Helen is an award-winning Global Entrepreneur, international business expert, Non-Executive Director, TEDx speaker, coach and author.Trusted by both UK and foreign governments to tackle some of the most complex issues in the world’s trouble spots, Helen was awarded an MBE by the King for services to international trade in 2022.Helen led the scaling and internationalising of her company from humble beginnings to tackling modern-day issues such as terrorism, corruption, addiction, and medical forensics, to deliver in 27 countries - winning Best Small Business in the UK at the National Family Business Awards.Helen went on to found Helen Gibson MBE (www.helengibsonmbe.com) to reach and help more people. A Mentor for the Cherie Blair Foundation, a UK Export Champion, and university Lecturer, Helen was appointed to represent the UK at the UN Women Commission on the Status of Women 2024. She has featured in The Guardian, Business Insider, International Journal of Education Management and BBC. Helen will soon publish her first book “Go for Goosebumps!” about cultivating encouragement in today’s world.Listen to find out how Helen has found success in different aspects of hier life, and what she would put in the guide...
Liz Bradford has over 20 years of diverse leadership experience, having worked across three continents and at firms spanning HSBC, Bank of America Merrill Lynch and SWIFT. She studied Information Communication Technologies and technological revolution before being a geek was sexy or cool. She is the founder of Transform Perform, a platform delivering employee development, engagement and wellbeing at scale. Through Transform Perform, she is on a mission to change the lives of a billion people through positive contagion by 2030.Her career has ranged from product management to C-Suite roles driving operational excellence, people engagement, and technology transformation across teams of 7,500+ in 19 countries and oversight og U$bn+ P&Ls. Her passion is employee engagement, wellbeing, and culture, specifically nurturing healthy, inclusive cultures and tackling toxic ones. Examples includes: Leadership of employee resource groups representing 48,000 diverse employeesCo-Founder and master trainer of coaching programmes delivering personal development and inclusive training to over 24,000 employees in 44 countriesDesign and delivery of female talent development programmes across 14 countries and, Implementation of wellbeing challenges and programmes impacting 5,000+ a year globally. An ICF-accredited organisational and executive coach, a qualified personal trainer, and a certified wellbeing coach, Liz regularly speaks on the topics of cultural evolution, technological transformation, inclusion, female leadership, wellbeing, busting burnout, stress management, and developing healthy cultures. Listen to find out how Liz has found success in different aspects of hier life, and what she would put in the guide...
Emmie Faust is an exited founder, investor, and passionate advocate for women-led startups in the UK. She is the creator of Female Founders Rise, a thriving community of over 8,000 female entrepreneurs dedicated to closing the funding gap and amplifying women’s visibility in the startup ecosystem. Through this platform, Emmie provides access to resources, investor networks, and peer support, while actively investing in women-led businesses herself.Her voice carries weight in the venture space, with a verified LinkedIn influence score of 91.4/100. Emmie’s daily posts spark meaningful dialogue around the realities female founders face—burnout, lack of access to capital, and gender bias in investment. Blending personal insights with community-driven advice, her content is both relatable and actionable, earning trust from founders and investors alike.Before launching Female Founders Rise, Emmie successfully exited multiple ventures, bringing firsthand experience of scaling businesses through high-growth phases. This journey informs her mentoring style, particularly around leadership, mental health, and navigating toxic workplace cultures. She has also built partnerships with early-stage funding platforms and impact-driven brands, further expanding opportunities for women in business.Based in the UK, Emmie speaks openly about work-life balance, resilience, and the importance of building supportive ecosystems. Her mission is clear: to empower female founders with the tools, networks, and confidence to thrive.Listen to find out how Emmie has found success in different aspects of hier life, and what she would put in the guide...
