40 Minute Mentor

By JBM, James MitraBusiness Careers

40 Minute Mentor episodes

August 17, 2022Putting Purpose Over Profit with Afrocenchix’s Rachael Twumasi-Corson
“This is an industry where 78% of products that are targeted to black women contain horrible toxic ingredients. There was a paper that came out that linked parabens in black hair care products to breast cancer growth in black women. Nothing you use to groom yourself should be making you sick.”
In this week’s 40 Minute Mentor ‘Early Stage Founder’ feature series episode, we’re joined by Rachael Twumasi-Corson, the Founder and CEO of black-owned haircare business, Afrocenchix.
Afrocenchix are on a mission to put health first in haircare, and people and planet before profit. They do this by using environmentally friendly preservatives, ethically sourced, organic and vegan certified ingredients.
Their brilliant work has been recognised by multiple awards, a thriving community of loyal customers in more than 54 countries and world-class investors backing their mission, including Google’s Black Founders Fund.
However, it wasn’t always smooth sailing for Rachael and in today’s episode we hear very candid stories, including the successes and the setbacks that led to them, including:
Why interviews don’t always give you the full picture of a potential hire [03:03]
How having children has changed her as a Founder and business leader [06:01]
How her upbringing fuelled her entrepreneurial spirit [11:07]
What her University experience was like and how a kitchen lab in her student house saw the beginnings of Afrocenchix [16:49]
Why touching someone’s hair is an invasion of space and a microaggression which needs to stop [25:45]
What makes Afrocenchix such a special D2C business [31:01]
How D2C Founders can prepare for the recession [33:45]
The do’s and don’ts of building a community [39:17]
Rachael’s experience of fundraising and her advice for any Founders embarking on that journey [43:56]

⛳️ Helpful links:
➡️ More about Rachael: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rachaeltwumasi/
➡️ More about Afrocenchix: https://afrocenchix.com/
➡️Rachael’s Medium article on fundraising: https://rachaeltwumasicorson.medium.com/10-tips-for-raising-investment-how-afrocenchix-secured-google-funding-in-1-2m-seed-round-ae29f18ed3a2

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54 min
August 10, 2022Building A Multi-Award Winning Bootstrapped Business with Mags Creative’s Hannah Russell
“There are a lot of cases where I think raising capital can actually ruin a perfectly good business model.”
In this week’s 40 Minute Mentor 'Early Stage Founders' Feature Series episode, we’re joined by Hannah Russell, the Co-Founder of multi-award-winning podcasting company, Mags Creative.
Mags Creative aren’t just the brilliant team behind our 40 Minute Mentor podcast, but are also the brains and creative power behind some of the best podcasts in the industry. The team helps brands and individuals tell their stories from concepts and planning to production and promotion.
In today’s episode, we hear about the incredible journey Hannah and her sister, Faith have been on with Mags Creative and learn more about what got them to where they are today, including:
The importance of celebrating success as a Founder [04:37]
What led Hannah to entrepreneurship and what her first business was all about [09:27]
Why the tumbleweed was the biggest surprise for her as a first-time Founder [13:32]
The biggest lessons she learnt from building Layer Home [16:01]
How she ended up selling the business to one of her competitors [18:37]
Why she decided to jump back in the Founders seat and why podcasting [23:47]
How what she’s building at Mags Creative is so different to her first business [27:26]
Why Mags is a bootstrapped business and her advice for anyone trying to decide whether to raise capital [29:50]
Why you should start a podcast and what to keep in mind before you do it [36:17]
Why comparison is so dangerous for Founders [42:00]
How becoming a mother has changed her as a leader [44:33]

⛳️ Helpful links:
➡️ More about Hannah: https://www.linkedin.com/in/hannahruss/
➡️ More about Mags Creative: https://www.magscreative.co.uk/

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52 min
August 03, 2022Work Near Home - The Future of Work with Patch’s Freddie Fforde
“What matters to me about the people in our cap table is that they’re people who really care about what we’re trying to achieve and our values, and fundamentally believe and support me as the Founder.”
To kick off our brand new 40 Minute Mentor ‘Early Stage Founders’ feature series, we’re joined by the brilliant Freddie Fforde, Founder of Patch.
Patch creates dynamic work clubs and community venues for local highstreets. Open and available to everyone, Patch are looking to redefine what the future of work looks like and create spaces designed to celebrate businesses and talent close to home.
In today’s episode, we learn more about Patch’s journey so far, their aspirations for the future and Freddie shares some candid insights into his journey as a Founder, including:
The biggest challenges and failures he faced as a Founder [03:14]
The importance of the people around him and how they’ve helped him become the Founder he is today [07:32]
Why he became a Founder in the first place [10:24]
Where the inspiration for Patch came from and why it all started during Covid [17:06]
What the future of work will look like and how employers can embrace it [22:58]
Freddie’s approach to raising investment for Patch and why it’s so important to base your cap table on skillset [26:33]
His first-hand advice for any aspiring Founders listening [29:57]
Some of the most common Founder life myths and what the reality of being a Founder actually looks like [39:42]
The valuable experience he got from being a fractional leader ahead of starting Patch [41:52]
And why balancing all aspect of his life has become one of Patch’s company values [45:41]

