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.

Evolve to Succeed

Hannah Sills – “Management is about the long-burn journey.”

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          

Adam King – “I bounce out of bed every morning."

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?

Lottie Hawkins - "What's the point of money on a dead planet?"

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    

Special episode - Article review

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                  

Jonnie Jensen - "You don't start a business to end your family."

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?

Tom Quay - "Cars have become too much of a good thing."

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

Glenn St John-Colgan - "Driven by good people with good ideas."

Nicky Rudd, founder of Padua Communications, demystifies the minefield of PR & communications, talks about working with her husband and how she went from teacher and journalist to business owner. Show Notes: (2:42): Background in teaching and early career in PR (7:14) Maintaining that teaching spirit with monthly free event for business owners (8:16) Career at BBC (12:15) Advantages of volunteering (13:20) Differences between being business owner and being MD for somebody else (14:45) Tips for people thinking of getting an MD for their own business (16:08) Progressing further to opening own agency and employing freelancers only (20:30) How to create team spirit while only employing freelancers (22:02) Husband joining business (24:26) Hints and tips on running business successfully with husband/wife/partner (26:35) Things every business owners should consider about their PR & comms strategy (31:37) In-house marketing vs. using an agency (34:00) Where is PR & comms going in the next ten years? (38:35) Affects of pandemic on the agency (40:43) What hard thing are you not doing enough of? (44:30) How do you build your resilience? (49:35) Personal definition of success

Nicky Rudd - "Work towards the headline."

Paul Spiers, founder of The New Principles and Leadership Brand Purpose Institute, talks principled leadership, the essence of entrepreneurialism, and the future generation of leaders. Show Notes: (3:20) What is The New P&L? (7:23) Separating professional and personal values (10:43) Managing the hybrid model of working (12:24) What is self-awareness really? (15:14) Can ruthless leaders learn to change their approach? (20:37) How to revive passion, focus and beliefs (24:56) What is creative thinking for business leaders? (29:49) How to open up and encourage creativity within your team (32:48) Managing your ego as a leader (35:20) Are leaders born or bred? (37:47) What leadership lessons can business owners learn from sports managers and coaches? (41:12) How to maintain principles of leadership when leadership changes hands (45:50) Working with next generation to be more principled leaders (49:18) Patagonia as an example of principled leadership (51:56) Personal definition of success

Paul Spiers - "Be the best entrepreneur for YOU."

Marianne Storey, CEO of mental health charity Dorset Mind, discusses the importance of mental health in a business, how a business leader can implement effective measures for mental health among their team, and provides five pillars for good mental wellbeing. Show Notes: (3:20) Path to becoming CEO of Dorset Mind (5:11) Importance of lived experience (6:03) Battling stigmas around mental health (7:28) Dorset Mind's missions (8:32) Demands on service since the pandemic and what's been learned (10:29) Challenges of returning to society post-pandemic (11:26) How would you define good mental health? (12:26) Most common mental health challenges from business leaders (15:25) Signs to look for in yourself and your team (17:26) Organisations that implement mental health well and how they do it (21:00) Influence of senior members on rest of staff (22:45) Five ways to wellbeing (26:17) Influence of nature on mental wellbeing (27:23) Work with Dorset Chamber (28:27) Different approaches of men and women to mental health (33:26) Generational effects on attitudes towards mental health (34:51) Mental health challenges amongst younger generation (36:29) The education system and mental health (37:45) Challenges as CEO of Dorset Mind (41:28) Personal definition of success

Marianne Storey - "Better mental health starts from the top."

Liz Willingham, founder of Liz Lean PR, on the importance of emotional intelligence, shaking up the business chamber model and handing her daughter the reins to the agency. Show Notes: (3:10) Unconventional beginnings (5:01) Never destined to run own business (5:38) Moment of realisation and birth of daughter (7:39) Affect of entrepreneurship on children (9:36) Moments of doubt/challenges and lessons learned (11:50) How has the world of PR changed? (14:20) Advantages of utilising PR agency vs. doing it in-house (17:44) Finding interesting stories behind businesses (18:35) The effect of changes in the press and media (21:45) On emotional intelligence (25:43) How to cut through the communications clutter (29:17) Media training for business leaders (30:56) What would make you turn a client down? (32:32) Dynamic of having daughter Leila in the business (38:22) Flexible working model at agency (42:42) The importance of giving back (45:46) Finding inner-confidence (47:05) Mental health awareness (50:35) Techniques for maintaining/improving mental health (55:23) Anybody you particularly admire for their communications? (57:33) Personal definition of success

Liz Willingham - "I'm feeling very ambitious at the moment!"