Leigh Smyth is the Founder of Impact Match and she is an award-winning pioneer in inclusive and impact-led talent search, digital skills and social impact strategy. Leigh was the first leader to introduce young peoples access to Technology via retail to the UK and then went onto to work for UK Government to design access to Technology for Low Income families. As the UK’s first-ever Responsible Transformation Director, she led the creation of the Lloyds Banking Group Digital Skills Academy, designing its strategy and pilot which has go on to train more than one million people for free. Through partnership consultation, Leigh also built what became one of the country’s largest digital skills-based volunteering networks. Her team also developed the UK’s first benchmark for Basic Digital Skills, now embedded into the national agenda and referenced globally. The Consumer Digital Index, now in its 10th year, is still the UK’s largest measure of digital and financial capability, used by policymakers, educators and employers to track progress and shape inclusive services. A lifelong talent matchmaker, Leigh has placed some of the UK’s most influential social impact leaders into senior roles across FTSE firms, NGOs, and purpose-led scaleups. Through her work at ImpactMatch, she continues to connect values-driven talent with organisations serious about doing good, helping them embed inclusion and impact into their culture, leadership, and workforce strategies. She also helped establish the Digital Poverty Alliance, helped to establish 11 national advisory taskforces for financial inclusion, and played a key role in embedding inclusive design and accessibility into Lloyds Banking Group’s transformation programme, enabling the bank to become the first FTSE to achieve Accessibility accreditation. Leigh is also the Co-Founder of ActionAble on a mission with Sara Weller CBE to drive workplace disability inclusion. From designing inclusive strategies to building the teams that deliver them, Leigh’s work sits at the intersection of impact, innovation, and inclusion, making her a vital voice in shaping the future of recruitment and training.Listen to find out how Leigh has found success in different aspects of hier life, and what she would put in the guide...
Lisa Conway-Hughes is a Chartered Financial Adviser and a Fellow of The Personal Finance Society. Lisa joined the financial industry nearly 20 years ago and has previously been voted Financial Adviser of the Year – London by Professional Adviser Magazine – WIFA.In April 2024 Lisa became directly authorised with the FCA and set up LCH Wealth Ltd. More than 95% of Lisa’s existing clients moved with her to LCH/WEALTH demonstrating the strong relationships she builds with her clients.Lisa, also known as Miss Lolly, writes, speaks, tweets, and blogs on all things money related. Lisa is passionate about making financial education open to all and loves taking the jargon out of the financial world. Lisa’s book, Money Lessons, was published by Penguin in 2019. Lisa also features as a money expert in the female press, newspapers and news channels, including the Telegraph, Red and Good Housekeeping.Lisa is regularly invited as a guest speaker at both corporate events and private members clubs.Listen to find out how Lisa has found success in different aspects of hier life, and what she would put in the guide...
Lee Chambers is the Founder and CEO of Male Allies UK. After a diverse career, from corporate finance to building and exiting a tech company, he is now focused on supporting organisations to engage men in inclusion and promote effective allyship. He has been featured on the Startups 100 Index, has received a Great British Entrepreneur Award, and sits on the board of CMI Women, Regenerage UK and the Manchester Metropolitan University Business School. In 2024, he received the Freedom of the City of London for services to equality in business. He is a Kavli Fellow of the National Academy of Sciences in the USA, the first Black British scientist to be awarded in its 33-year history, received for his work on health inequalities. He is the 2023 UN Women Changemaker of the Year, and is an ambassador for the UK Government’s Lilac Review for Disabled Entrepreneurship. He speaks globally on allyship and intersectionality, having taken the stage at One Young World, ChangeNOW and the Bloomberg Global Equality Summit, and is the author of the bestselling book, Momentum: 13 Ways To Unlock Your Potential.Listen to find out how Lee has found success in different aspects of his life, and what he would put in the guide...
Pip Stocks – Founder, Brand Strategist & Champion for ChangePip Stocks is a powerhouse business builder, brand strategist, and unapologetic question-asker who thrives on growth—both personal and professional. With a double major in Marketing and Psychology from Monash University, Pip launched her career in London, sharpening her customer insight and marketing skills at Grey Advertising and Virgin Energy.Back in Australia, she co-founded and scaled BrandHook into a three-city consultancy, partnering with leading brands to solve complex challenges. Her next chapter led her into tech, where she built Hearsay, an AI productivity platform designed to help corporate brands have smarter customer conversations.Today, Pip mentors female founders, sits on boards as a Non-Executive Director, and is building The Startup Muse, a bold new platform for tween girls. She’s your go-to for customer discovery, product-market fit, brand strategy, and experience mapping—always bringing fresh perspective and fearless curiosity to the table.Her passions? Disrupting the status quo, championing fairness (especially around gender and neurodiversity), and empowering first-time entrepreneurs with practical, battle-tested wisdom.Listen to find out how Pip has found success in different aspects of her life, and what she would put in the guide...
