Master Your Mistakes - with Jesse RT Coleman

Jesse.RT.Coleman

Interviews with Founders, Creators, and interesting people.... on the mistakes that made them.

  1. Sep 6

    [Ep 32] Creator Cai Finch - Create More Than You Consume

    In this episode of Master Your Mistakes, I sit down with content creator Cai Finch. Cai shares her journey from posting daily content with a goal to "create more than you consume" (starting from an unexpected viral mouldy fridge video) to breaking down complex economic theories, networking with tech founders, and visiting Shoreditch’s viral 24/7 Corgi Cafe. We dive into hot takes on Gary Stevenson's thesis on inequality and asset prices, the debate over VAT on private schools, why the UK could benefit from more "American-style" ambition, and the lessons learned from philanthropist Chuck Feeney. Episode Timestamps 00:00 – Introduction: Meeting Creator Kai Finch 00:43 – The Intersection of Business, Politics, & Psychology in Economics 03:04 – Going Viral: From a Moldy Fridge to Business Content 04:30 – "Never Show Up Empty Handed": Networking Lessons in London 05:43 – What is Corgi? Inside the $2 Billion Tech Insurance Startup 08:06 – Why Corgi Built 24/7 Cafes for Tech Founders in SF, NY, & London 09:47 – Midnight Hiring: How Corgi Recruits Top Talent Off the Cafe Floor 10:40 – First Impressions of the Shoreditch Corgi Cafe 13:07 – Overcoming Introversion in Networking 16:03 – The VAT on Private Schools Debate: Does It Actually Help State Education? 19:46 – Unpacking Gary Stevenson’s Thesis: The Impact of Inequality on Asset Prices 24:38 – Why Doom-Mongering Inequality Holds People Back 28:46 – Is Venture Capital Redistributing Private Wealth to the Public? 29:34 – Mistake #1: SD Cards & Overlooking the Small Technical Details 31:09 – The Billionaire Who Died Broke: Why Kai Admires Philanthropist Chuck Feeney 33:48 – UK vs. US Business Culture: Fixing the UK’s Ambition Deficit 37:38 – Advice to My Current Self from 10 Years in the Future 39:17 – Favourite Quote: "When They Go Low, We Go High" @caifinch

  2. Aug 31

    [Ep 31] Founder of InOtherWords - How She Found Her Natural Voice Creating Content On LinkedIn

    In this episode of Master Your Mistakes, host Jesse RT Coleman sits down with Giulia de Oliveira Camargo, founder of In Other Words and AI Educator at Optimizely's Opal University. Giulia breaks down how non-technical marketing teams can leverage AI systems to eliminate repetitive busywork, where human copywriters are and aren’t obsolete, and the common communication gaps between junior marketers and CEOs. She also shares lessons from moving between 14 different schools growing up, how that shaped her psychological approach to marketing, and why "everything is reversible" when testing new strategies. Timestamps 00:00 – Welcome & Intro: Who is Giulia de Oliveira Camargo?00:43 – What is an AI Systems Builder for Marketing Teams?02:15 – The Role of AI in Copywriting & Tone of Voice04:06 – Nuanced Writing vs. Clickbait: What Good Writing Looks Like07:00 – Overcoming the "Cringe Factor" on LinkedIn08:44 – Remote Work Vs. In-Person Collaboration14:04 – The Communication Gap Between Junior Marketers & CEOs17:53 – Helping Technical Founders Translate Complex Products19:20 – The Data Storytelling Trap: Creative vs. Analytics in Marketing24:57 – Future Predictions: "Technical" vs. "Non-Technical" Roles29:00 – The "Scar Tissue" Advantage: Why Mistakes Are Pure Knowledge30:38 – Attending 14 Schools: How Adaptability Shapes Marketing Mastery32:37 – Education & AI: What Fundamental Skills Should We Teach Next?34:26 – Advice to Her Younger Self (and Her Future Self in 10 Years)40:01 – Favourite Quote & Why You Should Always "Write Tweet First"