⛳️ Helpful links:
➡️ More about Freddie: https://www.linkedin.com/in/freddiefforde/

➡️ More about Patch: https://www.patch.work/

⭐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
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 most and ideas on what we can do to make 40 Minute Mentor even better, please leave us a review.
55 min
July 27, 2022VC Feature: “Many generational companies were born out of downturns, so these are times for big opportunities”, with Index Venture’s Hannah Seal
“VC should be a great career for people from diverse backgrounds, because it’s really a role where you’re judged on your output. At the end of a fund cycle, it’s pretty clear to see whether you’re a good investor or not.”
In our final 40 Minute Mentor VC Feature series episode, we’re joined by Hannah Seal, Partner at one of the most prestigious VCs in the world and one of JBM’s favourite clients, Index Ventures.
Index Ventures is an international multi-stage venture capital firm, investing in technology-enabled industry disrupters. Their portfolio includes multiple 40 Minute Mentors, such as Unicorns Ankorstore and Multiverse and category defining companies like Bloom & Wild and Sourceful. As well as household names such as Deliveroo, Revolut, Glossier, and many others.
In today’s episode, Hannah shares some brilliant insights into how Index work and what they look for when assessing Founders, as well as some great mentorship for anyone looking to get into VC, including:
Why she decided to pivot from Operator to VC [06:23]
What skills Hannah relied on when making the transition [07:22]
Hannah’s advice for any Operators thinking of moving into VC [10:02]
What differentiates Index Ventures from other VCs [11:22]
How Index Ventures works with Founders [13:10]
What Hannah looks for when assessing companies and their Founders [14:52]
The trends Index Ventures are seeing at the moment and some of the sectors Hannah’s getting excited about [16:28]
How the economic downturn doesn’t necessarily mean doom and gloom for Founders [18:58]
What changes Hannah has seen in the European VC landscape, compared to the US [20:22]
And why VC is actually a great career option for diverse talent [22:17]

⛳️ Helpful links:
➡️ More about Hannah: https://www.linkedin.com/in/hannah-seal-78938a22/
➡️ More about Index Ventures: https://www.indexventures.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
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 most and ideas on what we can do to make 40 Minute Mentor even better, please leave us a review.
30 min
July 20, 2022VC Feature: “The common trait we see amongst successful entrepreneurs is that they’re sacrificing a lot of life into this journey but they want to do it for something that matters”, with Felix Capital’s Antoine Nussenbaum
“One of the biggest misconceptions in VC is that it’s an easy way to be successful, or a quick shortcut to something - that’s absolutely wrong. It’s a really long journey.”
In today’s 40 Minute Mentor VC Feature series episode, we’re joined by Antoine Nussenbaum, the Co-Founder of Felix Capital.
Felix is a venture capital firm for the creative class, at the intersection of technology and creativity, focusing on opportunities in digital lifestyle.
They’re on a mission to support ambitious Founders with big ideas, capturing new behaviours and cultural shifts. Their portfolio includes the likes of Farfetch, Deliveroo, Unmind, Papier, amongst many other high-growth brands.
In this episode, Antoine shares some incredible insights into the market and buckets of brilliant mentorship for Founders and aspiring VCs, including:
What led Antoine to start Felix Capital [06:36]
Why he chose the digital lifestyle niche and what makes Felix so different from other VCs [08:50]
The potential opportunities the economic downturn can present to Founders, no matter whether they’re in B2B or B2C [11:27]
What common traits some of the most successful Founders share and how you can stand out when fundraising [17:02]
The difficulties of separating work and life as a Founder and how it can sometimes be beneficial to let the two intertwine [21:55]
What makes Felix’s culture so special and how Antoine tests for high conviction in interviews [25:01]
What Antoine looks for when he assesses Founders and their businesses [29:12]
The most common mistakes he sees Founders make during pitches [31:09]
Why working in VC isn’t about finding a shortcut to success [32:51]

