Not My First Guess

Ever wonder what it takes to transform from a passionate leader into a successful startup founder? In this episode, we'll uncover the secrets to building an innovative, AI-powered solution that's revolutionising the way managers drive team performance. Joining us today is Sarah Touzani, the brilliant mind behind Waggle, an AI co-pilot empowering managers with the tools and insights to excel. Building on Sarah’s 15+ years experience in finance and tech, Waggle has already caught the attention of major players like Techstars and JP Morgan. Backed by a talented, diverse team, Sarah has navigated the challenges of fundraising, fostering culture, and forging strategic partnerships to position Waggle for exciting growth across the US and Europe. In this candid, we'll dive into: Key lessons learned in the leap from leader to founderStrategies for assembling a powerhouse team and aligning them around your "why"Tips for securing funding and leveraging accelerators to catalyse growthSarah’s approach to product development that attracts an eager customer baseHow Sarah maintained the vision while keeping operations running smoothlyAdvice Sarah wishes she had when first starting outLinks: Founder Catalyst: https://www.foundercatalyst.com/Waggle: https://www.usewaggle.ai/

Joining us in this episode is Charlie Rosier, a seasoned entrepreneur and fourth-time founder. Her latest venture, Babbu, disrupts the early childhood education space with an innovative online platform tailored for children aged 0-5. Driven by personal experience and insights gained during lockdown conversations with fellow parents, Charlie recognized the overwhelming pressure parents face—spending 37 hours weekly on childcare concerns alone. Determined to alleviate this stress, she birthed Babbu. Rooted in science but crafted by parents, Babbu reimagines the parenting journey, providing a supportive community and expert advice to empower parents in nurturing their children. This episode we discuss: Lessons learned as a serial founderGrief that comes with failed businessesWhy we have to value our time differently as foundersLessons in linkedin marketingFundraising - what Charlie knows now but didn’t know when she startedBalancing being a mother with being a startup founder and the guilt that comes with it Links to Babbu’s website: https://babbu.co.uk/

This episode we are joined by Simi Lindgren Founder of Yuty. Some of you may recognise Simi from our special episode on fundraising as an underrepresented founder, where she was joined by two other incredible guests. But we wanted to take the time to dive deeper into Simi’s story and insights building an AI startup. Simi initially went to med school thinking that she would become a doctor. However, she soon realised that she wasn’t there for the right reasons. This led her to dropping out of her degree and getting an internship at a magazine working in beauty, and ultimately leading her to following her own passions. Simi then built up her experience in the beauty industry, working in marketing communications where she matched brands and PRs with media celebrities and influencers. Having progressed really well, in 2020 she decided that it was time to do something herself, which led to the launch of Yuty. Founded in 2020, Yuty is a venture capital backed technology company that uses AI to redefine hyper-personalisation, transforming the way brands can engage with their customers. The app provides data backed product recommendations delivered through a quiz, in order to help all customers, regardless of race, gender or ability, to find the product that is right for them. Having had personal experiences of not feeling seen or understood, and not being able to find the right products, Simi wanted to create something that was accessible for all, and after teaching herself to code, Yuty was formed. This episode we discuss: Choosing a path for the wrong reasons and going off the “beaten path” despite pressure internally and from the familyWhy she went down the VC route with YutyChoosing an Investor Partner and how to manage themThe importance of constantly asking questionsAssumptions and why being curious is the ultimate founder trait Plus much much more! Links: Yuty website: https://www.yuty.me/

This episode we are joined by Kate Berski, Co-Founder of Curlsmith, a high performance, inclusive haircare brand which she started with her husband in 2018. It soon became one of the fastest growing textured hair brands and would go on to retail at Ulta Beauty, Target, Boots and many more. The idea for Curlsmith was formed out of a family struggle to find suitable haircare products for Kate’s nieces’ curly hair. Kate and her husband Michal soon realised that there was a gap in the market with lots of people unable to find appropriate products for their hair. Using her experience in advertising and brand consulting, combined with Michal’s experience working for some major beauty companies, they soon developed a community around an Instagram page that they launched, which shared advice, recipes and tips for people with curly hair, before they began the process of making their own product. In this episode, we discuss: The haircare industry and how Curlsmith was brought to lifeThe journey (and cost) of developing a productThe pros and cons of staying lean as long as possibleDigital vs retail channelsGoing down the VC route and how that helped grow the businessThe toll a startup has on your mental healthHaving a kid whilst running a business, and realising there’s more to life than workWhat it’s like to sell your company How entrepreneurship compares to becoming an author And much much more… Links: Kate’s Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kate.berski/Curlsmith website: https://uk.curlsmith.com/