  3. May 10

    [Ep 30] Founder CEO of Growth&Co - How AI Is Reshaping Recruitment

    Joseph Fitzgibbon, Founder and CEO of Growth and Company, has advised over 300 startups including Attio, Granola and Fyxer AI. We cover the brutal truth about why most CMO hires fail, how to ask the right questions when joining a new company, why "comparison is the thief of joy," and how AI is reshaping recruitment from the bottom up. 🎙️ Master Your Mistakes - the podcast where founders, CEOs and creators break down what went wrong on the way up. 00:00 — Intro: Joseph Fitzgibbon, founder of Growth and Company00:58 — From wanting to be a diplomat to consulting to Diageo03:00 — The first firing: Diageo, ADHD, and a dream job that wasn't06:51 — Six weeks before the wedding: getting put on a performance plan09:45 — Gardening leave, the Grays offer, and being thrown in the deep end13:18 — Why coming in knowing nothing actually worked in his favour16:33 — The Grays adjustment: from £50M strategy projects to £100 marketing costs19:57 — The lesson: stop guessing, just ask what your manager actually wants22:00 — Firing number two and joining Cluno Mechanic: a job radically different from advertised25:00 — The "bull in a china shop" mistake and over-correcting after Graze27:00 — Firing number three and the blessing in disguise that launched Growth and Company30:00 — Why most CMO hires fail and the broken state of recruitment32:20 — The first deals, the pandemic boom, and stumbling into recruitment35:00 — Building a 100% inbound recruitment business by controlling supply37:30 — How AI is decimating junior and middle-management roles40:30 — Final advice: comparison is the thief of joy43:00 — Joseph's favourite quotation

    [Ep 30] Founder CEO of Growth&Co - How AI Is Reshaping Recruitment
  4. Apr 6

    [Ep29] Barrister, Actress, Singer: Trusting Your Instincts with Danie Groves

    In this episode of Master Your Mistakes, I'm joined by Danie Groves: criminal barrister, actress, and now debut singer with her first release, Embers. We go deep on the story behind Embers. A song she wrote years ago, rediscovered in an old Google Drive folder one evening. We also get into the emotional weight of criminal law, how she handles dark cases without losing herself, and why she believes it's not always the result that matters. It's how you conduct yourself. 0:00 – Welcome & Introducing Danie Groves: Barrister, Actress & Singer1:33 – Growing Up Half-Thai: Acting From Age 4 in a Musical Household3:06 – The Unexpected Career Pivot 6:10 – Finding Embers: Rediscovering Old Lyrics in a Google Drive Folder8:00 – What Embers Is Really About (Hint: It's Gratitude, Not Heartbreak)10:28 – The Bathtub Moment: How She Knew the Song Was Finished11:28 – Trust Your Instincts — Advice to Anyone on the Cusp of Something Creative13:00 – Musical Influences: R&B, Jazz & Why Real Instruments Matter15:15 – The Confidence Question: How to Put Yourself Out There Vulnerably17:02 – Barrister vs. Singer — Living Multiple Personas Without Losing Yourself20:18 – How Criminal Law Sharpens You as a Person21:00 – The Emotional Toll of Crime Cases: Does She Go Numb?22:22 – A Case She's Proudest Of25:51 – Life Lessons From Embers: "It's OK to Make Mistakes"27:16 – What 5-Years-From-Now Danie Would Tell Current Danie27:35 – Favourite Quote: The Doctor Who Line

    [Ep29] Barrister, Actress, Singer: Trusting Your Instincts with Danie Groves
  5. Mar 18

