Truth, Lies and Work

What do a billion-dollar VC investor, a serial entrepreneur and an M&A integration specialist have in common?

HINT: They invest in people, not businesses.

Today we're joined by three expert guests:

Sarah Chen Spellings 

Co-Founder & Managing Partner of Beyond the Billion, the world’s first and largest global consortium supporting women-founded companies. In under 2 years, the fund has deployed +$638M to 800 female-founded companies, with 11 recognised as unicorns.

Simon Berger 

Founding Partner of IM2 Group in 2002, Rendezvous Exhibitions in 1994 and Intermedia Exhibitions & Conferences in 1997. Building and selling 26 exhibitions and conferences around the world, Simon Berger continues to invest in creative business opportunities and offers consultancy and M&A services to industry players.

Melissa Carson 

After 25 years with several high-performing organisations including Accenture, where she supported M&A integration from a people perspective, Melissa founded Canopy Solutions. As Founder, People Strategist and Leadership Advisor she works with clients ranging from small non-profits to scaling technology companies, all with a common goal of ensuring that they have aligned their business and people strategies to drive growth.

Join the conversation as we uncover EXACTLY what investors are looking for in 2023, how you can secure funding, and grow your business to exit. We discuss:

This is part 1 of a 2-part series. Stay tuned!

Connect with Sarah Chen-Spellings

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sarahchenglobal/

Website: sarah-chen.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sarahchenglobal/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/SarahChenGlobal

Listen to Billion Dollar Moves, our sibling show on the HubSpot Podcast Network:

beyondthebillion.com and https://sarah-chen.com/billion-dollar-episodes/

Connect with Simon Berger

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/simon-berger-18b5a34/

Website & Newsletter: makeadifference.events

Events: https://madworldsummit.com/ / https://www.watercoolerevent.com/

Twitter: - https://twitter.com/MADSummits / https://twitter.com/watercoolerevnt

Connect with Melissa Carson

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/melissaridercarson/

Website: https://canopystrategies.co/

Read More From the News Round-up

What is a Hush Trip?

https://fortune.com/2023/02/06/what-is-hush-trip-new-workplace-trend/

Amazon Return to the Office:

https://www.aboutamazon.com/news/company-news/andy-jassy-update-on-amazon-return-to-office

Blinkist 

Read more at: https://www.blinkist.com/magazine/posts/us-investors-berlin-startup?utm_source=cpp

Take part in our latest leadership research:

https://forms.gle/H654QD4nEgAjd4La9

Listen back to Truth & Lies for more on:

The Truth Behind Britain’s Healthiest Workplaces:

https://truthliesandwork.com/episodes/britains-healthiest-workplace-winners-2022

The Secret to Building Great Teams:

https://truthliesandwork.com/episodes/psychological-safety

Is WFH Dead?

https://truthliesandwork.com/episodes/work-from-home-cost-of-living-crisis

Connect with Al and Leanne

Connect with Al on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/thisisalelliott/

Connect with Leanne on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/meetleanne

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/truthlieswork/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/truthlieswork

Email: [email protected]

What do a billion-dollar VC investor, a serial entrepreneur and an M&A integration specialist have in common?

HINT: They invest in people, not businesses.

Today we're joined by three expert guests:

Sarah Chen Spellings 

Co-Founder & Managing Partner of Beyond the Billion, the world’s first and largest global consortium supporting women-founded companies. In under 2 years, the fund has deployed +$638M to 800 female-founded companies, with 11 recognised as unicorns.

Simon Berger 

Founding Partner of IM2 Group in 2002, Rendezvous Exhibitions in 1994 and Intermedia Exhibitions & Conferences in 1997. Building and selling 26 exhibitions and conferences around the world, Simon Berger continues to invest in creative business opportunities and offers consultancy and M&A services to industry players.

Melissa Carson 

After 25 years with several high-performing organisations including Accenture, where she supported M&A integration from a people perspective, Melissa founded Canopy Solutions. As Founder, People Strategist and Leadership Advisor she works with clients ranging from small non-profits to scaling technology companies, all with a common goal of ensuring that they have aligned their business and people strategies to drive growth.

Join the conversation as we uncover EXACTLY what investors are looking for in 2023, how you can secure funding, and grow your business to exit. We discuss:

This is part 1 of a 2-part series. Stay tuned!

