Everyday Leadership

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Getting out of the topic and into the age of action...

"It's just more... like I use the thing, like, you know Weinstein's? These are all Weinsteins. I can't have it. What if one of these people were my daughter?" - Kevin Withane

(Want to read a full written for reading transcript version of this episode? Download it here.)

Meet Kevin, the Founder and Managing Partner of Diversity X.

Diversity X is a community and venture capital firm that supports underestimated founders who are solving real-world problems and making a positive impact in their communities and the world.

He has worked around the world over the last two decades, including at private practice law firms, quasi-governmental organisations, SMEs, and most recently at a FTSE 250 company.

Kevin is a passionate advocate for building a sustainable world and for diversity, equity, and inclusion. Listen to this fascinating conversation in which I, Sope, learn more about Kevin's journey and the work that Diversity X is doing to support underestimated founders in the tech industry.

Diversity X is a community and venture capital firm that aims to support underrepresented founders and start ups.

The firm focuses on diversity, equity, and inclusion and is committed to investing in companies that are working on solving real-world problems and making a positive impact in their communities and the world.

Under Kevin's leadership, 'Diversity X' believes in the power of diverse teams to drive innovation and create sustainable solutions.

They provide not only financial support but also mentorship, resources, and connections to help these founders succeed.

They also actively engage with the community and create a space for conversations around diversity and inclusion in the start-up ecosystem.

"I used to be found sneaking down the stairs to watch it while my parents were watching it. It looked glamorous. It looked cool!"

Listen to learn of the other iconic TV lawyers that Kevin wanted to follow in the footsteps of when he was a younger man!

01m43s: Young Kevin and his fortune with friends.

06m00s: Kevin's entrepreneurial origins with shampoo and penny sweets.

11m16s: Kevin Withane's inspiration for getting into law.

19m48s: Life and work after corporate.

34m06s: The idea behind 'Diversity X'

39m52s: Walking the talk and being intentional.

45m56s: Challenges of building the community

54m50s: The importance of family?

57m52s: How Kevin Withane defines leadership?

Kevin's links:

Twitter

LinkedIn

Substack newsletter

If you've just stumbled across this podcast episode by chance, please do click here to follow it so you never miss a future episode.

If you want to learn more about this podcast, and myself, Sope Agbelusi, you can do so using any of the below links.

Connect with Me

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I am always keen to hear your thoughts and connect with the community of listeners. If you have any comments, feedback or thoughts, please drop me an email at https://mindsetshift.co.uk/#ask-me-anything

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We’re always keen to get feedback so if you have any thoughts, send us an email at [email protected]

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Helping young people change their lives and avoid jail, death or deportation...

"I think my inspiration came from wanting to help young people, particularly young men, at the time - that grew up in the same way that I grew up - see an alternative way out. I didn't think there was anything at the time, that could help those individuals that were in the thick of it.... everything else was always going to tell them to go back to school, and to start again, start afresh" - Duro Oye

(Want to read a full written for reading transcript version of this episode? Download it here.)

Duro Oye is a social entrepreneur and award-winning CEO who is dedicated to promoting diversity and inclusion in the UK workforce.

As the head of 2020 Change, a leading social enterprise, Duro uses training programs, mentorship, and career support to empower young black professionals and help them succeed in their careers.

His passion for community and commitment to excellence drive him to bring about real and sustained change for these young professionals.

In addition to his work with 2020 Change, Duro is a skilled storyteller who uses the power of documentary film to give a voice to marginalized youth.

Since creating his first independent film project in 2013, he has worked with major broadcasters like the BBC and Channel 5 to bring important stories to life.

As a qualified mind-set coach with a degree in Graphics and Advertising and a diploma in Documentary Filmmaking, Duro brings a wealth of knowledge and expertise to his work. He is also a fellow at the Acumen Academy, where he continues to develop his skills and knowledge.

2020 Change is a social enterprise that is committed to promoting diversity and inclusion in the UK workforce.

The organisation works to empower young black professionals by providing them with training programs, mentorship, and career support.

Through these efforts, 2020 Change aims to bring about clear and sustained change for these young professionals and create a more diverse and inclusive workforce in the UK.

One of the key programs offered by 2020 Change is the "I AM CHANGE" program, a 12-week course that focuses on developing young people in four key areas: self-awareness, vision, persistence, and dignity.

The program also covers topics such as financial literacy, digital skills, and mindfulness that are not taught in schools.

In addition to its training programs, 2020 Change is also committed to transparency and excellence in all of its work.

