Evolve to Succeed

In this, the 100th episode of the Evolve to Succeed podcast, host Warren Munson sits down to talk with Kelly Webb about the highs and lows of his personal and professional journey until this point.

David Haze, founder of Nomadic Paddler and a five-time world record holder for stand-up paddle boarding, talks openly about his time in prison, and how he found meaning and redemption through adventure.

Trevor Merriden, founder and MD of Merriborn Media, talks about the importance of Thought Leadership, both as an effective form of content marketing and as a means to encourage and strengthen collaboration among business leaders.

Hannah Sills, MD at Team Jobs, talks about the pleasures and challenges of taking on the role of MD within an entrepreneurial business, as well as the future of recruitment in the UK.

Adam King, CEO of SwipeStation, talks the tech behind reducing queues, bespoke tailor ventures in Vietnam and the time he watched television for 48 hours straight.

Show Notes:

(2:34) Being made redundant, travelling to Asia and setting up a bespoke tailoring business in Vietnam

(9:12) At what point did you realise the tailor service was working?

(11:59) Where is the tailoring business now and what is your role in it?

(13:47) Was there a point you knew you were no longer needed in the tailoring business?

(15:03) On the bravery and confidence required to let go of a business

(16:58) Lessons learned from that original journey

(19:38) On coming across SwipeStation

(20:44) What is SwipeStation?

(23:25) Is one of your biggest challenges trying to get people to adopt new tech?

(25:50) Challenges of getting stadiums to invest and work with SwipeStation

(27:42) Hopes and aspirations for SwipeStation, and the affect of Covid

(30:15) Transitioning from a sales-focused CEO to support a tech startup

(32:00) How do two very entrepreneurial, outgoing people make sure they stay focused on the objective?

(33:52) How has running your own business affected your personal life?

(38:01) What hard thing are you not doing enough of?

(39:46) Is there anything that keeps you up at night?

(40:44) Personal definition of success

Lottie Hawkins, founder of Earthly Biochar, talks about her biochar mission, sustainability and the impact today's young entrepreneurs will have on the future of both business and the planet.

Show Notes:

(2:49) What is biochar?

(5:42) What led to your interest in biochar?

(7:17) What is Earthly Biochar's core business?

(8:15) How do you use biochar in different environments?

(9:21) The challenges of running Earthly Biochar

(11:14) What is carbon capture?

(13:35) Were you always destined to start your own business?

(15:11) On the new generation of entrepreneurs

(17:00) Conflict over business principles

(19:33) How has your entrepreneurial journey affected your life?

(23:13) Are you worried about being squeezed out of the market by big organisations?

(24:50) The challenges of attaining patents

(26:12) Developing Earthly Biochar into a larger entity while still maintaining founding principles

(28:14) What have you done to retain strong moral compass as Earthly Biochar grows?

(29:55) How do you create time to reflect?

(32:17) Where are we regarding sustainability in the UK?

(34:50) What simple things can people do to reduce their impact on the planet?

(37:38) What's the best piece of advice you've received?

(41:02) What hard thing are you not doing enough of?

(42:01) What is your definition of success?

Your host, Warren Munson, reviews four articles from the Evolve website - '3 ways to use fear to your advantage', 'Is your job title your identity?' 'Where do old entrepreneurs go to thrive?' and 'Know your limits'.

Show Notes:

(2:27) 3 ways to use fear to your advantage

(8:52) Is your job title your identity?

(13:50) Where do old entrepreneurs go to thrive?

(18:01) Know your limits

Jonnie Jensen is the founder of Team Super Dad and the Hero Academy. He helps busy fathers and husbands strive towards a better life balance by reconnecting with their core purpose, and recover things that have inevitably been lost along their business journeys.

Show Notes:

(2:40) What is Team Super Dad and the Hero Academy?

(6:30) Defining the modern dad

(12:10) Measuring personal and professional relationships and thoughts on work-life balance

(17:00) On implementing important changes to your life

(18:12) Thoughts on the gas burner theory

(19:49) Helping clients create boundaries and balance

(23:58) How can we get men to open up and share their feelings?

(28:26) Advantages of friendship or peer group

(30:16) Bringing people together through events and experiences

(32:05) How do you set yourself apart from other life coaches?

(35:24) What are your aspirations for Team Super Dad and the Hero Academy?

(41:18) The challenges of parenthood

(44:36) Hints and tips for being present in the moment

(47:01) What hard thing are you not doing enough of?

(48:23) Five things to focus on for proper balance

Tom Quay is the CEO and co-founder of Passenger, a digital customer experience platform that supports more than 70 public transport operators and whose ultimate goal is to drive sustainability by reengaging and revitalising perceptions around public transport, especially bus travel.

Show Notes:

(2:11) Early beginnings and journey to the founding of Passenger

(3:09) So you don't think you were destined to run your own business?

(5:51) Where did the pivot into public transport come from?

(7:15) Was there a moment of truth where you knew you were onto a good thing?

(9:47) Any tips and hints on people considering switching from client service to product development?

(12:58) Where is Passenger now and how does it make transport more sustainable?

(15:08) How do you define sustainable transport?

(17:30) What's your opinion on electric cars?

(20:16) What changes do you see in the use and perception of public transport post-Covid?

(21:22) Have you seen an acceleration of digitalisation in the public transport sector?

(24:33) Challenges for Passenger moving forward

(26:25) Is Passenger a disruptor, and what would you define as disruption?

(29:20) If you were the Minister for Transport, what would you do to enable better adoption of public transport in the provinces?

(34:39) Any countries/cities that are getting transport sustainability right?

(38:45) Changing our mindset and choosing sustainability over convenience

(40:58) Hints and tips to change mindset?

(43:24) What positive changes would you like to see to promote cycling?

(47:07) What are your hopes and aspirations for Passenger for the next five to ten years?

(49:25) What is your definition of success?

Glenn St John-Colgan, managing director of Augmentas, talks about his years in the civil service, discusses his strong business principles and guides you through the minefield of public sector tendering.

Show Notes:

(3:10) Working in the civil service and how Augmentas came about

(5:33) The changing approach of the public sector

(9:25) What does Augmentas do?

(11:30) Advice for SMEs applying for public sector tendering

(17:15) What do strong business principles mean to you?

(22:15) What do you look for in investing opportunities?

(25:26) Impact of entrepreneurial life on your children

(27:23) How do you get balance in your life?

(30:25) Role with The Wise Group

(35:08) What next?

(37:30) On difficult conversations and growing as a leader

(43:38) Greatest strength and greatest weakness

(47:43) Personal definition of success