Alan Mahon, founder of Brewgooder, is on a mission to provide clean drinking water to one million people. He talks about what inspired this project, and discusses the importance of transparency, authenticity and strong principles in both business and life. Show Notes: (3:24) The beginnings of Brewgooder and move towards social purpose (9:07) Destined to start own business and do something with purpose? (13:32) What is 'Brewed on Purpose'? (16:08) Transparency on purpose and social contribution (20:20) Original aspirations (24:49) How did you go about creating a beer? (26:59) Advantages of outsourcing (29:22) Challenges faced and overcome (32:50) Route to market and distribution model (37:03) Best advice I've ever received (40:49) On resilience and mother as inspirational figure (43:18) Qualities looked for when recruiting and the joys and challenges of working with diverse personalities (48:02) Being a B-Corp and advice for those considering it (51:12) Personal definition of success

Alan Mahon - "Think big and big things will come."

Serial entrepreneur Jeff Lester talks candidly about his entrepreneurial life, including the 2008 financial crisis, health issues and starting again after losing everything. Show Notes: (3:20) Beginning the journey (6:44) Setting up a themed restaurant, and subsequent problems (8:24) Birth of first child and starting all over again (10:24) New start in property development (12:06) Why I wasn't content with a good, secure life (14:47) Responsibilities of being a business owner (15:46) New book (16:33) Collapse of property company, broke again and lessons learned (24:33) Approaching rockbottom  (28:25) Searching for answers in the US (32:25) Getting diagnosed with prostate cancer (34:38) Path to wellness and relationship fallout (36:42) On resilience (38:52) The entrepreneurial spirit (43:14) Where do your ideas come from? (45:11) Holistic approach to wellness (47:35) Launching Fit at-50plus (49:09) Changing views of business and entrepreneurialism (50:22) The thrill of starting a business (51:11) Plans for Fit at-50plus (52:36) Is your definition of success different today? (53:11) Personal definition of success                            

Jeff Lester on the highs and lows of entrepreneurialism

James Pickles was flying high as a top sales manager, enjoying all the trappings that come with such success. Then, in March 2019, he had a breakdown that left him unable to speak, let alone work. In this podcast, James talks openly about the breakdown and how he used what he learned from it and his subsequent recovery to start a new life as a personal performance coach. Show Notes: 3:06 - The breakdown 12:38 - The problem of men not opening up 16:29 - Keeping busy and drinking as a way of coping 18:39 - Returning to work shortly after breakdown and subsequent after-effects 30:45 - True breaking point and wearing armour 45:58 - Why we're so reluctant to talk honestly 55:21 - New definition of resilience 58:32 - Attempting to return to work/therapy 1:15:36 - Journey towards coaching 1:18:36 - Any triggers for old habits and mechanisms to use to overcome them 1:25:04 - Relationship with alcohol 1:28:28 - Advice for employers to look after staff 1:32:34 - What I would tell my young self 1:36:38 - Hopes and aspirations

James Pickles - "But how are you, really?"

Katie Street, founder and managing director of marketing and advertising agency Street Agency, talks about starting a second business, four day weeks and the effects her entrepreneurship is having on her daughter. Show Notes: 3:24 - Setting out on her own 6:33 - Dream vs. reality of running your own business 10:37 - The challenges of working in a niche sector 14:51 - The importance of a mentor 16:20 - Biggest digital marketing mistakes and how to fix them 20:16 - Digital vs. Traditional marketing 23:19 - Tips on how to stand out from the marketing crowd 28:02 - Advantages of having a podcast 29:34 - Leveraging your content successfully 36:03 - Adapting to challenges of leading your own business 37:42 - Implementing a four-day week 39:51 - Starting a second business 41:49 - Starting a business on your own vs. starting with partners 44:03 - What hard thing are you not doing enough of? 45:15 - Effect of running own business on personal life and daughter 48:44 - On building resilience and getting through tough times 50:09 - Personal definition of success

Katie Street - "I want to be seen as a leader, not a boss."

Insightful conversations with founders, entrepreneurs and business leaders, exploring the link between personal and business success. Evolve is an exclusive UK-based entrepreneur community committed to guiding you towards meaningful success.

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Evolve to Succeed

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