The organisation's dedication to these values has earned it numerous awards and recognition as a leader in the field of diversity and inclusion.

Duro Oye originally wanted to be an actor and had an agent that was going to help him pursue that dream.

He took his drama GCSE very seriously in secondary school and was determined to succeed in the subject.

However, his mother was not supportive of his dream and called a family meeting to try and persuade him to go to university instead.

As is a common theme with many of our guests that regular listeners to Everyday Leadership will recognise!

Listen to the episode to learn whether Duro's mother got her wish or not.

01m40s: Young Duro and his acting aspirations.

05m15s: What was it about acting that drew Duro in?

20m32s: What was the importance of telling transformational stories?

25m20s: Overcoming the fear

32m06s: More on building the foundations of change

40m08s: "Why would they listen to me?"

46m15s: Major lessons taught by young people

54m47s: What does leadership mean to Duro Oye?

If you've just stumbled across this podcast episode by chance, please do click here to follow it so you never miss a future episode.

If you want to learn more about this podcast, and myself, Sope Agbelusi, you can do so using any of the below links.

Connect with Me

• Website
• 
  

I am always keen to hear your thoughts and connect with the community of listeners. If you have any comments, feedback or thoughts, please drop me an email at https://mindsetshift.co.uk/#ask-me-anything

Connect with Sope

Website | Youtube | Instagram | LinkedIn

Did you find this helpful? If you like this episode, please leave a review or share it with someone who could benefit from listening. 

We’re always keen to get feedback so if you have any thoughts, send us an email at [email protected]

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Make sure you're 'doing it scared' as you start 2023

"How do you triumph over something? You step into it, you face it, you do something about it. Far too often, it's very easy to talk about what you're going to do to plan for what you're going to do and yet not do what you said you're going to do." - Sope Agbelusi

(Want to read a full written for reading transcript version of this episode? Download it here.)

Sope is reflecting on not only the previous 12 months but his whole origin story, including that of his family.

As he thought back on where he came from, he's understood that there was a common theme with every decision he made in business and in his home life.

He learned to get comfortable with being uncomfortable.

How to do it scared.

As you begin a new year, it's natural to feel scared and uncertain.

But don't let fear hold you back.

The only way to overcome fear is to face it head on.

Many people try to avoid fear and pain, but often it's by going through these experiences that we realize they weren't as scary as we thought.

So don't be afraid to tackle your fears and embrace the unknown.

Triumph over any challenge by taking action and facing it head on.

It's easy to make plans and talk about what you'll do, but true learning and growth comes from actually doing what you set out to do.

Don't let your fears hold you back from taking action and achieving your goals.

00m50s: Sope reflects on how he had to do it scared.

04m20s: "I was scared!"

08m10s: What is it that YOU want to do?

If you've just stumbled across this podcast episode by chance, please do click here to follow it so you never miss a future episode.

If you want to learn more about this podcast, and myself, Sope Agbelusi, you can do so using any of the below links.

Connect with Me

• Website
• 
  

I am always keen to hear your thoughts and connect with the community of listeners. If you have any comments, feedback or thoughts, please drop me an email at https://mindsetshift.co.uk/#ask-me-anything

Connect with Sope

Website | Youtube | Instagram | LinkedIn

Did you find this helpful? If you like this episode, please leave a review or share it with someone who could benefit from listening. 

We’re always keen to get feedback so if you have any thoughts, send us an email at [email protected]

Send us Fan Mail

Fostering leadership growth in our listeners by revisiting some of the powerful moments from 2022

We decided to do something a little bit different this week.

At the time of publishing, it's currently the festive season, and many of our guests will be going about their lives spending time with their families.

We felt like this is a good time to reflect on the show's impact on 2022, taking in the fact we released the 100th episode a few months ago.

It goes without saying we've immensely enjoyed speaking with ALL of our guests since we started this podcast.

But I wanted to check back in with 13 of the guests from this past year, to refresh our memories on their lessons.

Particularly as this is a time of year that many people use to reflect and refocus, ahead of working towards goals for the coming year.

Good leadership is important because it can have a significant impact on the success and effectiveness of a team or organisation.

When leaders are competent, fair, and supportive, they can create a positive and productive work environment that fosters collaboration, innovation, and growth.

On the other hand, poor leadership can lead to a toxic culture, low morale, and poor performance.

We obviously couldn't include everybody that we'd like to for a revisit, or we'd be releasing an episode that would take almost three solid days of continuous listening to get through.

