Rolling Start

Rolling Start

Regardless of the things that make us different, there’s one thing that pretty much all of us have in common in our professional and personal lives – in whatever way, shape or form, we regularly face challenges and adversity, and are often looking for the inspiration, resilience and strength to bounce back. Join hosts, Justin Onuekwusi and Darren Johnson as they speak with guests who have all shown resilience in the face of adversity. Each episode explores the challenges that many of us face in our daily lives, careers, and relationships, with real world examples of how other people have addressed these challenges and navigated success on their own terms.

Episodes

June 21, 2022 36 mins
It’s hard not to be impressed by a CV that includes Sega, ITV and Ubisoft to name a few. Yet Mike Masuku’s personal and professional path has been from smooth. 

Born into a low-income township in Zimbabwe to a family they would later work their way into the suburbs, Mike was forced to adjust to a new life when he and his mother relocated to London, and he found himself navigating high school in Croydon. After moving t...
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When he was 23, Reggie Nelson hit the headlines for previously knocking on doors in one of London’s wealthiest boroughs and asking for careers' advice. His boldness paid off, and several years later, Reggie is now an associate at Blackstone a social media influencer and author of Opening Doors, now available on Amazon. 

Yet in the midst of his success, Reggie has also dealt with his share of adversity. 

Growi...
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Two days before his interview for a graduate role, Ryan Pereira didn’t realise that Exxon Mobil, the company he was applying to, was one of the largest companies in the world. Thankfully he still got the role, and never looked back. 

From growing up in tight knit supportive family in Leicester, where he dreamed of being a snooker player or a pilot, to heading to the bright lights of the City, Ryan has enjoyed a remark...
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Growing up in a traditional household, and excelling at school, Director of Proposition at St James’s Place, Anna Davies surprised her family when she made the decision to step straight into the working world rather than heading to university. As she got her first home and mortgage at 19 and rose through the ranks at Skandia, her professional success was marked with personal challenges including battling with imposter syndrome...
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After returning from maternity leave and being made redundant, Bev Shah made the decision not to return to the City. Instead, she took her 15 years of investment experience and founded City Hive, a think tank committed to building an inclusive investment management Industry and an equitable and sustainable society. Here’s she tells us about how being the only girl in her year at boarding school put her in good stead for career...
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From growing up in a single parent family to finding himself responsible for managing significant amount of wealth for his clients at just 24, Nick Vaill’s career trajectory is nothing short of impressive. However the journey was not without its challenges, including personal loss, injuries and struggles with confidence. Here Nick tells us about his career path, how he copes with fears and why he feels being trustworthy is one...
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As she lined up alongside 30,000 other hopeful applicants, Yasmina Siadatan didn’t expect to get through the day, let alone an entire series of BBC’s hit reality show The Apprentice. She was wrong. After making history by reaching the series’ first all-female final, Yasmina was officially crowned “The Apprentice” and went from running a restaurant to working with Lord Sugar, former Dragon’s Den star James Caan, and even the th...
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As Executive Director of NCM Auctions, Founder TwoBeans Ltd, Co-Founder of Smithtons, and advisor to multiple businesses, Andy Smith boasts an illustrious and impressive career. However, his life changed forever when at age 15, what he initially believed to be a bad case of food poisoning turned out to be a life-altering illness - Ulcerative Colitis. While his recovery would involve relearning how to walk, cough, and live his ...
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Just five years ago, and while still on maternity leave, award winning founder Davinia Tomlinson walked away from a successful career in the City and launched rainchq, designed exclusively to help women take control of their financial futures.  Davinia tells us about her Caribbean upbringing, and how that, and personal loss motivated her decision to take the leap into entrepreneurship. She also shares how childhood clumsiness,...
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City to Sea founder Natalie Fée was pursuing a career in TV presenting, when an encounter with the film 'Albatross' put her life on a very different track, and drove her to begin campaigning to address plastic pollution. When she struggled to get the support she needed for the cause Natalie made a powerful decision - she would do it herself. Natalie shares how she followed her calling, her thoughts on diversity, and how from b...
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Retired footballer Nathan Ellington, dubbed The Duke, was twice named the top goal scorer in the Football League, and was also a recipient of the league’s coveted Golden Boot Award. However, despite a successful playing career, after retiring, Nathan found himself bankrupt and searching for options to support his family. Here, he talks about the impact of losing out on football contracts despite his achievements, recovering fr...
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December 13, 2021 24 mins
Phoebe Stone has risen through the ranks to become Head of Sustainable Investing at LGT Vestra after just nine years in the industry. However, since 2017, her life changed when she was diagnosed with breast cancer. Phoebe tells us about how her diagnosis impacted and inspired her outlook on life, and how enthusiasm, authenticity and simply trying to be genuine leaves a lasting impression on clients. Phoebe also shares her thou...
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From working as a professional musician (who celebrated a number one hit in Spain!) to a trainee bookkeeper, celebrated business coach Earl Lynch has enjoyed quite a remarkable career path. Here he talks about what have him the nudge to leave the music industry, overcoming the lingering doubt of imposter syndrome and how his faith, friends and family helped him to overcome a devastating family tragedy.  
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September 15, 2021 23 secs
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