“The whole industry is full of very successful people who have had this very standard path. It’s hard to look at your own [different] background and put yourself on an even level with them.”  This week’s 40 Minute Mentor is the brilliant Hannah Leach, Partner at Houghton Street Ventures and Co-Founder of VentureESG.  Hannah moved into the venture space after a squiggly career in and around the venture and entrepreneurship ecosystems, including building accelerator programs, teams within Scaleups and starting her own company or two…  In this episode we explore Hannah’s route into VC, the partnership between Houghton Street Ventures and the London School of Economics, why VC funding isn’t always the best route to scaling a business, and how VentureESG is supporting the ecosystem with meaningful ESG integration.  Episode Chapters: ➡️ Redefining the ‘traditional’ path into VC [04:47] ➡️ Her squiggly route into VC [06:52] ➡️ A love for building communities [09:34] ➡️ Biggest lessons from Founder life [12:19] ➡️ The power of vulnerability and authenticity [13:47] ➡️ The challenges of transitioning into VC [17:54] ➡️ Understanding where you are adding value [19:52] ➡️ Advice for pivoting into VC [21:00] ➡️ Life at Houghton Street Ventures [23:10] ➡️ The do’s and don’t of VC pitching [26:50] ➡️ The power of a unique thesis [29:43] ➡️ Raising a first-time fund [30:55]  ➡️ The drive behind building VentureESG [33:40] ➡️ Collaboration over competition [36:40] ➡️ The future of ESG [38:04] ⛳ Helpful links: ➡️ Connect with Hannah: https://www.linkedin.com/in/hannahleach/  ➡️ Find out more about Houghton Street Ventures: https://houghtonstreet.com/ ➡️ Discover VentureESG: https://www.ventureesg.com/ ⭐Enjoyed this episode?⭐️ Keep up to date with all our latest episodes, by hitting the subscribe button on your favourite podcast platform. And for any feedback on what you enjoy the most and ideas on what we can do to make 40 Minute Mentor even better, please leave us a review on https://ratethispodcast.com/40mm 

“I think 2024 is a great opportunity to back fantastic people and get more attention on things that are undervalued or don’t get enough attention to invest in.”  Described as the ‘Queen of British VC’ by Fortune magazine, we are kicking off our new VC feature series with the brilliant Eileen Burbidge MBE. Eileen is a Founding Partner at Passion Capital, the pre-eminent early-stage technology venture fund based in London, where she backed some of the most successful Tech businesses, including Monzo Bank, Marshmallow, and many more. She is currently also Director at Fertifa, the UK and Europe’s leading reproductive benefits provider.  Outside of Passion and Fertifa, Eileen has also served as the UK Treasurer's Special Envoy for FinTech for 8 years, was Tech Ambassador for the Mayor of London’s office and served on the former UK Prime Minister David Cameron’s Business Advisory Group.  Eileen has extensive operational and investment experience, from roles at Tech giants including Yahoo!, Skype and Apple, so there is plenty to dive into in today’s episode. Episode Chapters: ➡️ Her proudest moment of backing Monzo Bank [2:11] ➡️ Busting the biggest myths in VC [4:33] ➡️ Growing up in the suburbs of Chicago & her perception of ‘diversity’ [7:59] ➡️ Falling in love with Tech and working at Apple [11:33] ➡️ Shazam V Skype: A Tech standoff [15:24] ➡️ Being one of the first employees at Skype & reflections on being fired [17:04] ➡️ Leadership lessons from Niklas Zennström [20:31] ➡️ Journey from Operator to VC [24:00] ➡️ Her early stage investment thesis & focusing on people [27:56] ➡️ Indexing on integrity & trust when assessing Founders [30:59] ➡️ Stepping into interim CEO roles [34:46] ➡️ Why she feels like the board let Tom Blomfield down & succession plans [38:04] ➡️ Stepping back into an executive role at Fertifa [42:26] ➡️ Hiring advice for Founders [47:15] ➡️ Taking a hard look at ourselves to improve DE&I [49:21] ➡️ What to look forward to in 2024 [51:59] ⛳ Helpful links: ➡️ Connect with Eileen: https://www.linkedin.com/in/eileenburbidge/  ➡️ Find out more about Passion Capital: https://www.linkedin.com/company/passion-capital/ ➡️ Explore the work of Fertifa: https://www.fertifa.com/ ⭐Enjoyed this episode?⭐️ Keep up to date with all our latest episodes, by hitting the subscribe button on your favourite podcast platform. And for any feedback on what you enjoy the most and ideas on what we can do to make 40 Minute Mentor even better, please leave us a review on https://ratethispodcast.com/40mm