But we think you'll agree that these are some great episodes for revisiting.

Lori and Louise from LVL London

02m02s 06m21s Making the hardest decisions as a leader

Ayo Akunu

06m25s 09m45s Substance vs appearances

Dr Grant Tate

09m49s 15m41s Understanding influence isn't always hierarchical

Daniella Genas

15m46s 25m28s Being 'unemployable' and embracing it

Aggie Matuma

25m38s 32m56s Titles blind us - what does a title create?

Terence Channer

33m00s 39m47s Responding in 'those moments' (obvious racism)

Leon Mann

46m16s 46m20s Building networks.

Dr Selina Stone

46m22s 57m13s Navigating the balance between justice and silence

Rani Puranik

57m21s 1h04m59s Overcoming challenges over not leaning into entitlement

Akasha Sanders

1h05m09s 1h15m13s Saying 'yes' to yourself first

Tru Powell

1h15m20s 1h25m55s Key lessons including patience

Chenelle Ansah

1h26m00s 1h31m00s Big Audacious Goals and dealing with the overwhelm

Alec Grant

1h31m05s 1h38m51s Letting life happen rather than designing it

If you've just stumbled across this podcast episode by chance, please do click here to follow it so you never miss a future episode.

If you want to learn more about this podcast, and myself, Sope Agbelusi, you can do so using any of the below links.

Connect with Me

• Website
• 
  

I am always keen to hear your thoughts and connect with the community of listeners. If you have any comments, feedback or thoughts, please drop me an email at https://mindsetshift.co.uk/#ask-me-anything

Connect with Sope

Website | Youtube | Instagram | LinkedIn

Did you find this helpful? If you like this episode, please leave a review or share it with someone who could benefit from listening. 

We’re always keen to get feedback so if you have any thoughts, send us an email at [email protected]

Send us Fan Mail

What does living a life with values look like to you?

" Values can be told to somebody or they can be embodied. If you would have checked in on me, like, four years into the military, I would have been like, yeah, that's the values. I'm supposed to be doing these things. Really?. - John Spencer

(Want to read a full written for reading transcript version of this episode? Download it here.)

Our guest this week, John Spencer, is a retired United States army officer, researcher of urban warfare, and author on the same subject.

He's also a podcaster, with his own show the Urban Warfare Project which you can find on Apple Podcasts and Spotify.

During the Russia invasion of Ukraine, John became notorious for his selfless act of offering advice to those impacted by the event.

John explains more about this during the episode.

John Spencer's spent a large chunk of his life dealing with the military.

Even though he's now retired from active duty, the military is still very much a part of his life due to his wife being in active service.

This leaves John with the responsibility of being almost like a pseudo lone parent.

John explains how he's had to find stoicism as part of that parental journey.

During his conversation with Sope, John shares how a lot of soldiers struggle with identity in life after service in the armed forces.

He explains how important his kids have become when it comes to his own identity.

There's also some real vulnerability shared around the role that the military played when it came to his own paternal needs.

Obviously, given the title, this episode is all about values.

And values play a very central role in John Spencer's story.

Not only with his origin story of joining the military and following their values around leadership.

But also the joining of his wife and her values, and applying those values to their children.

He shares how ultimately, family values and military values are not that different both in terms of their impact and their importance.

01m37s - John's start in the military

05m12s - Identity outside of the military

09m22s - The military's part in teaching fatherhood

15m40s - Technology and its connection with the military

19m17s - Growing as a leader within the military frameworks

24m14s - The military's version of 'hybrid working'?

29m25s - Developing self-actualisation and self-awareness

35m18s - The process of writing a book

44m03s - Staying grounded outside of the military

50m00s - Growth and development in the face of adversity

51m01s - John's definition of leadership

John Spencer's website

John Spencer's LinkedIn

John Spencer's Twitter

Flow - The Psychology of Happiness on Amazon

If you've just stumbled across this podcast episode by chance, please do click here to follow it so you never miss a future episode.

If you want to learn more about this podcast, and myself, Sope Agbelusi, you can do so using any of the below links.

Connect with Me

• Website
• 
  

I am always keen to hear your thoughts and connect with the community of listeners. If you have any comments, feedback or thoughts, please drop me an email at https://mindsetshift.co.uk/#ask-me-anything

Connect with Sope

Website | Youtube | Instagram | LinkedIn

Did you find this helpful? If you like this episode, please leave a review or share it with someone who could benefit from listening. 

We’re always keen to get feedback so if you have any thoughts, send us an email at [email protected]