This episode, we are joined by Tess Cosad, the CEO and Co-Founder of Béa Fertility. As someone who takes much of her inspiration from injustice, Tess saw the pain and difficulties that many people were going through in their attempts to build a family, with access and affordability making the journey even more stressful and heartbreaking for many. In comes Béa Fertility, a company that provides clinical-grade fertility treatment that can be shipped straight to your door, and costs 1/20th of what IVF would. Tess has always been passionate about building businesses that make an impact. She was the first woman to lead a digital startup program to female entrepreneurs in Saudi Arabia in 2018, and is also a pioneer of the FemTech industry having gained experience working with Hers By Design, and Emberson Ventures, a B2B marketing agency. Despite often being one of the few women in male-dominated VC circles, Tess persists in her commitment to bring about positive change and support impactful solutions, by pushing evidence-based strategies and supporting founders who adopt similar change driven principles. This episode, we discuss: Mistakes and lessons learnt from Tess’s previous start-up venturesThe importance of speaking to your users/customersThe importance of storytelling and how this became Tess’s skillsetWhy being the keeper of the context is your most important role as CEO of a startupThe process of finding mentorsThe struggles of finding investors and raising funds, and the importance of keeping your passion throughout the process And much more including hilarious stories that had our editor chuckling almost the whole way through the edit! Let us know what you think! Links: Bea Fertility website Brad Feld’s book Venture DealsFounders Pocket Guide to term sheets

This episode, we are joined by Andy Ayim MBE, a serial founder and Angel Investor who is known for his human centered approach to business. Over a decade ago, Andy cofounded Mixtape Madness, a proudly bootstrapped 7 figure business. When he left day to day operations there, he dove into Product Management with high growth startups such as WorldFirst, acquired for $700m by Ant Financial; and Series C startup Zilch where he was Head of Product Management. In 2018 he took his next leap, to become Managing Director at US based VC firm, Backstage Capital where he raised over $2.5M to deploy into underrepresented founders. As you’ll hear, improving equity in the startup ecosystem has been a huge driver for Andy, and led to his next startup, The Angel Investing School, a company on a mission to train the next generation of angel investors, including those who feel excluded by the current system, or haven’t seen typically themselves represented among angels. Additionally, Andy supports startups, scaleups and corporates as an advisor; this is someone who knows what it takes to grow a company. Andy’s impact has seen him get voted as one on the top 10 BAME Leaders in Tech in the FT, as well as being awarded an MBE for his services to diversity in tech. Andy has also been one of our biggest supporters at IfWeRaise from the very early days, in fact even before I met my co-founder, and is now one of our Board Advisers, so it was extra special having him on the show. In this episode, we discuss: Andy’s personal user guide as his intro into the world of entrepreneurship (and why we probably all need one)Why Andy created Angel Investing School and how it’s evolvingThe importance of building social capital and a personal brand as a founderWhy fundraising isn’t always the best optionWhat Andy looks for in founders from an Angel's perspectiveThe importance of storytelling and how to nail itThe backwards relationship we have with failure in the UK Links: Angel Investing School: https://angelinvestingschool.com/ Andy’s Personal User Guide: https://andyayim.com/my-personal-user-guide/ Mixtape Madness: https://www.mixtapemadness.com/

This episode we are joined by Nicola Ward, Co-Founder of CakeDrop. Having both worked in the City, Nicola and her sister Anna had a conversation about how awkward office birthdays can be. Often forgetting to buy a cake and having to resort to a cheap last minute one from the shop around the corner. They felt that something needed to be done to improve the employee experience in the office and uplevel celebrations at work. This gave way to the idea for CakeDrop. CakeDrop began by delivering artisan cakes to offices for employee birthdays, supported by an online calendar that allowed office managers and HR teams to pre-schedule key dates for the year ahead. 7 years on, and CakeDrop have worked with customers such as Disney, Meta, Netflix and LadBible. In this episode we discuss: Evolving her business ideaRunning a business with a siblingHow CakeDrop began and how they got to where they are nowHow they reacted to lockdownBuilding a team and finding the right peopleLearning the difference between how your gut is leading you and how your anxiety is leading you to make decisionsPublic speaking and founder confidence The importance of momentum in fundraisingManaging your potential investor base Link to the Cake Drop website: https://cakedrop.london/