“Founders often don’t have someone outside of the business that they can be really vulnerable with…that’s where an advisor can help.” For our final episode in our career spotlight feature series, we’re taking a deep dive into an increasingly popular, yet often unspoken about role - the advisory role.  To help us cover the ins and outs of the role, how you can land your first gig and the benefits to Founders, we’re joined by JBM Principal, Marina Maxwell and Chris Seigal, Advisor to D2C brands.  So, whether you’re already an advisor, you’re starting to think about making the move into advisory work or you’re a Founder thinking about making this hire - this episode will cover some of the most frequent questions we get asked.  Episode chapters: ➡️ What is a Startup advisor? [3:42] ➡️ The rise and power of advisory roles [6:02] ➡️ From side-hustle to full-time advisor [8:44] ➡️ The rewards and benefits [9:39] ➡️ What to expect from the day-to-day [11:57] ➡️ How Founders benefit [14:28] ➡️ Positioning yourself when starting out [17:26] ➡️ Being transparent and navigating pricing [18:43] ➡️ Working with headhunters [22:00] ➡️ The value of high-quality advisors [25:24] ➡️ Ready to hire? Advice for Founders [29:44] ➡️ Building a curious culture [31:18] ➡️ Hone the pitch, build momentum, gain confidence [33:28] ➡️ Navigating imposter syndrome [35:24] ⛳ Helpful links: ➡️ For more career mentorship, follow us on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/jbm-consulting-ltd/?viewAsMember=true ➡️ Find out more about our team and mission here: https://jbmc.co.uk/  ⭐Enjoyed this episode?⭐️ Keep up to date with all our latest episodes, by hitting the subscribe button on your favourite podcast platform. And for any feedback on what you enjoy the most and ideas on what we can do to make 40 Minute Mentor even better, please leave us a review on https://ratethispodcast.com/40mm

“You need to be able to own what you do have, but even more so, what you don’t have.” Following last week’s episode on building a stand-out CV and personal brand on LinkedIn, we’re now focusing on the next crucial stage in the recruitment process - the interview. Very often, the interview stage can feel quite daunting, but a lot of it comes down to preparation and doing the work upfront.  In today’s episode, we’ll hear from our wonderful JBM team who lift the curtain on the secret to nailing the interview stage and share some of the most common mistakes they see people make, when it comes to interviews.  So, whether you’re job hunting right now or starting to think about the next step in your career, this episode will help set you on the right path…  Episode chapters: ➡️ Different methods to prepare for an interview [1:05] ➡️ Communicating your strengths [2:21] ➡️ Getting your questions answered [4:19] ➡️ Bringing relevant experience to the table [5:48] ➡️ Getting the basics right [06:55] ➡️ A reminder on working with your headhunter [07:25] ➡️ Focusing on the human side in interviews [08:17] ➡️ Key skills for Startups [08:48] ➡️ The power of curiosity: a non-negotiable [10:54] ➡️ How to let the conversation flow [13:21] ➡️ Do you feel drained or energised? [13:59] ➡️ Every failure is a redirection [16:58] ➡️ Common interview mistakes [18:45] ➡️ The biggest faux pas: Yes it happens! [20:23] ⛳ Helpful links: ➡️ For more career mentorship, follow us on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/jbm-consulting-ltd/?viewAsMember=true ➡️ Find out more about our team and mission here: https://jbmc.co.uk/  ⭐Enjoyed this episode?⭐️ Keep up to date with all our latest episodes, by hitting the subscribe button on your favourite podcast platform. And for any feedback on what you enjoy the most and ideas on what we can do to make 40 Minute Mentor even better, please leave us a review on https://ratethispodcast.com/40mm

“The CV is not the one thing that will or will not get you hired, there is a whole interview process…” New year, new job? January is a month of reset, refresh and for many, the time to scope out a new opportunity…  No matter whether you’re in the middle of hunting for a new role, are just starting to think about it or are looking to hire into your team in 2024, our ‘Career Spotlight’ feature series has something for everyone.  For our first episode, we sat down with JBM's team to share their top tips when it comes to building a CV that will help you secure an interview.  Plus, we also discuss the importance of building and optimising your personal brand on LinkedIn, featuring a contribution from former 40 Minute Mentor and Founder of personal branding agency, Klowt, Amelia Sordell.  Episode chapters: ➡️ Rethinking the purpose of your CV [1:12] ➡️ Communicating your achievements [2:41] ➡️ The winning structure [5:29] ➡️ First impressions and the importance of layout [7:51] ➡️ To tailor or not to tailor your CV [9:16] ➡️ Say goodbye to paragraphs [10:14] ➡️ Numbers, metrics and demonstrating data [10:45] ➡️ Addressing career gaps [11:29] ➡️ Owning the impact you’ve made [12:37] ➡️ How long should your CV be? [15:37] ➡️ Bringing your personality to paper [17:33] ➡️ Harnessing the power of your LinkedIn profile [18:07] ➡️ Getting the most out of LinkedIn [21:29] ➡️ Passion, authenticity and being realistic [23:25] ➡️ Striking the balance between personal & professional [26:40] ➡️ What do you want to be known for? [27:07]  ⛳ Helpful links: ➡️ For more career mentorship, follow us on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/jbm-consulting-ltd/?viewAsMember=true ➡️ The full episode with Amelia Sordell: https://jbmc.co.uk/insights/40-minute-mentor/the-power-of-personal-branding-with-amelia-sordell-founder-of-klowt/  ⭐Enjoyed this episode?⭐️ Keep up to date with all our latest episodes, by hitting the subscribe button on your favourite podcast platform. And for any feedback on what you enjoy the most and ideas on what we can do to make 40 Minute Mentor even better, please leave us a review on https://ratethispodcast.com/40mm