Anatomy of a Leader with Maria Hvorostovsky

Have you ever wondered how living in a visually overwhelming world impacts us? In this episode, I chat with Marine Tanguy, the founder of MTArt Agency, a leading talent agency dedicated to democratising the art world. We talk about: - Inequalities in the art sector and how to challenge them - The impact of visual consumption in today’s world - The world of AI - Nurturing imagination in children am...

Have you ever thought about your ideal role and approached the company to create it for you? Well, that’s what Valentina Kaledina - Director of Business Development at Castbox did. Having had a career spanning journalism and headhunting, Valentina found her true passion in podcasting, and is now a prominent figure in the industry. She runs key markets for Castbox - a podcast platform which has rev...

Why is becoming a mother and, *gasp*, choosing to have a successful career so controversial? What is it about wanting to have both that people simply don’t get? And who is out there finding solutions? In this episode, I talk to someone who is out there trying to do just that. Monique Hodgson is the founder of Mumble Forum, a global networking platform which aims to build a supportive community of...

How does chronic stress affect the health of your heart? What does anger do to your arteries? These are the questions I asked Jonathan Fisher, MD, a Harvard-trained cardiologist with 20 years of clinical experience, who is in the process of writing his first book: “Just One Heart”. In this episode, we delve into the anatomy of society (capitalism, how we were raised as children, workplace culture)...

Eliza Batten – is not just the IT girl from E4's Made in Chelsea – but a force to be reckoned with. Making a transition from TV to entrepreneurship – Eliza co-founded The Cirkel - a hassle-free platform revolutionising the way we shop and sell quality, new-to-you fashion. Join us as we dive deep into Eliza Batten's journey, from reality TV fame to making an impact in the world of sustainab...

Do you know how All Saints came into being? Neither did I – that’s why I was so excited to speak with the iconic brand’s creator – Stuart Trevor. Growing up in a council estate in Dundee, Stuart couldn’t afford brand new clothes so he had to make do with hand-me-downs and vintage clothing. Inspired by David Bowie and Kate Bush, Stuart boldly experimented with audacious hairstyles and honed his cra...

Aaron Chatterley, is the trailblazer who co-founded and built the largest online retailer of premium beauty products in Europe – Feelunique. In this episode we talk about how Aaron pivoted his career as an aspiring musician to becoming a pioneering entrepreneur. Building a Global Brand: Discover the secrets behind creating a global powerhouse in the beauty e-commerce landscape. Learn about the tri...

Aaron Chatterley, is the trailblazer who co-founded and built the largest online retailer of premium beauty products in Europe – Feelunique. In this episode we talk about how Aaron pivoted his career as an aspiring musician to becoming a pioneering entrepreneur. Building a Global Brand: Discover the secrets behind creating a global powerhouse in the beauty e-commerce landscape. Learn about the tri...

Silvana Bonello is CEO of Oceansapart and former COO of Superdry, having come up through the ranks at Nike and Vans (VF Corporation). Join us as we talk about empowering teams, finding work-life harmony, and fostering inclusive work environments. Silvana's expertise lies in leadership development, team building, and cultivating inclusive cultures. Her experiences highlight the transformative p...

Silvana Bonello is CEO of Oceansapart and former COO of Superdry, having come up through the ranks at Nike and Vans (VF Corporation). Join us as we talk about empowering teams, finding work-life harmony, and fostering inclusive work environments. Silvana's expertise lies in leadership development, team building, and cultivating inclusive cultures. Her experiences highlight the transformative p...

In this episode, founders of Ocean Bottle, Nick Doman and Will Pearson dive deep into their mission of combating ocean plastic pollution, and their dream of creating a consumer brand devoted to ocean preservation. With their sustainable business model, they emphasise the reduction of plastic waste through the creation of reusable water bottles. They advocate for consumer, corporate, and government...

In Episode 54, founders of Ocean Bottle, Nick Doman and Will Pearson dive deep into their mission of combating ocean plastic pollution, and their dream of creating a consumer brand devoted to ocean preservation. With their sustainable business model, they emphasise the reduction of plastic waste through the creation of reusable water bottles. They advocate for consumer, corporate, and governmental...