This episode we are joined by Felicity Halstead, founder of the company GoodWork. GoodWork is a not-for-profit that works with employers to create employment opportunities for young people from marginalised communities. Having had experience in youth programmes, as well as working with social mobility organisations and supporting entry-level recruitment in her job, Felicity saw first hand that a young person’s results on paper are not an accurate representation of how that person would apply themselves in the workplace. So often organisations would focus on past performance rather than potential. This led to the creation of GoodWork as Felicity hopes to breakdown systemic barriers to create more opportunities for young people. In this episode, we discuss: Preconceptions around what talent looks like and how to identify potentialTransitioning from only working in the public sector to the private sectorThe importance of finding your communityFundraising in the charity sectorThe community interest company (CIC) routeBeing a LinkedIn topvoiceThe impact of having an ADHD and Autism diagnosis Link to the GoodWork website: https://www.goodwork.org.uk/

This episode, we are joined by Robert Hayward, founder of GoodFX, an international payments B Corp that turns currency conversion into social good, using the profits they make every time their customers trade FX, to support charities and create meaningful job opportunities for refugees. For anyone who doesn’t know, The foreign exchange market, commonly referred to as the Forex or FX, is the global marketplace for trading currencies. Having spent 10 years in the city working in banking, Rob had started to wonder how he could put his skills to use and make a difference in the world. After initially rejecting an opportunity to work in FX, he realised that there could be a way to use some of the money the industry was making in lockdown to make a difference. This birthed GoodFX. In this episode we discuss: Rob’s journey into entrepreneurship and how he used his skills learned in the corporate world to get thereThe intoxicating nature of working with a “big fish” companyUsing a business model as a vehicle for social changeRaising money as a B Corp, and the value of B Corp applicationsThe importance of having self value as a fundraiserThe necessity of bootstrapping when making an impact business Link to the GoodFX website: https://www.goodfx.co.uk/

This episode, we are joined by the founders of Future Kind Collective, Alicia Grimes and Natalie Pierce. Having initially met when Natalie interviewed Alicia for a job, the two found themselves working in the same company on strategy and service design projects focused on culture change. What started as a working relationship soon blossomed into a friendship and the two bonded on a shared feeling that something wasn't quite right about traditional culture consulting and that a change was needed. Alicia and Natalie thought that a more holistic approach was called for, with a focus on a genuine care for the people behind the business, prioritising people over profit, with as much focus on employees as customers. These ideas paved the way for the Future Kind Collective to be born, where a team was built that focuses on turning around the Culture of companies to create a better environment for all involved, or helping startups create great cultures from day 1! In this episode we discuss: How Alicia and Natalie met and the birth of Future Kind CollectiveImposter syndromeThe definition of CultureHow founders can use values to make decisions about what they do and don’t doThe importance of saying no as foundersLink to the Future Kind Collective Website: https://www.thefuturekind.co/

In this episode we’re joined by James Roycroft-Davis. James is a Serial Founder, Angel Investor and Host of the UK’s #1 Founder and Investor Mental Health Podcast - Vulnerable. He’s previously started businesses around weightless and dog training, but hadn’t yet found his purpose and the business he wanted to build for the next 10 years, until in March 2023 he was diagnosed with Type 2 Bipolar Affective Disorder. When he started sharing about his diagnosis on his social media he was flooded with messages saying “there’s no support for me or my support networks”.It’s what led him to co-found Baseline, as he puts it:The first company building technology, content, and community in the Bipolar space, to help people on the bipolar spectrum and their support networks to live better. In this episode we dive into: - Why first time founders need to stop giving investors god like status - The shocking correlation between founders and the Bipolar spectrum - How getting his diagnosis led to Baseline - Building your first product on a shoestring with AI - The importance of building for mental health sustainability as a founder - The need for founders to nail content creation and personal branding - And much more! James’ Business Baseline: https://www.joinbaseline.co/ James’ Podcast, Vulnerable: https://open.spotify.com/show/1K0x3TuxwlV8lhRhMJzcSD?si=3b8cb3208ce34ca2

