Never Mind The Job Spec Glenn Martin

Matyas and I first met over a shared interest in human-centred hiring, which naturally sparked my interest in his personal and career journey. Since that first meeting, we have had a host of conversations about the ever-evolving People and Talent space, and I’m incredibly excited to share this conversation that offers a window into the world of this incredibly kind, thoughtful, data-driven, and values-driven human-being.

We kickstart with Matyas’ first leap-of-faith from a small Hungarian village to the Congressional Internship Programme in Washington DC, where he shares his experiences of the US political system and the startup ecosystem, and how this shaped his career choices that led to roles at Global brands, ABInBev and PwC. We discover how his passion for startups developed, which led to the pivotal decision to join IKAWA, the coffee tech startup. 

Matyas opens up about his journey to self-awareness, including his experience coming out as a gay man and how therapy helped him accept himself, and how it informs their perspective on creating an inclusive workplace culture. He credits London and the UK for providing a supportive environment for his personal growth, and he shares the emotive story of meeting his husband, Rennan, and their upcoming move to Brazil. 

Throughout the conversation, it’s clear that Matyas’ pursuit of authenticity in his career choices, and the importance of embracing one's true self, inform his approach to the People & Talent space, as he emphasises the importance of building a strong recruitment function and cultivating a culture aligned with the company's values, including inclusivity and diversity. 

As the Head of Talent and People at InPlanet, Matyas shares his experience of maintaining cultural elements as an organisation scales, highlighting the need for conscious design in people practices to preserve values and behaviours that contribute to a positive workplace culture.


Matyas has an inspiring story, which serves as a guide for personal and professional development and discovery, bravery and conviction, and continuous learning through making positive human connections.

You can connect with Matyas on LinkedIn here

You can learn more about InPlanet here

Kat joined me on the Never Mind The Job Spec - The Podcast to talk about her social impact entrepreneurship and we start with a key statement that is very important to Kat and her mission - 'What we cannot imagine, cannot come into being'.

The beauty of Kat is she will disrupt the norm, and she immediately flips-the-script and kickstarts the podcast by asking me a question which is really important, why? - Why do we do anything? When you know your why, it's a powerful space to be in from a mindset and action perspective.

We talk about how she has had to persuade people to see value in her, even though she's been starting businesses since she was 11 years old; and we explore her journey to being a Social Impact Entrepreneur and she shares her knowledge and experiences. 

It's so insightful to hear Kat talk about taking the longer route to clear a pathway for others to achieve their goals; her sense of responsibility to this approach is very inspirational.

A statement Kat made that really resonated with me when we discussed fundamental system change was, 'every system that is inequitable or non-inclusive was intentional' - and with this in mind, it starts to reframe your view on the DEI space. Are companies this brave to really ask this question of themselves and their companies?

I'm thankful to her for sharing this part of her personal life, because through sharing this experience, she really - and very powerfully illustrates the difference in experience of a black female in a largely white dominant workforce.

Kat describes herself as black, woman, queer, half-blind and autistic, and we explore how people respond to how she identifies herself, and how this intersects with her work as a DEI consultant. We explore The Well Work's mission to teach black women and non-binary Founders how to fund their ideas, and the outcomes from this community routed company are incredible.

This conversation was recorded back in April 2023 when Kat was travelling through the UK on her way back to the USA, as she was preparing to launch a new cohort for The Well Work, combined with a host of impactful initiatives, and I would encourage every listener to check her out Kat's profile and The Well Work website to see the powerful outcomes achieved so far.

Check out Kat Gabrielle's LinkedIn profile here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/katgabrielle/ 

Read more here about The Well Work and its mission: https://www.thewellwork.co/ 

"Human beings seek connection, they seek truth, and I think a lot of what leadership is, is about how to communicate truth in a way that galvanises people" - that was one of the standout moments in my conversation with Laurence Booth-Clibborn, Co-Founder of The Mothership.

In our conversation, we delve into Laurence’s fascinating journey, his passion for exploration and his bold curiosity, and how these qualities have shaped his diverse career to date.

As a self-described "classic insecure overachiever," Laurence discusses his dedication to growth and learning, we explore his entrepreneurial ambitions, we talk about the importance of embracing risk, and he he shares insights on overcoming scepticism, controlling nerves, and finding success on the bleeding edge. As Laurence says, "living on the bleeding edge, that's where you find real success."

From his early experiences in music, including a transformative Choir of Clare College Cambridge tour, to his role as a leader in the tech startup space, Laurence shares how he values building a culture of togetherness and high performance and he offers advice to other Founders, about the value of 'good' and 'kind' money within the venture funding and investment space.

Reflecting on the core themes throughout our conversation, it's clear that Laurence values building relationships, community and a culture of inclusion, and he mentions, "the thing I find most enjoyable is relationship building, it's a big part of my value system, keeping up with people, and always being someone to offer support and advice."

The choice for the title of this podcast then became very easy because Laurence is telling us his story of "The Journey of a Leader who Values Relationships, Community & Culture".

Connect with Laurence on LinkedIn here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/laurence-booth-clibborn-a40391108/

Learn more about The Mothership here: https://www.themothership.ai/

As the first guest on Season 2 of the podcast, I was really excited to delve into the career journey of Nick Brackenbury, the CEO of NearSt. Nick shares the pivotal moments that shaped his career path that led him to NearSt, and how his initial motivation was driven by a desire to maintain control over his destiny and work in an environment where creativity thrived, he said, "“I didn’t want to go down a route where I didn’t have control over my own destiny”.