Sarah Pittendrigh is a true example of a serial entrepreneur that has experienced the full cycle.Losing it all in 2008, to rebuilding again from the dust as a single mum to become a multi award winning entrepreneur, author, keynote speaker and investor.At 53 she is embarking on her 4th start up creating a beautiful range of knitwear, designed by her, manufactured from British Wool, here in the UK.When not at work she enjoys country life with her family, horses, dogs and chickens.Listen to find out how Sarah has found success in different aspects of her life, and what she would put in the guide...
Beverley Brown is a senior leader, entrepreneur, and investor with a track record of building ventures that blend financial innovation, gender equality, and social purpose. She co-founded and scaled Nicoll Curtin to 90+ staff across three continents, and now leads purpose-driven businesses including Sherloc, a fintech platform for SMEs, and Kenbury Associates, a strategic consultancy for C-suite teams.Her leadership spans commercial strategy, community-building, and inclusive growth. At Women in Banking & Finance (WIBF), Beverley launched national programmes supporting over 10,000 women, built the Entrepreneurs Network, and helped shape policy and partnerships across the financial sector. She also led commercial strategy at The Female Lead, engaging an audience of 8.6 million.Beverley is passionate about women’s economic empowerment and has raised over £500,000 for NSPCC/Childline, now chairing their 40th Anniversary Fundraising Committee. She co-founded Stronger Together, the UK’s first cross-industry gender equality alliance, and regularly collaborates with UHNW individuals, family offices, and institutional investors.With deep experience in scaling communities, designing hybrid service models, and driving sustainable impact, Beverley is uniquely positioned to lead Beam into its next phase of growth.Listen to find out how Beverley has found success in different aspects of her life, and what she would put in the guide...
Jacqueline has over 30 years of investment banking and entrepreneurial experience. During her career in banking, she led the Derivative Sales group and served on the Executive Committee.In 2009, drawing on her experience in demanding, high-pressure roles, she began coaching and mentoring senior leaders, sharing practical strategies for success. She soon recognised that if these skills and insights were introduced earlier in a career, they could be truly transformative – enabling people to lead more effectively, contribute with confidence, and be heard, while also enhancing other aspects of their lives.This raised a bigger question: could these tools be shared with many more professionals across industries and geographies?The answer was yes.In 2016, she founded Elevate, and in just nine years more than 10,000 participants have graduated from the programme.Outside of work, Jacqueline is a proud parent of a daughter and son – one starting their career journey, the other enjoying post-university backpacking. Travel is also one of her great passions: she has visited over 60 countries, adding Poland, Namibia and Denmark to the list this year. She also enjoys skiing, Pilates and planning her next travel adventure.Listen to find out how Jacqueline has found success in different aspects of her life, and what she would put in the guide...
Kerrin Marcon is the CEO and Founder of KaiZhan Ltd, the sports technology company behind VIA Academy—a revolutionary platform bringing elite sports coaching, community, and retail to athletes worldwide through a mobile-first experience.With over two decades of experience across sport, business, and social impact, Kerrin blends global insight with deep purpose. Her inspiration for VIA Academy came from years of competitive sport and raising three children—one of whom now plays professionally—while living across Asia, Europe, and Africa. Her firsthand experience of the barriers athletes face sparked her mission: to give to many what is usually reserved for a few.Before launching VIA, Kerrin scaled multiple ventures across the UK and Asia, connecting players to elite clubs and growing client bases exponentially. She also founded Friends of Child Protection, a charity that has supported thousands of abused children in South Africa since 2002.A former telecoms analyst turned wellness entrepreneur, Kerrin has always been ahead of the curve—pioneering holistic corporate wellbeing programs before they were mainstream. She brings authenticity, vision, and an unwavering drive to democratize elite sport through innovation.Listen to find out how Kerrin has found success in different aspects of her life, and what she would put in the guide...