Dr. Grace Lordan, is the Founding Director of The Inclusion Initiative and an Associate Professor at the London School of Economics and Political Science. As an expert in inclusive leadership, women's progress in the workplace, and the future of work, Dr. Lordan shares her insights on career success. We delve into the barriers that hold individuals back from achieving their desired careers and...

Dr. Grace Lordan, is the Founding Director of The Inclusion Initiative and an Associate Professor at the London School of Economics and Political Science. As an expert in inclusive leadership, women's progress in the workplace, and the future of work, Dr. Lordan shares her insights on career success. We delve into the barriers that hold individuals back from achieving their desired careers and...

Meet Venetia Archer, the founder of Ruuby app. With no background in beauty or tech, Venetia fearlessly jumped into the deep end and founded Ruuby - the fashion set's go-to digital beauty concierge. In Episode 52, Venetia shares her experiences and insights on starting a business and leading with confidence. She provides valuable lessons on the importance of attitude, discovering leadership qu...

Meet Venetia Archer, the founder of Ruuby app. With no background in beauty or tech, Venetia fearlessly jumped into the deep end and founded Ruuby - the fashion set's go-to digital beauty concierge. In Episode 52, Venetia shares her experiences and insights on starting a business and leading with confidence. She provides valuable lessons on the importance of attitude, discovering leadership qu...

What do female founders advise their younger selves? What does it take to run a successful business? In honour of International Women’s Day, here are the best bits from my interviews with female founders in Season 4. WATCH ON YOUTUBE: Elizabeth Cowper https://bit.ly/3EZvIYw Nell Lloyd-Malcolm https://bit.ly/3KZnNOR Hasna Kourda https://bit.ly/3ZOVYg2 Anna Whitehouse https://bit.ly/3ZI2Fkc Rachel C...

What does every founder need? Uninterrupted time for thinking and clarifying ideas and strategy. Where can you get that? At Unplugged.rest. Is it worth it - hell yes. I feel 10 IQ points smarter just by spending 3 days in a log cabin, amongst the trees, away from the hustle of my day-to-day life. Hector Hughes was beginning to burn out running a tech startup. So one day he took himself to a silent...

What does every founder need? Uninterrupted time for thinking and clarifying ideas and strategy. Where can you get that? At Unplugged.rest. Is it worth it - hell yes. I feel 10 IQ points smarter just by spending 3 days in a log cabin, amongst the trees, away from the hustle of my day-to-day life. Hector Hughes was beginning to burn out running a tech startup. So one day he took himself to a silent...

Subscribe and leave us a Review, this helps a lot. Giorgia Granata’s mother passed away when she was 23, a traumatic event that has changed the course of her life and her worldview. I found many similarities between how we both coped with it, as my mother suddenly died when I was 35. It’s a challenging topic, which requires the willingness to feel vulnerable, a state Giorgia doesn’t like to be in...

Giorgia Granata’s mother passed away when she was 23, a traumatic event that has changed the course of her life and her worldview. I found many similarities between how we both coped with it, as my mother suddenly died when I was 35. It’s a challenging topic, which requires the willingness to feel vulnerable, a state Giorgia doesn’t like to be in often. Just like me. Giorgia’s way of coping has be...

Lou Adler has been shaking up the recruitment industry for over 40 years (though don’t remind him of that). Lou saw that the way companies traditionally hired people was broken and created the Performance-Based Hiring model. He even wrote a bestselling book about it - “Hire With Your Head: Using Performance-Based Hiring to Build Outstanding Diverse Teams”. His company, The Adler Group, has trained...

LEAVE A REVIEW: If you’re listening on Apple Podcasts or Spotify make sure to Follow, Rate, and leave a REVIEW. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Lou Adler has been shaking up the recruitment industry for over 40 years (though don’t remind him of that). Lou saw that the way companies traditionally hired people was broken and created th...

Shana Gujral is no typical 27 year old. With at least three startups under her belt, her deep insights about herself and the cultures she lives in led her to create companies aiming to solve inclusion issues. Having masked her identity for a long time, she learnt to accept it through being on the Asian radio network where she learnt more about her culture. We talk about starting businesses, raisin...

Shana Gujral is no typical 267year old. With at least three startups under her belt, her deep insights about herself and the cultures she lives in led her to create companies aiming to solve inclusion issues. Having masked her identity for a long time, she learnt to accept it through being on the Asian radio network where she learnt more about her culture. We talk about starting businesses, raisin...