My Duvet Flip by Jack Parsons

Jack Parsons
  • 4.4 (7)
  • Careers
  • Updated weekly

'My Duvet Flip,' the careers show. Join Jack Parsons as he delves into an enthralling discussion with people and their careers, where we explore some of their most memorable instances of making mistakes and the valuable lessons they gained from them. 

  1. 9 Jul

    Jeff Cleaven, Field Service Technician at Virgin Media O2: Why Customer Experience Is the Best Career Skill

    Episode Guest Jeff Cleaven is a Field Service Technician at Virgin Media O2, helping customers across London stay connected by installing, maintaining and troubleshooting broadband, TV and phone services. Originally from South Africa, Jeff brings a people-first approach, a passion for learning and a commitment to delivering exceptional customer experiences. Episode Partner This episode is part of My Duvet Flip's Choose Customer series, produced in partnership with Virgin Media O2. Virgin Media O2 is one of the UK's largest and most recognisable connectivity brands, delivering mobile, broadband, TV and business services to millions of customers across the country. Chapters 0:00 Introduction 1:28 Meeting Jeff Cleaven 2:48 Jeff's first job teaching children to swim 4:22 Why Jeff walked away from becoming a pilot 5:20 Changing careers and taking risks 6:05 Jeff's advice for anyone starting their career 7:06 Finding mentors by showing up 8:19 A day in the life of a Virgin Media O2 Field Service Technician 9:34 Installing broadband and solving customer problems 11:04 How every career taught Jeff something valuable 12:13 Why customer experience matters more than ever 13:46 How to deliver exceptional customer service 16:32 The technical skills behind the role 17:30 Dealing with difficult customers 20:12 Lessons from protecting wildlife in South Africa 22:10 Becoming a Field Service Technician at Virgin Media O2 23:01 Career opportunities and apprenticeships at Virgin Media O2 25:01 Learning, training and support at Virgin Media O2 26:27 Jeff's Duvet Flip 27:42 Final thoughts Disclaimer: The content provided on Duvet Flip is for informational and entertainment purposes only and should not be considered professional advice. The views expressed by hosts, guests, brands or contributors are their own and do not necessarily reflect those of the show's producers, sponsors, or affiliates. The information shared is not a substitute for professional advice, including but not limited to career counselling, financial guidance, legal consultation, or mental health support. Listeners and viewers are responsible for their own decisions and actions based on the content provided, and Duvet Flip assumes no liability for any outcomes resulting from reliance on the information shared. By engaging with the show, you acknowledge and agree to this disclaimer. If you're struggling with debt, trusted advice and free support can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/debt-advice If you're struggling with mental health of any kind, you can find free support here: https://www.nhs.uk/mental-health/

  2. 2 Jul

    Dom Burrows, Team Manager at Virgin Media O2: Why Customer Service Is the Best Place to Start Your Career

    Episode Guest Dominic Burrows is an Executive Team Manager at Virgin Media O2, leading teams that resolve complex customer issues while developing future leaders. He is passionate about customer trust, resilience and helping people grow through great leadership. Episode Partner This episode is part of My Duvet Flip's Choose Customer series, produced in partnership with Virgin Media O2. Virgin Media O2 is one of the UK's largest and most recognisable connectivity brands, delivering mobile, broadband, TV and business services to millions of customers across the country. Chapters 0:00 Why I Wanted to Be a Millionaire 1:29 Introduction 2:37 Studying Marketing and Landing My First Sales Job 4:22 Why Money Isn't Everything 5:08 The #1 Skill You Need in Sales 5:59 Starting at Virgin Media O2 6:42 Why Customer Service Builds Great Leaders 7:59 What It's Really Like Managing Customer Complaints 9:03 How to Build Customer Trust 9:51 How I Got Promoted to Team Manager 10:49 What Makes a Great Leader? 11:50 The Book Challenge 12:19 Going Above and Beyond for Customers 14:35 Skills You Need to Succeed in Customer Service 15:22 Why I Chose a Career in Telecoms 16:12 Why Telecoms Is a Great Industry to Join 17:20 What Customer Trust Really Means 18:01 Helping Hundreds of Customers 19:56 Staying Positive When Every Day Brings Complaints 20:43 Why Every Complaint Is an Opportunity 21:05 My Duvet Flip 22:02 Final Thoughts Disclaimer: The content provided on Duvet Flip is for informational and entertainment purposes only and should not be considered professional advice. The views expressed by hosts, guests, brands or contributors are their own and do not necessarily reflect those of the show's producers, sponsors, or affiliates. The information shared is not a substitute for professional advice, including but not limited to career counselling, financial guidance, legal consultation, or mental health support. Listeners and viewers are responsible for their own decisions and actions based on the content provided, and Duvet Flip assumes no liability for any outcomes resulting from reliance on the information shared. By engaging with the show, you acknowledge and agree to this disclaimer. If you're struggling with debt, trusted advice and free support can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/debt-advice If you're struggling with mental health of any kind, you can find free support here: https://www.nhs.uk/mental-health/

