:➡️ Follow Mandy on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mandy-nyarko ➡️ Follow Ezechi on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ezechi-britton-452a893/ ➡️ Follow Lucy on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lucymccarthytails ➡️ Follow Ruth on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ruthpenfold/ ⭐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 great differentiator of that England team was our ability to never allow ourselves to be consigned to fate. We always believed it was in our hands.” Over the years, we’ve had some absolute legends of the sporting world on 40 Minute Mentor. One of them is England Rugby legend, Broadcaster and Journalist, Will Greenwood MBE. Will is one of the greatest English Rugby players of all time, playing 55 times for his country, representing the British and Irish Lions on multiple tours and including playing a fundamental role in England’s 2003 Rugby World Cup winning team. Not only do we unpack Will’s impressive Rugby career in this episode, but you’ll also hear about… Episode chapters:➡️ Will’s upbringing and his parents influence [02:00] ➡️ The route to professional Rugby [04:30] ➡️ Making big sacrifices [13:40] ➡️ Winning the World Cup [16:30] ➡️ Removing luck to succeed [18:50] ➡️ What made this team so special [19:55] ➡️ From Rugby to Broadcasting [26:50] ➡️ Facing failure and taking risks [32:00] ➡️ Why we should all be paying it forward [35:30] ➡️ Making Rugby more diverse and inclusive [37:50] ⛳ Helpful links:➡️ Follow Will on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/willgreenwood/?originalSubdomain=uk ➡️ Check out Will’s book ‘World Class’: https://www.penguin.co.uk/books/443223/world-class-by-greenwood-ben-fennell-and-will/9780753558782 ⭐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

“We are not expected to all develop in the same direction. Success isn’t the same for all of us and we can’t plan our way to some kind of predictable future.” 40 Minute Mentor is fast approaching its 12th season. With over 250 episodes published, we know that not every single one of our listeners will have been around from the beginning. To share some of our earlier mentorship with you, we’re running another one of our Replay feature seasons. In today’s Replay episode, we’re revisiting our 40 minutes of pocket-sized mentorship with the brilliant Helen Tupper. Helen is the Co-Founder and CEO of Amazing If, a bestselling Author and Co-Host of the popular Squiggly Careers podcast. In these 40 minutes, you’ll find out… Episode chapters:➡️ Joining for the company, not the job [03:25]  ➡️ Working for big brands [04:30] ➡️ Defining your career values [08:30] ➡️ Taking the plunge into entrepreneurship [10:20] ➡️ Building a business with your friend [15:15] ➡️ Defining a Squiggly Career [20:45] ➡️ Building your confidence [26:45] ➡️ Starting the Squiggly Careers podcast [30:35] ➡️ The secret to community building [35:20] ➡️ Advice on career pivots [35:45] ⛳ Helpful links:➡️ Follow Helen on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/helentupper?originalSubdomain=uk ➡️ Find out more about Amazing If: https://www.amazingif.com/ ➡️ Listen to the Squiggly Careers podcast: https://www.amazingif.com/listen/ ⭐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

“There’s a competitive drive and edge that you see in sport that is really important in business. And Teamwork. Dealing with individuals, knowing what helps make an individual tick is really important.” For the final episode in this season of our VC feature, we’re joined by Ruari Bell, Founding Partner at The Players Fund, the UK’s first athlete-led firm, founded to empower the athlete community as investors. The Players Fund brings together a collective of renowned athlete investors, including Ben Stokes, former 40 Minute Mentor guest Jessica Ennis-Hill, Jos Butler, Allyson Felix, Serge Gnabry and many more top athletes. Ruari has had a fantastic career in entrepreneurship and investing and we’ll dig into every part of it and his journey with The Players Fund in detail, in today’s episode. In these 40 minutes, you’ll hear about... Episode chapters: ➡️ Increasing diversity and inclusion in VC [03:00] ➡️ Growing up in the Northeast of England [03:50] ➡️ A love for sport [05:45] ➡️ Transitioning out of professional sport [07:55] ➡️ An entrepreneurial journey [10:50] ➡️ Transferable skills from sport to business [17:40] ➡️ The origin story of The Players Fund [20:15] ➡️ What makes Founders stand out to him [28:00] ➡️ Openness to feedback [29:30] ➡️ Vision for the future [35:15] ➡️ Building a business with family [38:00] ⛳ Helpful links:➡️ Follow Ruari on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ruaribell/ ➡️ Find out more about The Players fund: https://www.playersfund.vc/ ⭐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

“When a VC gives you a low valuation, it isn’t the fact that your company is worth that much, it might just be because you didn’t pitch it in the right way.” Fundraising can be a lonely process at times. And an endless emotional rollercoaster throughout. In today’s episode, we collated some of the best fundraising advice from Founders who have been in your position and raised some impressive rounds over the years. You’ll hear from: 🌟 Avion Gray, Co-Founder & CEO of Belong🌟 Alice Pelton, Co-Founder & CEO of The Lowdown🌟 Christian Facey, Founder & CEO of Audiomob🌟 Ham Serunjogi, Co-Founder & CEO of Chipper Cash🌟 Dame Jessica Ennis-Hill, Olympian & Co-Founder of FemTech, Jennis🌟 Molly Johnson-Jones, Co-Founder & CEO of Flexa🌟 Exited Founder Nicolas D’Audiffret of Ankorstore🌟 Simone Maini, CEO at Elliptic🌟 Tim Chong, Co-Founder & CEO of Yonder⛳ Helpful links:➡️ Find all of the full episodes used in today’s roundup in the 40 Minute Mentor archives, or by searching ‘Name + 40 Minute Mentor’ on Google: https://jbmc.co.uk/40-minute-mentor/ ⭐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

“This is a long partnership. We’re here to return money to our investors, but we are also here to experience a very unique journey together. So, trust is very important, on both sides.” We’ve been so lucky to have some of the best VCs in the industry, come on 40 Minute Mentor over the years. For today’s episode, we thought we’d collate some of the best VC advice we received on the podcast to date. You’ll hear from: 🌟 Leila Rastegar-Zegna, Founding General Partner of Kindred Capital 🌟 Hannah Seal, Partner at Index Ventures🌟 Pippa Lamb, Partner at Sweet Capital 🌟 Ian Hogarth, Partner at Plural 🌟 Antoine Nussenbaum, Co-Founder of Felix Capital 🌟 Cleo Sham, ex-Partner at Stride.VC 🌟 Check Warner, Co-Founder of Ada Ventures Episode chapters: ➡️ Hardest part of being a VC [01:30] ➡️ Investing at Seed stage [04:09] ➡️ Mission first VCs [04:40] ➡️ Backing exceptional Founders [08:30] ➡️ Being strategic in choosing your fund [16:20] ➡️ DE&I in VC [22:45] ⛳ Helpful links:➡️ Find all of the full episodes used in today’s roundup in the 40 Minute Mentor archives, or by searching ‘Name + 40 Minute Mentor’ on Google: https://jbmc.co.uk/40-minute-mentor/ ⭐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