Connect with Sarah Chen-Spellings

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sarahchenglobal/

Website: sarah-chen.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sarahchenglobal/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/SarahChenGlobal

Listen to Billion Dollar Moves, our sibling show on the HubSpot Podcast Network:

beyondthebillion.com and https://sarah-chen.com/billion-dollar-episodes/

Connect with Simon Berger

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/simon-berger-18b5a34/

Website & Newsletter: makeadifference.events

Events: https://madworldsummit.com/ / https://www.watercoolerevent.com/

Twitter: - https://twitter.com/MADSummits / https://twitter.com/watercoolerevnt

Connect with Melissa Carson

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/melissaridercarson/

Website: https://canopystrategies.co/

Read More From the News Round-up

What is a Hush Trip?

https://fortune.com/2023/02/06/what-is-hush-trip-new-workplace-trend/

Amazon Return to the Office:

https://www.aboutamazon.com/news/company-news/andy-jassy-update-on-amazon-return-to-office

Blinkist 

Read more at: https://www.blinkist.com/magazine/posts/us-investors-berlin-startup?utm_source=cpp

Take part in our latest leadership research:

https://forms.gle/H654QD4nEgAjd4La9

Listen back to Truth & Lies for more on:

The Truth Behind Britain’s Healthiest Workplaces:

https://truthliesandwork.com/episodes/britains-healthiest-workplace-winners-2022

The Secret to Building Great Teams:

https://truthliesandwork.com/episodes/psychological-safety

Is WFH Dead?

https://truthliesandwork.com/episodes/work-from-home-cost-of-living-crisis

Connect with Al and Leanne

Connect with Al on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/thisisalelliott/

Connect with Leanne on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/meetleanne

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/truthlieswork/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/truthlieswork

Email: [email protected]

What does personality have to do with growing a family business? And why is understanding the personality of an entrepreneur a key factor in a successful succession or exit?

This week, we’re joined by Chief Science Officer at Hogan, Ryne Sherman, and Entrepreneur and Succession Planner, Stephen Shortt, to understand what it takes to build a successful family business.

Join the conversation as we discuss:

If you own a business and have ambitions to exit or manage a successful succession, this one is for you!

Ryne Sherman

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rynesherman/

Website: https://www.hoganassessments.com/

Podcast: The Science of Personality Podcast

Featuring some of the world’s leading experts in personality psychology and business, this podcast explores the impact of personality on life, leadership, and organizational success.

https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-science-of-personality-podcast/id1517116280

Article on the Personality of Donald Trump : https://www.psychologytoday.com/intl/blog/the-situation-lab/201509/the-personality-donald-trump

Stephen Shortt:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/stephenshortt/

Website: https://successfulsuccession.com/

Take part in our latest leadership research

https://forms.gle/H654QD4nEgAjd4La9

Listen back to Truth & Lies for more on

Hogan and Entrepreneurial Personalities:

https://truthliesandwork.com/episodes/leaders-psycho-sociopath

Employer Brand:

https://truthliesandwork.com/episodes/hubspot-director-on-how-to-build-a-killer-employer-brand

How Al Elliott broke the law…and the law won!

https://truthliesandwork.com/episodes/al-elliott-story

Contact Al and Leanne

Connect with Al on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/thisisalelliott/

Connect with Leanne on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/meetleanne

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/truthlieswork/

Email: [email protected]

The world of work has changed. The future is here.

Between remote/hybrid working and the rise of the ‘side hustle’, millennials and Gen-Z are wanting more from work - and from leaders.

In this episode, we’re joined by Work Futuist, Sophie Wade. A Workforce Innovation Specialist at Flexcel Network, a Future-of-Work consultancym Sophie has operated ahead of the curve to help organisations navigate the new era of work and the challenges that come with it, including attracting, engaging and retaining talent; Digital transformation; Managing a distributed workforce; New career paradigms.

Join the conversation as we discuss:

For leaders looking to rise to the challenge and create meaningful work, this is not to be missed!

Get in touch with Sophie:

Sophie's books:

Sophie’s Podcast

LinkedIn courses:

Including:

https://www.linkedin.com/learning/search?keywords=sophie%20wade

More From Truth, Lies & Workplace Culture:

Take part in our latest leadership research: https://forms.gle/H654QD4nEgAjd4La9

Contact Al and Leanne

Britain's Healthiest Workplace Survey (which informs the awards) was established to help businesses of sizes support their employees to be happier, healthier and more productive

Founded by Vitality and free to take part, Britain's Healthiest Workplace survey: 

Join us as we talk to Christian Van Stolk, the researcher behind the survey, Jill Pritchard, the person who puts it all together, and Donna Burgess, from OpenCredo, this year's winner in the small business category.

Jill Pritchard: Director, Vitality at Work at Vitality

Donna Burgess - Head of Operations and People at OpenCredo

Christian van Stolk, Executive Vice President at RAND Europe

The Winners 2022

• https://www.vitality.co.uk/business/healthiest-workplace/results/

Link to Ft Report

• https://www.ft.com/reports/health-at-work

This week on the podcast, we’re flipping our attention back to organisations and what they can do to find, engage and nurture great people in 2023.

We're joined by Kyle Denhoff, the Director of Marketing, HubSpot, and we nerd out about employer brand, workplace culture & how HubSpot are managing it all.

Things we cover are:

This is what we call The Rx7:

Theme: Burnout: The Silent Epidemic | Creating Sustainable Recovery through Equity (IWD2023 theme is #EmbraceEquity).

Toughen up. Be a man. Boys don’t cry.