  3. 25 Jun

    Samreen Khan, Store Leader at Virgin Media O2: How I Went From Student to Store Leader

    Episode Guest: Samreen Khan is a Store Leader at Virgin Media O2 with over seven years' experience in telecommunications, progressing from sales into leadership. She is passionate about developing people, coaching high-performing teams, and delivering exceptional customer experiences. Episode Partner: This episode is part of My Duvet Flip's Choose Customer series, produced in partnership with Virgin Media O2. Virgin Media O2 is one of the UK's largest and most recognisable connectivity brands, delivering mobile, broadband, TV and business services to millions of customers across the country. Chapters: 0:00 Introduction 2:42 Meet Samreen: From Student to Store Leader 3:22 Starting Work at 18 and Finding an Unexpected Career 4:32 Why Stepping Outside Your Comfort Zone Matters 5:59 Learning to Deal with Customers Every Day 7:15 Building Resilience While Living with Anxiety 8:28 Why Great Customer Service Is About How People Feel 9:50 Falling Into a Career in Telecoms 11:04 The Skills Every Young Person Needs at Work 12:15 The Family Story That Built Samreen's Drive 13:28 The Book That Changed Samreen's Perspective on Failure 14:47 Turning the Region's Worst Store into One of the Best 16:18 Leading a Team Through Consistency 18:17 Why Caring About People Makes You a Better Leader 20:10 Why Samreen Loves Working at Virgin Media O2 21:11 Helping Young Team Members Grow 22:11 Career Progression at Virgin Media O2 23:13 Samreen's Duvet Flip 24:25 Final Thoughts Disclaimer: The content provided on Duvet Flip is for informational and entertainment purposes only and should not be considered professional advice. The views expressed by hosts, guests, brands or contributors are their own and do not necessarily reflect those of the show's producers, sponsors, or affiliates. The information shared is not a substitute for professional advice, including but not limited to career counselling, financial guidance, legal consultation, or mental health support. Listeners and viewers are responsible for their own decisions and actions based on the content provided, and Duvet Flip assumes no liability for any outcomes resulting from reliance on the information shared. By engaging with the show, you acknowledge and agree to this disclaimer. If you're struggling with debt, trusted advice and free support can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/debt-advice If you're struggling with mental health of any kind, you can find free support here: https://www.nhs.uk/mental-health/

  4. 23 Jun

    Sam Collier, Group COO at Achieve Together: I Started as a Support Worker. Now I Lead 6,500 People