This episode, we're joined by Tim Deeson, serial founder and angel investor with over 20 years of experience building companies. He started his first company Deeson, which grew to be a multi-million pound digital agency, at age just 20. Tim successfully exited Deeson to co-found GreenShoot Labs, an innovative conversational AI consulting and product development studio. After exiting that, Tim became an Angel Investor and took up a role at LSE as an entrepreneur in residence, giving advice to students, alumni and staff on their start up ideas and business. Alongside all this work, Tim started to feel the founder itch again, and so it was really lucky that when we met he ignored Hattie's initial attempts to tell him he could not be her co founder, because they were increasingly sharing the same mission of how to make access to the startup ecosystem fairer. Ultimately this led to the beginning of IfWeRaise, a company that Tim and Hattie co-founded in 2022 In this episode we discuss: Tim’s journey into entrepreneurship and the surprising difference between selling to bigger and smaller organisationsWhy and how to successfully exit a business that you foundedCo-founder relationshipsBecoming an Angel Investor The importance of focusing on a customer market rather than investor marketHow Hattie and Tim met and the development of IfWeRaise Tim’s Businesses: Deeson: https://www.deeson.co.uk/ OpenDialog.ai: https://opendialog.ai/ If We Raise: https://www.ifweraise.com/

In this episode we’re joined by Amardeep Parmar, Co-founder of The Bae HQ which is the number one community for British Asian Entrepreneurs; curator of the Tedx Chigwell programme, and host of the Entrepreneurs Handbook. As if that wasn't enough, having written and edited hundreds of Articles around the subject of entrepreneurship, Amar is also an Angel Investor. Before lockdown, Amar was a technology consultant, having graduated with an economics degree. However, when covid hit, Amar decided to invest his time into more creative interests and began writing articles online. He became the second-fastest growing writer on medium.com, second to Barack Obama. This paved the way for a new career whereby he was able to become a fulltime creator in 2021. In this episode we discuss: Checkout more of Amar’s content: The Bae HQ: https://www.thebaehq.com/The Entrepreneurs Handbook https://open.spotify.com/show/5nceulxUsr8jrJ2TdSEVOK?si=14ab888833a4470fMentioned Resources https://seedlegals.com/https://hatchenterprise.org/https://www.antler.co/

Today I’m joined by Alberta Asafo-Asamoah, a social entrepreneur and educationalist, and co-founder of Liquify, an invoice marketplace that enables SMEs in emerging markets to get quick access to affordable cash. Having started her career building deep expertise in the financial world, Alberta left banking in 2018 to pursue a career in impact investing because she wanted to combine her knowledge and experience in financing, with her passion for social issues and social change. This led Alberta to founding Algebra In The City (AITC), an educational tuition and consultancy business. Having spent some time as a tutor, Alberta had seen a disparity between students that went to private schools and students who went to state schools, including differences in the way students had been taught to process information and problem solve. This led Alberta to wanting to make education more equitable for young people by making tuition much cheaper in order to increase accessibility. However, one of the things we dive into in this episode is Alberta’s desire to build something at scale- and once she realised this wasn’t the business she wanted to be building for the next 10 years, it was time for a pivot to build something more VC backable… one that ultimately led her to liquify. In this episode we talk about: Internships and the importance of taking a step back when you’re starting something newMistakes you make when starting a new businessThe importance of deciding whether you want your business to be scaelableWhat VCs wantThe importance of finding the right co founderPrioritising your personal life whilst running a businessAnd so much more Check out Alberta’s company Liquify: https://liquify.digital/Check out Algebra in the City: https://www.algebrainthecity.com/about-us/ WMassive thank you to this episode’s sponsor ShipShape. If you want to tailor your search for VCs, check them out at www.shipshape.vc