Centuries of social conditioning have created a stigma around men’s mental health and burnout. 

And it’s killing them.

75% of suicides are men. Suicide is the biggest cause of death among men under 50. Men experience higher rates of cancer, heart disease and addiction - physical health conditions associated with high-stress lifestyles. Men's mental health, in our workplaces, society and homes, is the conversation we should be having.

In a break from our normal format, this episode focuses on a conversation between Co-Host Al Elliott, and our expert guest, Jim Young. Just two 40-something guys discussing uncried tears, burnout and being very f@*king far from ok. It’s a conversation you’ve likely never heard before.

Join Al and Jim for an honest, vulnerable conversation about men’s mental health, including:

Jim Young

You can contact Jim Young for more information on his coaching services via LinkedIn: 

https://www.linkedin.com/in/thecenteredcoach/

Or his website:

https://www.thecenteredcoach.com/services

You’ll find his book, Expansive Intimacy: How "Tough Guys" Defeat Burnout, on Amazon:

https://www.amazon.com/Expansive-Intimacy-Tough-Defeat-Burnout-ebook/dp/B0BCBXW7W5

Further Reading

For other vulnerable accounts of men’s mental health, including grief, we’d recommend 'A heart that Works' by Rob Delaney

https://www.amazon.com/Heart-That-Works-Rob-Delaney-ebook/dp/B0B3TDC89Z/ref=sr_1_1?crid=O0AGM3PVJHZH&keywords=a+heart+that+works&qid=1673873668&s=digital-text&sprefix=a+heart+that+work%2Cdigital-text%2C229&sr=1-1

Community Groups

For those who want to share deep, meaningful bonds with a community of men, Jim recommends organisations such as EVERYMAN (evryman.com/) and The ManKind Project (mankindproject.org/).

For men who are feeling isolated in their business lives, check out organisations like YPO (ypo.org) and Vistage (vistage.com/)

Coaching Support

There are also many dedicated coaches who offer focused men's group experiences including Jamie Robbins in the UK (jamiecoach.com/), Ken Mossman in the US (cirrusleadership.com/classes), and, Jim (as above).

More Information

For more general information on men’s mental health, services and treatments, we recommend looking at:

The Men’s Health Forum:

https://www.menshealthforum.org.uk/about-us

The Men and Boy’s Coalition:

Menandboyscoalition.org.uk

The Black Men’s Consortium: 

http://theblackmensconsortium.com/

Telephone Support Services (UK)

If you’re experiencing domestic abuse, contact the Mankind Initiative on 01823 334244, to speak confidentially.

If you’re in distress or despair, including suicidal feelings, contact the Samaritans on 116 123. 

Is burnout the next global pandemic? 

In Part 1 of this 2-part series, we learned that we could be on track to lose more than half of our workforce due to absenteeism and turnover as a result of burnout. For businesses to survive, and thrive, well-being and burnout prevention need to be at the top of the agenda.

In Part 2, we welcome back our panel of expert guests, including

Taking a practical view of burnout in a workplace setting, we discuss:

Read The State of Burnout 2023 Report:

• https://infinite-potential.com.au/the-state-of-burnout-2023

Cait Donovan

William Hasek 

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/williamhasek/

Sally Clarke

For more on psychological safety, check out 'The Secret to Building Great Teams with Stephan Wiedner:

https://chrt.fm/track/28555/traffic.megaphone.fm/HS6779121311.mp3?updated=1670331446

For more on the RX7, go to Oblonghq.com and book your free consultation

https://oblonghq.com/book/

For bonus content, full interviews and sneak peeks of future episodes, follow us on LinkedIn, Instagram, Twitter, TikTok and YouTube @TruthLiesWork

Rates of burnout are on the rise. The State of Workplace Burnout 2023 Report found an increase in burnout rates from 29.6% in 2020 to 38.1% in 2022. 

We could be on track to lose more than half of our workforce due to absenteeism and turnover as a result of burnout. How do we stop it?

In this episode, we speak to a panel of expert guests, including:

Facing bravely into a complex and emotional topic, we cover:

Stay tuned for Part 2 and more from our expert guests about how burnout will affect our businesses if we don’t act now.

Read The State of Burnout 2023 Report:

• https://infinite-potential.com.au/the-state-of-burnout-2023

Cait Donovan

William Hasek 

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/williamhasek/

Sally Clarke

Keywords: burnout, people, burnt out, stress, clinical definition, workplace, research, pandemic, world health organisation, careers, emotional exhaustion

In the second part of our predictions series, Al & Leanne make their predictions about what will happen in the world of People & Culture in 2023.

In this episode, we cover:

Search your favourite podcast player for episode 1.

You can find Leanne on LinkedIn and Twitter.

The book Al was trying to recall and couldn't is Nobody Wants to Read your Sh*t by Steven Pressfield.

For bonus content, full interviews and sneak peeks of future episodes, follow us on LinkedIn, Instagram, Twitter, TikTok and YouTube