    About Guest Sam Collier is the Chief Operating Officer at Achieve Together, one of the UK's leading social care providers. Having started his career as a support worker, Sam has spent more than 25 years championing high-quality care and creating opportunities for people to live their best lives. About Achieve Together Achieve Together supports people with learning disabilities, autism, mental health needs, and complex health conditions to live independently in their communities. With more than 6,500 employees across England and Wales, the organisation helps people lead ordinary lives in ordinary homes with the right support. Chapters 0:00 Introduction 2:06 Sam's First Jobs and Early Lessons 3:09 Why Social Care Became Sam's Purpose 5:32 Sam's Advice for Anyone Considering Social Care 7:46 How to Be Your Authentic Self in Interviews 9:42 How Values Evolve Throughout Your Career 11:02 Why Social Care Is a Professional Industry 12:42 Young Sam Never Planned to Become a COO 15:07 Inside Achieve Together and Its Mission 17:07 What a Group COO Actually Does 18:26 How Sam Manages 6,500 Employees 19:34 The Skills Needed to Become a COO 21:45 What Sam Loves Most About Leadership 23:19 Opportunities Across Achieve Together 24:53 Apprenticeships and Career Progression 26:35 How AI Is Transforming Social Care 28:22 Sam's Invisible Success: Never Give Up 29:46 Sam's Duvet Flip Episode Partners: Compare the Market Discover how you can make a difference at Compare the Market, the company behind one of the UK's most popular comparison sites. From tech and data to marketing and operations, they're on a mission to simplify decisions for millions. https://bit.ly/4i53Svj Disclaimer: The content provided on Duvet Flip is for informational and entertainment purposes only and should not be considered professional advice. The views expressed by hosts, guests, brands or contributors are their own and do not necessarily reflect those of the show's producers, sponsors, or affiliates. The information shared is not a substitute for professional advice, including but not limited to career counseling, financial guidance, legal consultation, or mental health support. Listeners and viewers are responsible for their own decisions and actions based on the content provided, and Duvet Flip assumes no liability for any outcomes resulting from reliance on the information shared. By engaging with the show, you acknowledge and agree to this disclaimer. If you're struggling with debt, trusted advice and free support can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/debt-advice If you're struggling with mental health of any kind, you can find free support here: https://www.nhs.uk/mental-health/

  5. 18 Jun

    Josie Parmee, Head of Social Equity at Virgin Media O2: What I Learned After 14 Years of Changing Lives

    Episode Guest Josephine Parmee is Head of Social Equity at Virgin Media O2, where she leads initiatives focused on digital inclusion, online safety, and helping people thrive in an increasingly connected world. With a background spanning human rights, consumer rights, and social impact, she is passionate about using business as a force for positive societal change. Episode Partner This episode is part of My Duvet Flip's Choose Customer series, produced in partnership with Virgin Media O2. Virgin Media O2 is one of the UK's largest and most recognisable connectivity brands, delivering mobile, broadband, TV and business services to millions of customers across the country. Chapters 0:00 Introduction 2:04 Meeting Josephine Parmee 3:18 How Josephine's Career Started 4:50 Advice for Speaking to Senior Leaders 5:58 14 Years in Human Rights and Social Impact 7:28 Adapting to New Organisations and Roles 9:02 The Skills Needed to Influence Change 11:43 What Does a Head of Social Equity Do? 13:07 Why Digital Inclusion Matters 13:44 The Reality of Digital Poverty in the UK 15:13 Tackling Digital Wellbeing and Online Safety 16:25 How Virgin Media O2 Supports Digital Wellbeing 19:31 Connecting People to What Matters Most 21:38 Why Josephine Chose Telecoms 22:20 The Side Project That Changed Her Career 23:55 Why You Should Create Opportunities Outside Work 25:31 Finding a Career in Digital Consumer Rights 26:29 What Virgin Media O2 Taught Josephine About Trust 27:30 Why Career Paths Are Never Linear 28:04 The Power of Following Your Passion 29:22 Josephine's Duvet Flip 30:40 Final Reflections on Digital Inclusion Disclaimer: The content provided on Duvet Flip is for informational and entertainment purposes only and should not be considered professional advice. The views expressed by hosts, guests, brands or contributors are their own and do not necessarily reflect those of the show's producers, sponsors, or affiliates. The information shared is not a substitute for professional advice, including but not limited to career counselling, financial guidance, legal consultation, or mental health support. Listeners and viewers are responsible for their own decisions and actions based on the content provided, and Duvet Flip assumes no liability for any outcomes resulting from reliance on the information shared. By engaging with the show, you acknowledge and agree to this disclaimer. If you're struggling with debt, trusted advice and free support can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/debt-advice If you're struggling with mental health of any kind, you can find free support here: https://www.nhs.uk/mental-health/