⛳️ Helpful links:
➡️ More about Antoine: https://www.linkedin.com/in/antoinenussenbaum/
➡️ More about Felix Capital: https://www.felixcap.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
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 most and ideas on what we can do to make 40 Minute Mentor even better, please leave us a review.
42 min
July 13, 2022VC Feature: “Founders in Europe were so underserved relative to what I experienced raising money in Silicon Valley”, with Kindred Capital’s Leila Zegna
“Create an anxiety balance sheet with the things you have control over and the things you don’t have control over. Put the things that give you anxiety into these credits and debits and you’ll realise that actually there’s a lot more that’s in your control than you think.”
Kicking off our VC feature series, we’re joined by Leila Zegna, the Founding General Partner of Kindred Capital.
Kindred are building a new model for Venture Capital where every Founder they back becomes a co-owner of the fund. Launched in 2015, Leila and her Co-Founders are on a mission to create the venture firm they would have wanted to work with when they were running Startups themselves.
Leila tells us more about their Equitable Venture model in today’s episode, along with some candid mentorship, including:
How she made the transition from Operator to VC [10:55]
Why more Operators should work in VC [19:18]
What European VCs can learn from their US counterparts [22:22]
How Kindred’s Equitable Venture model works [25:27]
What advice Founders should keep in mind as they face the economic downturn [29:00]
What Leila and the Kindred team are looking for when assessing businesses and their Founders [32:25]
How Leila does everything she does all while having three kids under the age of 6 [37:21]
And why she wants Kindred to be the best of its kind and not the biggest [41:36]

⛳️ Helpful links:
➡️ More about Leila: https://www.linkedin.com/in/leilazegna/
➡️ More about Kindred Capital: https://kindredcapital.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
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 most and ideas on what we can do to make 40 Minute Mentor even better, please leave us a review.
47 min
July 06, 2022Where Are They Now: Timothy Armoo On Scaling & Selling Fanbytes To A Global Media Agency
“The moment you start seeing yourself as a black Founder, you end up almost acting with all the facts that impact black Founders. So, you end up going into conversations with investors expecting not to raise money, or you don’t even approach VCs because you think they won’t give you money, etc.”
In this final episode of our 40 Minute Mentor ‘Where Are They Now’ feature series, we’re joined by the brilliant Timothy Armoo, Forbes 30 Under 30, Co-Founder and exited CEO of the recently acquired influencer marketing agency, Fanbytes.
Fanbytes have been on an incredible journey, going from strength to strength over the years, working with leading global brands, including Nike, Samsung, Deliveroo and even the UK Government.
The pinnacle of their incredible journey, however, was reached earlier in 2022, when they were acquired by global digital media agency, Brainlabs.
That’s why we thought a catch up with Timothy was well overdue. He shared endless insights and candid mentorship with us in today’s episode, including:
The story behind Fanbytes and how it came to exist [02:04]
How they landed such big name clients, even in the early days of Fanbytes [03:19]
The behind the scenes of their deal with Brainlabs and what this means for Fanbytes and Timothy personally [05:54]
How influencer marketing has changed and the opportunities for brands today [10:26]
Why Timothy sees himself as a Founder first and as a black Founder second [14:04]
Plus, he shares some of his upcoming plans and what he’s looking forward to the most following his exit [18:12]

⛳️ Helpful links:
➡️ The full 40 Minute Mentor episode with Timothy Armoo: https://jbmc.co.uk/insights/40-minute-mentor/building-a-multi-million-pound-agency-for-gen-z-with-timothy-armoo/
➡️ More about Timothy: https://www.linkedin.com/in/timothyarmoo/
➡️ More about Fanbytes: https://fanbytes.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
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 most and ideas on what we can do to make 40 Minute Mentor even better, please leave us a review.
23 min
June 29, 2022Where Are They Now: Tessa Clarke On Scaling OLIO & Investing In Diverse Founders
“If we were to see truly representative investment committees and truly diverse representation amongst the gatekeepers of power and capital, then we would solve this problem pretty much overnight.”
In today’s 40 Minute Mentor instalment of our ‘Where Are They Now’ feature series, we’re joined by Tessa Clarke, Co-Founder and CEO of OLIO.
OLIO is the number one sharing app, connecting neighbours with each other and local businesses, so surplus food can be shared, not thrown away.
Over 6 million people have joined OLIO so far and they’re on an incredible mission to help create a world in which nothing of value goes to waste, and every single person has enough to eat - all without destroying our planet in the process.
In today’s episode, Tessa shares some behind the scenes insights into OLIO’s scaling journey and some brilliant mentorship for any fellow Founders, including:
Why OLIO exists [01:51]
Tessa’s biggest learnings from scaling the business [03:54]
What makes OLIO’s culture so special and what Tessa looks for when hiring [06:19]
Why it’s so important to take a step back from the day to day as a Founder [10:43]
Tessa’s advice for any diverse Founders looking for investment [12:54]
What she looks for when assessing businesses and their Founders [17:41]
And what the rest of 2022 holds for her and the OLIO team [19:43]