This episode is a little bit special. We're doing our second fundraising compilation, taking different tips and hard won lessons from our founders we've interviewed before. In this episode, we're going to focus on five founders: 1. Jay Richards: At the time of interview, Jay's company Imagen had 25, 000 community members across 111 countries, having raised just 400k. Incredible growth. Here Jay talks about how some founders have a grit that means they can just go further with less. Curious about Imagen? Learn more here: https://imageninsights.com/ 2. Valentina Milanova: Valentina has raised several rounds of funding for her femtech company Daye, including a 10 million series A. In this episode she talks about her experiences fundraising as a female founder as well as some of the things she did but maybe wouldn't do again. Checkout Daye’s website: https://www.yourdaye.com/ 3. Lottie Unwin: Lottie is a proud bootstrapper who grew her business to over a million in revenue without fundraising. In this episode she shares her perspective and why she chose a different path. Since recording Lottie’s company have rebranded from CopyClub to Upworld. See more of what they’re up to at https://up-world.co/ 4. Joyeeta Daas: Joyeeta is a serial founder who created five startups and successfully exited three. Since the episode aired, she's fundraised again for her most recent venture, Samudra Oceans: https://www.samudraoceans.com/ 5. Eliot Brooks: Eliot grew health tech startup Thriva to over 100,000 customers and more than 130 staff before he decided it was time for his next startup adventure. Before he left, Thriva had raised 11 million pounds in funding based on 100 percent year on year growth rates: Thriva | Home Blood Testing & Health Checks Together they cover a huge range of business models and industries. From B2B SaaS to HealthTech and FemTech, Community plays, DeepTech and ClimateTech. Want to dive in deeper- checkout each of the guests’ full episodes: Jay Richards: https://open.spotify.com/episode/4o0lQfU69vC8HEYzdfs4wb?si=de2a9f708a864d2b Valentina Milanova: https://open.spotify.com/episode/4jfFTiaD2hRyiuCHUaproV?si=2c4584b088ce47d3 Lottie Unwin: https://open.spotify.com/episode/2iRxjMLNUXviNhpVPJXmiE?si=293d0b1e872140b4 Joyeeta Daas: https://open.spotify.com/episode/2NV8fCzOUKaGSU0xeUQwMJ?si=8d3a33cf63334748 Eliot Brooks: https://open.spotify.com/episode/3bfYSOaUSL9Fxf9xP6IxIZ?si=2df55b95df004a1e Finally, a massive thank you to this episode’s sponsor ShipShape. If you want to tailor your search for VCs, check them out at www.shipshape.vc

Today I’m joined by Jasmin Thomas, Serial Founder & Angel Investor. After a successful career building the first teams of unicorns like Deliveroo, Algemy, Improbable and Dark Trace, Jasmin turned her hand to her own business. Having been diagnosed with MS, Jasmin had experienced the benefits of CBD oil first hand, from relieving period cramps to flare ups she was having. From this, she was inspired to start her own efficacious skincare company, Ohana Health. However, as she soon found out, having a CBD based product brings even more challenges than your regular startup. And once she realised it wasn't a VC backable business, she made an even bolder move to shut the company down. Now, she uses the valuable insights she gained through that experience, along with a deep passion for supporting women in various capacities, particularly early stage founders and those in the tech industry, to fuel this next phase of her career. Her dedication is channeled through her work with angel community Alexandria Angels, where she focuses on investing in exceptional deal flow at the early stages, aiming to diversify cap tables, as well as acting as a venture partner and scout for VCs and as a consultant, collaborating with pre Series A startups. She's also committed to supporting the development of gender diverse tech teams, bridging the gap for women in tech and STEM fields with tech recruitment agency Xena. In case you couldn't already tell, she's a rather remarkable leader in the community and has even been highlighted by Richard Branson as an entrepreneur to watch for her exceptional drive and vision. In this episode we discuss: Links: https://alexandriaangels.persona.co/https://andyayim.comhttps://wearexena.comspoti.fi/3EhjhXhshipshape.vchttps://bit.ly/43Kq99N

