Simon Says

In episode 5 of PEP Talk, Simon talks to James Grant. James is co-founder of MyTutor - a leading platform for online tuition. MyTutor’s mission is to make life-changing tuition available to all. The company is on track to have supported over 100,000 customers by the end of 2021, with 1,000 school partners and over 20,000 tutors on the platform. The company's annual impact reports show pupils using MyTutor make more than twice the progress in subjects where they receive tuition compared to subjects where they don’t. MyTutor has raised £14m from respected venture funds, successful entrepreneurs, and socially motivated angel investors. James is also a school governor, and was recognised in Forbes 30 under 30’s 2018 list for MyTutor’s social impact.

In season 2, episode 18 Simon talks to James Ufindell. James is a technology entrepreneur, investor and one of the UK’s leading experts on the entry level talent market. James has spent the last 20 years helping over one million students with their applications to both blue chip employers and leading universities. James is an expert on social mobility at university level, the graduate job market, internships, entry level talent, and managing and engaging Gen Z and millennial employees.

James set up his first business in his university bedroom in 1999 which he sold to a Private Investor in 2013. Frustrated at the lack of career support for graduates, James founded Bright Network in 2013, a high-growth technology platform that uses data and insights to build the workforce of tomorrow. In the last 12 months, Bright Network has served 12M+ of careers advice supports over 280,000+ graduates and 300+ of the world’s largest employers including Google, Goldman Sachs, Accenture and PwC. The business has raised £7M+ of venture investment to date and is one of the fastest growing careers networks in the UK.

In episode 4 of PEP Talk, Simon talks to Melinda Nicci. Melinda is the sole founder and CEO of Baby2Body, the award winning, wellness company for women. Melinda’s passion for wellness and optimising health and performance through technology has driven Baby2Body to its success today: a global business helping millions of women all over the world to live healthier and happier lives through the critical reproductive stages of life.

She is a Sports and Exercise Psychologist, a qualified personal trainer and author and innovator, passionate about women’s wellness, and optimising both health and performance through technology. Before she founded Baby2Body in 2015, Melinda founded her own fitness business, wrote a bestselling book on wellness for DK publishers and has contributed to numerous magazines and publications about both physical and mental health. Melinda is also on the board of Team GB Snowsport as a Non Executive Director.

In season 2, episode 17 Simon talks to Emma Kenny. Emma Kenny is a psychologist, TV presenter, writer and expert media commentator, and is now recognised as one of the UK’s leading TV psychological experts. She is perhaps best known for her role as resident psychologist on ITV’s This Morning where, during the viewer phone-in segment of the show, she provides expert advice on a whole range of sensitive issues. Emma has also emerged as a fan favourite for her presenting

roles on true crime programmes – most notably Britain’s Darkest Taboos on the Crime & Investigation Channel. Her Youtube True Crime series is becoming one of the most watched on the platform and her serial killer next door tour is coming in 2021 across the whole of the UK.

​Emma is a member of the British Psychological Society and the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy and runs private sessions from her therapy clinic in Manchester.

Emma is the founder of Appy the health and wellbeing social media app.

In episode 2 of PEP Talk, Simon talks to Sonya Morton Firth. Sonya grew up in a single parent family, in Newcastle in the seventies where divorce and children of mixed race were not the norm. After many fights in the playground with school bullies she was told that she would never amount to anything and would be lucky to even make it to higher education.

Sonya worked as a high-flying sales executive in the City for many years, travelling between London, New York, and Miami, and enjoying the challenge of the fast-paced, high-pressured lifestyle; A woman in a man’s world, Sonya’s passion and enthusiasm always drove her to be the best, she was successful but felt unfulfilled, the ultimate failure.