Meggie Palmer is a confidence creator and globally renowned speaker, facilitator, and Executive Coach. Her work’s been recognized by Vogue Magazine, Forbes, and on NBC.She works with Fortune 100 companies supporting the diversification of their leadership talent pipeline and retention of high-potential staff. Her clients include Microsoft, DocuSign, and JP Morgan.She built the PepTalkHer App with the mission of closing the gender pay gap. It’s a Fitbit for your career, helping professionals track success and navigate their pathway to promotion. She runs a community of 60,000 professional women focused on elevating performance and supercharging their career success.In her former life, she was an award-winning journalist. Her films won New York Festival TV & Film Awards, UN Media Awards & a Logie nomination. She spent 15 years as a Foreign Correspondent, traveling from Syria to Italy and telling stories for networks including BBC World, CNBC, and Dateline. She has interviewed Brad Pitt on the red carpet, Bashar Al Assad in his Palace in Damascus & once had the fun task of speaking on stage after Obama. She’s a highly sought-after speaker and has keynoted for Vogue, at Dreamforce for Salesforce, and in Germany for Nico Rosberg’s Greentech Summit. Before founding her company, she was VP for the Financial Times. Meggie lectures at Columbia University & Barnard College. She sits on the board of several high-growth companies and not-for-profit Boards including the Australian Press Council. Meggie is a Tory Burch Fellow & was recognized with a grant from Sara Blakley's Spanx Foundation. She’s a passionate angel investor, cook, and ocean swimmer. She is a proud Aussie who now calls NYC home. You can find her on Linkedin and on social media @MeggiePalmer & @PepTalkHer. Listen to find out how Meggie has found success in different aspects of her life, and what she would put in the guide...
Michelle Pughe-Parry de Klerk is the founder of The Women’s Chapter®, an impact-led community supporting the economic and personal growth of women in business. At its heart is a belief in the exponential power of women as economic drivers and forces for social and environmental change. Since 2014, The Women’s Chapter has reached more than 30,000 women through curated events, thought leadership and pro bono initiatives, becoming the UK’s first women’s network to earn B Corp certification in 2023.Under Michelle’s leadership, the community supports impact beyond its membership, pledging 5% of all membership fees to charities supporting women and girls, offering a pro bono membership and mentoring programme with The King’s Trust, and hosting W.Walk & Talk events across the UK to raise funds for charity.Michelle is an ambassador for The King’s Trust Women Supporting Women, a UN Women UK delegate, and an elected council member for Founders4Schools and Maths4Girls. A sought-after speaker, moderator and host, she has led hundreds of hours of live conversations with female changemakers on topics ranging from resilience and wellbeing to funding and failure. Her insights have been featured in Harper’s Bazaar, The Telegraph, Country & Townhouse and Forbes.Listen to find out how Michelle has found success in different aspects of her life, and what she would put in the guide...
Barbara Gottardi is a globally seasoned Chief Information Officer turned entrepreneur and non-executive leader with over two decades of experience driving digital and operational transformation at major financial institutions, including HSBC, Vanguard, Admiral Money. Over 20 years of experience in Finance technology leading high performing team globally across Investment Banking, Asset Management, Retail Banking and Wealth management. A trusted leader and strategic thinker with a record of successful deliveries across the globe. A real advocate for women in tech and true diversity in business. Outside work she is a mother of 2 teenager boys and a keen runner. Listen to find out how Barbara has found success in different aspects of her life, and what she would put in the guide...
With a passion for people, entrepreneurship and storytelling, Lucy is a two-time Founder and Presenter looking to bring as much energy to any event she has the pleasure of hosting as she does to her agency, The Leaf Group, and community network, Ecomm Girls Club.Having led a multifaceted and international career across London, Sydney, Singapore and Hong Kong, a former Executive Assistant and Chief of Staff, Lucy decided to launch her own agency, The Leaf Group, to support purpose driven startups with community engagement, content marketing and digital profile building for founders.Alongside a Co-Founder, Lucy also launched Ecomm Girls Club, a community for women in the ecommerce industry to build networks, forge relationships and create opportunities for one another.Lucy currently presents conferences and events across Asia as well as regularly appearing behind the microphone for Hyrox fitness racing in markets such as Latvia, Hong Kong and Japan.With a true passion for bringing people together and creating opportunities, Lucy has previously launched and hosted programmes for female entrepreneurs, young executives and those looking to use sport to forge connection for HSBC, The British Chamber of Commerce and Exeter University.Lucy holds a degree from the University of Exeter in History and International Relations, alongside a Diploma in Intelligent Marketing. In her spare time, Lucy enjoys completing fitness-related challenges, travelling and learning Mandarin. Listen to find out how Lucy has found success in different aspects of her life, and what she would put in the guide...