Reflecting on his stroke of luck in being at the right place at the right time - “I was lucky, being at the right place, at the right time, with the right set of interests” - Nick emphasises the importance of seizing opportunities aligned with your personal interests.

A key turning point occurs as Nick decides to focus on digital creation over traditional advertising, highlighting the significance of carving a unique niche. Drawing from his experiences at Oglivy, Nick discusses the profound impact of good leadership on shaping his approach to working with people and subsequently running NearSt.

As Nick shares the story of NearSt, he offers valuable insights in building MVPs, the challenge of bridging the gap between two worlds of attribution, and the combined feelings of frustration and engagement that can influence you when you're solving novel problems in the business landscape.

I personally gained valuable insight from Nick's entrepreneurial journey, including the challenges of hiring in a startup, introducing the foundational elements of company culture, and his perspective on adapting the company's culture post-COVID, where he really emphasises the importance of being deliberate with time, both professionally and personally.

A consistent theme in the conversation with Nick, is his fearlessness when faced with new and complex challenges; his motto of "back yourself" really resonates loudly, as offers his 3 key pieces of advise for aspiring Founders and Co-Founders.

Connect with Nick Brackenbury on LinkedIn here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nickbrackenbury/

Check our more information about NearSt here: https://www.near.st/

I’ve known Lee Thomas-Wragg since we joined the Radical Recruit team together back in mid-2020. Lee is such an energetic, empathetic, and passionate human-being, and I have immense respect for him and how he is a leading figure deeply immersed in advocating for LGBTQIA rights and workplace diversity. 


Through this incredibly open conversation, Lee shares how, as an openly queer man living in London with his husband, he has had to overcome societal challenges and internal conflicts. He shares his experience of growing up, where he faced exclusion, bullying, and harassment, leading him to hide his true and authentic self, and he talks about how these experiences, and witnessing societal stigma, served to intensify his struggles with mental health. 


Professional Journey and Shifts in Perspective
We explore Lee’s professional journey and his focus on proving himself in a corporate world dominated by privilege and heteronormativity, and how his early career was driven by a desire to fit into a middle-class mould, resulting in financial success but personal dissatisfaction. We also discover how Lee's priorities shifted towards authenticity and empowerment, leading him to take on leadership roles that allowed him to support and inspire others.


The Role of Allyship
Importantly, we discuss the role of Allyship, and Lee advises to go beyond superficial support to active engagement; whether that’s speaking against untruths, championing marginalised voices, and being action-driven as opposed to the performative gestures on social media or in policy statements.


Challenges in Corporate Inclusivity
We delve into his experiences and opinions on policies and initiatives for diversity and inclusion, and how he has observed a disconnect between these efforts and their implementation in the corporate world. Lee acknowledges that there have been advances in gender diversity, other aspects, such as LGBTQIA inclusion, often aren’t as prioritised. Again, Lee emphasises the need for genuine representation and allyship, rather than tokenism, in the workplace.


Changing Hearts and Minds Consulting
Establishing Changing Hearts and Minds Consulting marks a change in Lee’s career and highlights his desire to quicken the pace and focus the direction of corporate inclusivity efforts. Through his consultancy, Lee talks about how he aims to foster real change through heart-centric approaches, combining his corporate savvy with a deep understanding of human empathy and diversity.


Lee also shares how he plans to continue to advocate for visible signs of support, such as displaying rainbow flags, to create an inclusive atmosphere. He stresses that while this may seem a small gesture, it can significantly impact individuals who feel marginalised or underrepresented.


Progression and Career Development within the LGBTQIA Community
Lee plans to leverage his strengths in empathy, emotional intelligence, and corporate experience to make a tangible difference in the lives of LGBTQIA individuals and the broader community, and we delve into the challenges LGBTQIA individuals face in career progression and development, and he highlights the importance of succession planning and creating opportunities for LGBTQIA talents to advance in their careers.


The Journey Ahead for the LGBTQIA Community
One of Lee’s greatest strengths is his optimism, and he expresses hope for the future of the LGBTQIA community, emphasising the need for unity and support within the community itself. He called for those in privileged positions to amplify the voices of the more marginalised members and to fight for equal rights for all.

Connect with Lee-Thomas-Wragg on LinkedIn here

Learn more about Changing Hearts & Minds Consulting here

I'm excited to share the first podcast of 2022 with such an inspirational guest, Amali de Alwis, CEO of Subak. 
Amali and I first met when she was CEO of Code First Girls, the largest provider of free coding courses for women in the UK; the impact she had here saw her awarded her MBE in the New Year's Honors list 2019 for ‘Services to diversity and training in the Tech Industry’. 
During our conversation, I learn about her experiences of Degree education and how she felt she'd "done the same degree twice", and she draws comparisons between the worlds of manufacturing and consumer product design. 

Amali talks to the importance of creating spaces to think and reflect, identifying opportunities for continuous learning and the importance of apprenticeships which can help individuals prepare for the working world, where the pace of technology is accelerating. 

Highlights of the conversation focuses on personal growth and continuous improvement (34:30), bringing thinkers together (38:00), measuring trust in business and adding a fiscal value on trust (41:00), innovation and company growth by hiring diverse talent (49:00), creating a culture where all cultures are welcome (50:40), building your own learning journey to be a better leader in a start-up (54:30), advising businesses around growth (1:05:00), and why she decided to join Subak, the world's first accelerator for climate not-for-profit (1:07:00). 
You can connect with my guest here: Amali de Alwis, MBE
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You can connect with me, Glenn Martin, on my website or via LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram or Twitter