  6. 29 May

    Host of Countdown Rachel Riley: How I built my career in TV

    Episode Guest Rachel Riley is an English television presenter. She co-presents the Channel 4 daytime puzzle show Countdown and its comedy spin-off 8 Out of 10 Cats Does Countdown. She is a mathematics graduate. Episode Timestamps: 00:00 The #1 Predictor of Success 00:25 Meet Rachel Riley 02:11 Rachel's First Job Paid £25 a Week 04:14 Why Rachel Has Never Been Able to Waste Money 05:01 From Oxford Maths to the Financial Crisis 06:39 How Rachel Accidentally Got the Countdown Job 08:23 Rachel Ate One Shreddy Before Her Interview 09:54 The Call That Changed Rachel's Life 11:44 How Rachel Spots Good People 13:26 How Rachel Stayed Grounded on TV 15:07 Why Rachel Believes Everyone Has Imposter Syndrome 16:37 The CBT Lesson That Changed Rachel's Life 18:16 What 250 Stages Taught Rachel About Confidence 19:51 Why Rachel Thinks Learning to Fail Matters 21:05 Rachel's Obsession With Puzzles & Numbers 22:12 Why Rachel Wants More Girls in STEM 23:08 Why Rachel Believes Numeracy Changes Lives 25:59 Encouragement Comes Before Confidence 27:01 Rachel's Growth Mindset Formula 28:43 Rachel on AI, Technology & Future Careers 29:06 The Film Rachel Thinks Every Young Girl Should Watch 31:06 The Teacher Who Believed in Rachel 32:43 Why Rachel Supports National Numeracy 34:50 Rachel's Best Money Advice 37:03 Why Schools Don't Teach Real-Life Money Skills 38:49 Rachel's Invisible Success Habit 39:38 Rachel's Take on "Fake It Till You Make It" 41:16 What Gets Rachel Out of Bed Every Morning 42:15 Final Thoughts Episode Partners 📊 Compare the Market Discover how you can make a difference at Compare the Market, the company behind one of the UK’s most popular comparison sites. From tech and data to marketing and operations, they’re on a mission to simplify decisions for millions. https://bit.ly/4i53Svj Disclaimer: The content provided on Duvet Flip is for informational and entertainment purposes only and should not be considered professional advice. The views expressed by hosts, guests, brands or contributors are their own and do not necessarily reflect those of the show's producers, sponsors, or affiliates. The information shared is not a substitute for professional advice, including but not limited to career counseling, financial guidance, legal consultation, or mental health support. Listeners and viewers are responsible for their own decisions and actions based on the content provided, and Duvet Flip assumes no liability for any outcomes resulting from reliance on the information shared. By engaging with the show, you acknowledge and agree to this disclaimer. If you’re struggling with debt, trusted advice and free support can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/debt-advice If you’re struggling with mental health of any kind, you can find free support here: https://www.nhs.uk/mental-health/

  7. 21 May

    Alice Peacock, Problem Manager at Virgin Media O2: She Left Work For 17 Years. Then Got Her Dream Job

