Beautiful Misfits Mary Portas

How do you feel about failure? For many of us, it’s one of the scariest places we can go. But the legendary founder of Pret A Manger and Itsu embraces it. We’re too scared of failure, says Julian Metcalfe. We must use it as an opportunity to learn.
 
In a new episode of Beautiful Misfits, I talk to Julian about everything from the power of empathy to the pursuit of excellence. He talks movingly about the impact of the death of his mother and how striving for excellence inspires him. We need more leaders like him. There’s a shift coming, the world is changing and Beautiful Misfits like Julian can guide us. 

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Lemn Sissay is a poet, a thinker, a rebel. His mother thought she was putting him into temporary foster care as a baby. But he was swallowed up by the system. Then aged 12, he was sent back into it when his adoptive parents kicked him out. Lemn grew up alone in so many ways. But alongside this pain there was beauty and light in the form of creativity. Lemn has built an impressive career, but more importantly, he’s a truly soulful man. This conversation hit me powerfully – and Lemn is a true Beautiful Misfit. As he says, the question anyone who identifies as “unique” should ask is, “do you give yourself the permission to explore that?”

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And to get in touch with team Portas, email us at: beautifulmisfits@portasagency.com and you can subscribe to the Portas POV Newsletter for musings, provocation insights and inspiration.

My guest this week has been called “the most influential woman in fashion”. We both met starting out at Topshop in our 20s, before Jane Shepherdson went on to put Topshop at the beating heart of cultural relevance in a way no other high street brand had been before. But then – to the surprise of the outside world – she walked away from it all. To me, Jane is a beautiful misfit because we share something very important – she was not driven by money, or growth, but instead by creative instinct. As fast fashion grew, and the internal culture of the company under Philip Green became too much to bear – Jane needed to find distance from the machine she now saw as a monster, and sought out a new way to channel her creative energy.  

She explains the anger she felt at having to let go of her “baby”, the protection she had to put around her team, and why she’s dedicated her career ever since, to doing fashion differently. 

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Beautiful Misfits don’t accept the status quo. They know instinctively the way we’re living today is broken. But they believe the world can be a better place. And they fearlessly take the imaginative leap to change it. Join Mary as she talks to the authors and businesspeople, designers and poets, who are using their unique perspective to create a better, more beautiful, future. Their life lessons are sometimes funny, at others moving, but always insightful. And one thing is clear: we’ve never needed these beautiful misfits more. New episodes every week – subscribe now.

Emma Jones CBE knows the journey of entrepreneurship first hand – she founded, scaled and successfully sold a home-grown tech company, all before she hit thirty. Ever since she's been on a mission to help other SME's reach their own visions of success. Now running Enterprise Nation – and as a partner of Mastercard's Strive UK platform – she sits at the helm of a vibrant community of small businesses and business advisers that exists to shortcut the route to trusted business support.

Speaking with Mary, Emma explains why 'purpose' and 'passion' are crucial factors for anyone looking to start a company that is resilient and can continue to connect with customers through tough times. She also shares tips on how entrepreneurs can stay better connected and share skills in the new landscape of remote and blended working.

For more on how Mastercard's Strive UK could help your business, visit www.mastercard.co.uk/strive

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And to get in touch with team Portas, email us at: kindnesseconomy@portasagency.com and you can subscribe to the Portas POV Newsletter for musings, provocation insights and inspiration.

Kelly Devine believes that micro and small businesses are the lifeblood of the UK economy. As part of the team behind Strive UK – an initiative set up by Mastercard as a free resource for small business owners across the country – Kelly is working to help these businesses to navigate the digital economy, build relationships and communities, and ultimately realise their growth ambitions. 

Alongside Mary, she discusses the huge potential of the sector, and why these entrepreneurs are the changemakers of the future. 

For more on how Strive UK could help your business, visit www.mastercard.co.uk/strive

Follow Mary Portas on:


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And to get in touch with team Portas, email us at: kindnesseconomy@portasagency.com and you can subscribe to the Portas POV Newsletter for musings, provocation insights and inspiration.