Sonya left the rat race, the corporate lifestyle, to become an Entrepreneur and pursue her passion of health, wellbeing, and personal fulfilment. She qualified in fitness and nutrition, launched a brand of glamourous fitness wear for women; and competed on stage in Physique competitions. By bringing her focus to healthy nutrition and disciplined training, Sonya went from Briefcase to Bikini, proving that it’s never too late to change the way you look and feel. She is dedicated to body building and the benefits that weight training brings for women in confidence in mind and body.

As well as being an Entrepreneur, Sonya is a property investor and has built a multi-million-pound property portfolio that gives her the financial freedom most people dream of.

Now Host of her YouTube channel and Podcast ‘The Sonya Morton Firth Show’, she has interviewed over 100 inspiring guests from Amir Khan to Dr John Demartini.

Entrepreneur, speaker, coach, and Bikini Athlete, Sonya Morton-Firth is the Queen of transformation!

In season 2, episode 16 Simon talks to Jas Bagniewski. Jas is the founder and CEO of Lover, a digital platform focused on improving people's sex lives.

Before founding Lover Jas was the founder and CEO of Eve Sleep PLC, a direct to consumer mattress business that exited in one of the UKs fastest IPOs.

Jas was also the country head of Zalando UK (the UK's largest eCommerce business) and a member of the Senior Management Team at CityDeal/Groupon UK. Prior to working in e-commerce, Jas worked as a consultant in the Financial Services industry with Accenture. Jas has an MBA from Cambridge University and a Master's degree in International Relations from University College London.

In episode 02 of PEP Talk, Simon talks to James McAulay. James is the CEO and Co-Founder of Encore — the UK’s largest musicians bookings platform. Since its 2014 launch, Encore has become home to over 25,000 musicians and 10,000 bands from every corner of the country.

In season 2, episode 14 Simon talks to Brett Wigdortz. Having worked with kids who start primary school not even knowing how to play, Brett has seen first hand the impact of the developmental gap which exists between disadvantaged children and their wealthier peers: 4.3 months by the time they're just 5 years old. On a mission to attract new talent and drive up standards for the UK's broken childcare market, Brett set up Tiney. The initiative is focused on training up a new generation of childminders who are afforded the same pay and respect given to teachers; helping them start 'micro nurseries' which are run from home and grounded in pedagogical care.

Brett can talk about what it was like to leave an esteemed organisation after 15 years at the helm of Teach First, to begin a new venture from scratch. As traditional nurseries are closing in huge numbers, he can also talk about the spike in applications to join the programme since the pandemic started.

In episode 01 of PEP TALK, Simon talks to John O'Brien. John is EMEA Managing Partner at ONE HUNDRED, Omnicom’s ethical purpose consortium consisting of nine of Omnicom’s leading global agencies. John is also a bestselling business author and recognized campaigner with over thirty years of experience leading initiatives covering over twenty countries.

John is a senior advisor to business, high net-worth individuals, charities and governments on the interface between business and society, related strategies and communication. During the last ten years he has played a leading role in developing much of the language and thinking around ethical, sustainable purpose in the UK. He is a sought after speaker and commentator on the subject.

John’s professional background is varied, starting with a few early years in banking followed by a decade as a British Army Infantry officer, serving in theatres around the world, retiring as a Captain in 1994. His training and operational experience in creating clarity from complex, often chaotic and dangerous situations, acted as a key grounding for his future career and brings wide experience to bear for clients.

In Season 2, Episode 14, Simon talks to Maria Hatzistefanis. Maria is a London-based beauty entrepreneur who founded her ground-breaking skincare group, Rodial, in 1999 by identifying a niche for treatments targeted to specific skin concerns. With a growing global beauty empire, her results-oriented products excite with evocative tongue-in-cheek names such as Dragon’s Blood and Snake Serum. There are 2 brands – Rodial, and Nip + Fab – sold through 20,000 doors across 35 countries worldwide including Saks Fifth Avenue, Space NK, Harvey Nichols and Harrods. Today, the cutting-edge products are available in the most prestigious stores around the world, while high profile celebrities such as Kylie Jenner and Sofia Richie fronting the brands campaigns.