    Alice Peacock is a Problem Manager at Virgin Media O2, responsible for investigating major network outages and putting permanent fixes in place for millions of customers across mobile, fibre, TV and business services. She started her career at 16 flipping burgers at McDonald's on Streatham High Street. After nearly two decades away from the workplace to raise her family, she returned through O2's Career Returners Programme — and hasn't looked back. Eight years in, her colleagues assume she's always been part of the furniture. Virgin Media O2 is one of the UK's largest and most recognisable connectivity brands, delivering mobile, broadband, TV and business services to millions of customers across the country. Chapters 00:00 Introduction & format explainer 01:57 Meet Alice 03:37 First job: McDonald's at 16 05:56 What young people should know about starting work 06:50 Alice's career break and the M&S chapter 07:52 How to get back into the job market 09:14 The O2 Career Returners Programme 10:17 Transferable skills from a career break 11:08 "Mum, I earn more than you" — the moment that changed everything 12:05 Imposter syndrome in tech 14:32 Why feedback matters 16:09 17 years away — and back like she never left 17:00 Getting paid to eat food and drink Prosecco 17:52 Why Alice chose Virgin Media O2 19:41 What a Problem Manager actually does day-to-day 21:08 When McDonald's is your client 23:18 Why customer trust is everything 23:45 Alice's Duvet Flip moment Episode Partners This episode is part of My Duvet Flip's Choose Customer series, produced in partnership with Virgin Media O2. Disclaimer: The content provided on Duvet Flip is for informational and entertainment purposes only and should not be considered professional advice. The views expressed by hosts, guests, brands or contributors are their own and do not necessarily reflect those of the show's producers, sponsors, or affiliates. The information shared is not a substitute for professional advice, including but not limited to career counselling, financial guidance, legal consultation, or mental health support. Listeners and viewers are responsible for their own decisions and actions based on the content provided, and Duvet Flip assumes no liability for any outcomes resulting from reliance on the information shared. By engaging with the show, you acknowledge and agree to this disclaimer. If you're struggling with debt, trusted advice and free support can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/debt-advice If you're struggling with mental health of any kind, you can find free support here: https://www.nhs.uk/mental-health/

  8. 7 May

    Charlotte Low, COO at Colosseum Dental UK: I Never Went to University and I Run UK's Operations of Major Group

    About Charlotte Charlotte Low is the COO at Colosseum Dental UK, overseeing 80 dental practices across England and Wales. She started work at 15, skipped university, qualified as an accountant, and spent years across multiple industries before finding her home in dentistry. She now sits on the executive board and has led a culture transformation that cut staff turnover from 55% down dramatically by putting people first. About Colosseum Dental Colosseum Dental is Europe's largest dental group with over 630 practices across the continent and 80 in the UK. They offer career pathways from dental nursing apprenticeships through to clinical and operational leadership, and are passionate about making dentistry accessible for people from all backgrounds. Chapters 00:00 Introduction 02:30 Charlotte's first job at 15 and working across generations 08:00 Why she chose not to go to university 14:00 Her first office job and what it taught her about leadership 22:00 Finding her way into the dental industry 30:00 What the COO role actually involves day to day 38:00 How Colosseum Dental cut 55% staff turnover 46:00 Partnering with Great Place to Work 54:00 Apprenticeships and careers in dentistry 01:02:00 Advice for young people starting out Episode Partners: Compare the Market Discover how you can make a difference at Compare the Market, the company behind one of the UK's most popular comparison sites. From tech and data to marketing and operations, they're on a mission to simplify decisions for millions. https://bit.ly/4i53Svj Disclaimer: The content provided on Duvet Flip is for informational and entertainment purposes only and should not be considered professional advice. The views expressed by hosts, guests, brands or contributors are their own and do not necessarily reflect those of the show's producers, sponsors, or affiliates. The information shared is not a substitute for professional advice, including but not limited to career counseling, financial guidance, legal consultation, or mental health support. Listeners and viewers are responsible for their own decisions and actions based on the content provided, and Duvet Flip assumes no liability for any outcomes resulting from reliance on the information shared. By engaging with the show, you acknowledge and agree to this disclaimer. If you're struggling with debt, trusted advice and free support can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/debt-advice If you're struggling with mental health of any kind, you can find free support here: https://www.nhs.uk/mental-health/

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4.4
out of 5
7 Ratings

About

'My Duvet Flip,' the careers show. Join Jack Parsons as he delves into an enthralling discussion with people and their careers, where we explore some of their most memorable instances of making mistakes and the valuable lessons they gained from them. 

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