Today I’m joined by Jacqui Patton, Founder of Ink Blot Creative. After training as an actress, Jacqui’s life took some twists and turns, including an eye-watering stint as the lady behind the number dishing out hair removal emergency advice at Veet, before finding her way into the world of marketing. A truly natural and masterful communicator, it’s no surprise that a simple (yet radically candid) conversation with the new CEO accidentally landed her the role of Head of Comms at RBS International. There she honed her craft and when life radically shook up her perspective, she decided to take on a new challenge and left the corporate world to forge her own path by starting Ink Blot Creative. Having been a client of agencies for many years, she spent quite a while trying to do what everyone else was doing in the same way that they were doing it. But she soon realised the clients she and her team got most excited about, were the ones a little bit like them (and us)! People that are building a growing business and want a helping hand to make it the best it can possibly be. In this episode we discuss: Links: https://www.inkblotcreative.co.ukhttps://greenhouse.jehttps://www.ifweraise.com/#roadmaphttps://open.spotify.com/show/1IyamqopNDm8tYhhCsiiUk?si=7fa2d250e19b4dcchttps://open.spotify.com/episode/4i5DfzfIAW7niBQToRn4Lyspoti.fi/44lJJK7shipshape.vchttps://bit.ly/43Kq99N

Today I’m joined by Abi Foster, Founder of Elent. After becoming a qualified ACA Chartered Accountant, Abi began her professional career in the luxury magazine sector at Condé Nast, before moving on to Hearst Publishing's finance department. She enjoyed spending time outside of work supporting colleagues and friends to better understand their own personal finances, though through this experience Abi noticed that many people, specifically women and young people, had low financial literacy and had received little to no financial education in school or at university. From this realisation, Elent was born. With the mission to help eradicate inequalities in our society by making financial education accessible to all from a young age, Abi founded Elent in October 2021 and has since partnered with 24 schools, educating over 20,000 students and counting. In this episode we discuss: And so much more! Links: https://elent.com/https://www.linkedin.com/in/abigail-elent-finance-education/shipshape.vchttps://bit.ly/43Kq99N

Today I’m joined by Martha Silcott, Founder of FabLittleBag. Martha invented FabLittleBag after she was forced to smuggle her used tampon from the bathroom to her handbag at a friends dinner party when faced without a bin in their downstairs loo. The experience was so awful that she decided to do something about it and the more she looked into it, the more she was horrified at the impact of flushing tampons and pads down the toilet. Determined to bring her invention to market she left the corporate world behind and set out to change the world, one FabLittleBag at a time, with her now patented disposal bag. FabLittleBag exists to protect rivers, oceans and beaches from the pollution caused by flushed period products. With the UK alone flushing 2.5m tampons and 1.4m pads down the toilet each day, it’s a big issue. FabLittleBags are also made of plants (which means they are carbon reducing) and recycled plastics, supporting the circular economy of waste. With FabLittleBag, Martha is on a mission to educate and convert flushers into being binners and help people who menstruate by making an often awkward and uncomfortable experience become one that enables them to feel good, hygienic, and confident. In this episode we discuss: Links: https://fablittlebag.comhttps://www.sas.org.ukhttps://www.mcsuk.orghttps://www.hereweflo.cohttps://open.spotify.com/episode/2iRxjMLNUXviNhpVPJXmiE?si=50ycebb2SKy3CuYJcYeVZAhttps://open.spotify.com/episode/4JYwEzyipbroKM59ISB805?si=vAPKNVclS9iiurMKA0oaHw

Today I’m joined by Farah Kabir, Co-founder of HANX. One day, while enjoying a stable career in Asset Management at Goldman Sachs, Farah stood in line at her local Boots ready purchase a box of condoms when she realised her boss was standing behind her. Utterly mortified, Farah felt the very relatable pang of shame rise within her until… she suddenly thought “actually, why should I be embarrassed about this?” and so over a bottle (or two) of wine, she decided to jump into bed with her best friend Sarah (who also happens to be a doctor) and give birth to HANX - a sex-positive, anti-awkward approach to contraception. HANX are on a mission to change the world, and champion unapologetic sexual and intimate health for everyone. Coupled with clever partnerships, creative campaigns and conscious ingredients, they’re taking on the condom industry by banishing stereotypically ‘masculine’, penis-centric messaging, not to mention gross chemicals that shouldn't be anywhere near a vagina. In this episode we discuss: Links: https://www.hanxofficial.comhttps://open.spotify.com/episode/0LIiOdqRsdUOqy2hu8iXbw?si=kXb2iuMCTKGby58HqOdfTwhttps://open.spotify.com/episode/3fesy7fsEVgLLrcOs0BIDK?si=p-xXyVx8SEyaI_OtHzzTRAhttps://www.linkedin.com/in/marcusexall/https://www.linkedin.com/in/kayodeodeleye/