🎧 Reflecting on Lessons Learned: Highlights from our first two series- dive into key takeaways, powerful advice and behind-the-scenes insights from our journey so far. 📲 Catch up on every episode here#PodcastReview #LessonsLearned #PodcastSeries #AdviceAndInsights #TopEpisodes #MustListenPodcast #ContentCreators #PodcastCommunity #ListenNow #BingeWorthy
Louise Hill is founder and CEO of GoHenry - the money app helping kids learn to earn, save, spend and invest. Louise has built the business from the ground up, from launching GoHenry in the UK in 2012, expanding to the US in 2018, then acquiring French Fintech Pixpay in 2022, followed by the merger with US Fintech Acorns in 2023. Louise is a passionate advocate for financial education, campaigning tirelessly to make the subject compulsory in all schools starting from primary age. Her expertise in kids' banking was recognised when she appeared as an expert judge on The Apprentice (Series 19). Dedicated to promoting financial inclusion, Louise is a Non-Executive Director at Sibstar, the UK’s leading debit card provider for people with dementia.Keen to nurture UK businesses, Louise works to support several UK-based start-ups and is part of Innovate Finance's Unicorn Council for UK FinTech (UCFT), driving growth in the UK FinTech sector. She is also a huge supporter of women in business, regularly mentoring female founders to drive cultural change around female leadership.Listen to find out how Louise has found success in different aspects of her life, and what she would put in the guide...
Trigger warning- This episode contains discussions of suicide and domestic violence. If you’re affected by these topics or need someone to talk to, please reach out for support. You can contact Samaritans at 116 123 or Refuge UK at 0808 2000 247. You're not alone.Hetti became Chair of Refuge’s Board of Trustees on 1st June 2020. Hetti has a career spanning British Airways, Centrica, BT and Vodafone, leading financial, commercial and transformational change, often enabled by leading edge technology. She became the CEO of Ploughshare Innovations in April 2020 and is renowned for leading cultural and commercial transformation, and her highly creative, collaborative and engaging approach with teams and partners. She is also a recognised champion for diversity, equality, and inclusion. Hetti was recognised in the New Year's Honours 2024 list, receiving a CBE for her services to people affected by domestic abuse and domestic homicide. Hetti has been an active campaigner raising awareness about domestic abuse and the criminal justice system since her best friend, Joanna Simpson, was killed by her estranged husband. Hetti is the founder and former Chair of the Joanna Simpson Foundation and was previously a Pioneer at Safe Lives. In October 2024, she was awarded a Pride of Britain Special Recognition Award, alongside her co-founder of the Joanna Simpson Foundation, Diana Parkes CBE for their service in transforming the care, support and protection of children affected by domestic abuse and homicide. As CEO of an organisation which is on a high growth trajectory, and Chair of Refuge which is going through transformational change whilst seeing ever increasing demand for services, Hetti focuses her spare time enjoying long walks in the countryside with her family and the dogs. Listen to find out how Hetti has found success in different aspects of her life, and what she would put in the guide...
Christine Locke is the Founder and CEO of Diversity House; a charitable organisation she established over 18 years ago to tackle social inequalities. The charity provides services in prisons, schools, and communities, promoting individual and family well-being. She is also the Senior Partner at COGOL Concerns, a consultancy specializing in training, EDI audits, research, and development.Christine recently completed her PhD at Canterbury Christ Church University. She holds multiple qualifications, including degrees in Modern European Languages, Community Cohesion, Health Promotion, and Public Health. A social scientist, educator, administrator, chartered banker, and intersectional feminist, she is a passionate advocate for equality, inclusion, and social justice.Her commitment to global change led her to become a signatory of the UN Global Compact, supporting the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). A sought-after speaker and thought leader, Christine has presented at prestigious venues, including:United Nations Assembly, New YorkUnited Nations Conference Centre, BonnAidEx, PALEXPO, GenevaHer Majesty’s Prisons, Isle of SheppeyGreenwich University, LondonRoyal Overseas League, LondonChristine is married with two daughters and remains dedicated to driving social transformation and empowerment.Listen to find out how Helen has found success in different aspects of her life, and what she would put in the guide...
Helen and Sam first met around 10 years ago working at a global bank. Helen has since moved into professional services and alongside her day job is a charity founder and trustee. Mum to Alf aged 7, and human to 2 cats and a sausage dog. She is founder and trustee of Brightest Stars charity- supporting bereaved families. She's also a long suffering Southampton FC fan but the less said about that the better!Listen to find out how Helen has found success in different aspects of her life, and what she would put in the guide...