⛳️ Helpful links:
➡️ The full 40 Minute Mentor episode with Tessa Clarke: https://jbmc.co.uk/insights/40-minute-mentor/tackling-the-food-waste-crisis-with-tessa-clarke/
➡️ More about Tessa: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tecook/
➡️ More about Olio: https://olioex.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
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 most and ideas on what we can do to make 40 Minute Mentor even better, please leave us a review.
24 min
June 22, 2022Where Are They Now: Fred Jones On Parental Leave & Changing Mobility For Good
“When you’re 60 and you look back on your career, you’re never going to look back and think - I wish I worked for the two months more, I didn’t spend with my daughter.”
In this week’s 40 Minute Mentor, ‘Where Are They Now’ feature, we welcome back one of our very first guests on the podcast and JBM Board Advisor, the incredible Fred Jones, VP and Regional Manager of Northern Europe at TIER Mobility.
TIER is Europe’s leading shared micro-mobility provider. Their international team of serial entrepreneurs and highly skilled operators from around the world are all united by one shared mission - to change mobility for good.
Founded in 2018, TIER operates in 200+ cities across 21 countries in Europe and the Middle East, with a focus on providing the safest, most equitable and most sustainable mobility solution.
Fred shares so many insights into the mobility sector with us in today’s episode, including:
Why Fred decided to move from Uber to TIER Mobility [02:43]
What the day to day as TIER’s VP and Regional Manager for Northern Europe looks like [06:29]
The most challenging part of his scaleup journey so far [08:31]
Why TIER is such an amazing place to work at and why now is a really exciting time to join [10:21]
What the future of mobility looks like [14:09]
Why Fred decided to take 2 months of parental leave and why he urges everyone to do the same [16:26]
And what the rest of 2022 holds for him and TIER [21:45]

⛳️ Helpful links:
➡️ The full 40 Minute Mentor episode with Fred Jones: https://jbmc.co.uk/insights/40-minute-mentor/leadership-lessons-from-building-uber-in-the-uk-with-fred-jones/
➡️ More about Fred: https://www.linkedin.com/in/f-jones/
➡️ More about TIER Mobility: https://www.tier.app/en/

⭐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
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 most and ideas on what we can do to make 40 Minute Mentor even better, please leave us a review.
26 min
June 15, 2022Where Are They Now: Roberta Lucca On Becoming A Multi-Entrepreneur
“Don’t be trapped by your job title. You can do more things. And by doing more things, by exploring all the sides of your identity and hidden talents, you’ll discover a completely different future than you can see right now.”
Up next in our 40 Minute Mentor, ‘Where Are They Now’ feature series, we’re joined by the Co-Founder of BAFTA-winning gaming studio, Bossa Studios, and multi-creative entrepreneur, the incredible Roberta Lucca.
Having transitioned from Co-Founder and CMO to Non-Executive Director at Bossa Studios, Roberta shares some brilliant insights into building her portfolio career and exclusive mentorship for any multi-entrepreneurs out there, including:
Why Bossa Studios was founded and how Roberta’s embracing being a multi-entrepreneur herself [02:20]

How she transitioned from being a Founder to a portfolio career and her advice for anyone looking to do the same [05:29]

What the future of work will look like and why business leaders need to nurture their intrapreneurs [11:17]

Roberta’s experience of being a judge on the BBC hit show, The Apprentice [13:56]

And what she looks for when assessing Founders and their businesses as an angel investor [16:49]

⛳️ Helpful links:
➡️ The full 40 Minute Mentor episode with Roberta Lucca: https://jbmc.co.uk/insights/40-minute-mentor/building-a-multimillion-dollar-games-empire-with-roberta-lucca/
➡️ More about Roberta: https://www.linkedin.com/in/robertalucca/

⭐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
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 most and ideas on what we can do to make 40 Minute Mentor even better, please leave us a review.
22 min

About 40 Minute Mentor

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40 Minute Mentor is on a mission to raise aspirations and inspire the next generation of category-defining Founders, through powerful career stories and inspirational mentorship. From purpose-led…