    [Ep 27] CEO of Florence: From NHS Doctor to Tech CEO

    In this episode of Master Your Mistakes, I'm joined by Dr. Charles Armitage, the CEO and co-founder of Florence. Florence is the leading platform helping Health and Social Care organisations manage, optimise, and upskill their workforce. Charles shares his unique journey from being a doctor in the NHS to launching a major tech company. He dives deep into the "one-way door" mistakes - the ones that are nearly impossible to reverse - and why the early foundations of your company (like co-founder choice and cap tables) are your most vulnerable moments. 0:00 – Introduction & Welcome3:16 – Charles's Background: From Doctor to Entrepreneur5:19 – Mistake #1: Choosing Co-Founders & Dead Equity10:00 – Why Founding Documents Are a One-Way Door14:00 – Mistake #2: Building the Wrong Product First18:00 – Outsourcing Tech on Upwork & Burning the Budget21:00 – Going Back to Basics: Google Sheets as MVP22:00 – Building Your Entrepreneurial Network25:15 – Accelerators, Upscale & Finding Stage-Specific Peers27:15 – Investor Relationships: Angels vs. Institutional Rounds29:30 – Managing Multiple Investors with Competing Interests31:12 – Mistake #3: Over-Expanding on Covid-Fuelled Growth33:00 – The Covid Revenue Spike & Why It Came Crashing Down36:00 – Painful Lessons: Redundancies, Rightsizing & Recovery38:30 – Advice for CEOs Riding an Unexpected Growth Wave40:10 – The Future of Tech & AI Defensibility42:50 – What Charles Would Build Next (and Why)43:50 – Three Final Questions: Advice to Your Younger Self45:05 – Advice from Your Future Self47:19 – The Desiderata: Charles's Favourite Quotation50:04 – Wrap-Up

    [Ep 27] CEO of Florence: From NHS Doctor to Tech CEO
  6. Mar 14

    [Ep 26] Founder of Phenolic: The Emotional World of Fine Wine, Spirits and Cigars

    In this episode of Master Your Mistakes, I'm joined by Ken Silverio, the founder of Phenolic, a powerhouse in international business development for the fine wine, premium cigar, and rare spirits industries. Ken shares his unique journey navigating the "night and day" difference between working for massive corporate conglomerates and managing the high-stakes, emotional landscape of family-owned legacy brands.From the humidors of London to the vineyards of the Dominican Republic, Ken provides a masterclass on building global partnerships, surviving the volatility of high-end sales, and the most painful mistakes made along the way. 0:00 - Meet Ken Silverio, Founder of Phenolic0:57 - 15 Years in Fine Wine, Cigars & Spirits: Ken's Global Journey1:37 - Why London is the World's Luxury Drinks & Cigar Capital2:20 - Corporate vs. Family-Owned Brands: Night and Day Difference3:30 - The Chaos of Working with Legacy Family Businesses5:01 - Inside Family Wine & Cigar Brands: Who You Actually Deal With7:26 - The Key to a Healthy Sales Funnel in Luxury Goods7:46 - Hidden Benefits of Working with Family Offices: Patience, Empathy & Business Lessons9:00 - How Family-Owned Brands Reshape Your Thinking as an Entrepreneur20:10 - Ken's Biggest Entrepreneurial Mistake22:17 - "Time is the Ultimate Luxury" — How to Convince Your Past Self to Act23:12 - "Let Creativity Find You Working" — The Picasso Quote That Changes Everything23:49 - Navigating Tough Negotiations Across Different Cultures24:54 - The Emotional Roller Coaster of High-End International Sales26:51 - Lessons Ken Learned Working for His Father at 1828:50 - Family Business, Real Estate & Collaborating with His Uncle in the Dominican Republic29:35 - What His Mother Taught Him About Consistency30:56 - Why Every Entrepreneur Needs External Perspectives32:37 - How Ken Fell in Love with Wine, Cigars & Spirits34:46 - Turning Passion into a 15-Year Professional Career34:57 - How to Get Into Fine Wine, Cigars & Spirits as a Beginner36:59 - What is a Humidor? The Cigar Cellar Explained38:33 - How to Start Exploring Wine & Cigars: Read, Consume, Travel39:41 - Why the Dominican Republic is a World-Class Cigar Destination41:36 - What's Next for Ken: Living in the Present & Future Plans43:01 - The Mindset Shift That Would Have Saved Ken Years of Stress44:50 - The Cigar Ritual: Why You Can't Smoke a Cigar When Stressed48:00 - Old World vs. New World: Wine & Cigars Explained50:37 - Dominican Cigars: How They Blend Tobacco From Around the World50:44 - Ken's Real Estate Ventures in the Dominican Republic53:00 - Ken's Life Philosophy

    [Ep 26] Founder of Phenolic: The Emotional World of Fine Wine, Spirits and Cigars

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Interviews with Founders, Creators, and interesting people.... on the mistakes that made them.