NAKED by The Future Farm

Why do we as entrepreneurs tell ourselves stories to normalise the mental health challenges we are facing? How much of this is influenced by the image of entrepreneurship portrayed by the media, that we adopt unchallenged? How does ego and masculinity play into it? “Your body is giving you an alarm signal that what you’re doing to yourself is not good and you need to make sure you’re looking after...

On this week’s episode, Vladi and Nektarios continue the conversation on the practices that they have in their lives to manage their mental health, and reflect on their discussion with Dr. Michael Freeman. They go into depth on caring about entrepreneurs as people - if you care about entrepreneurs as people, then you care about a lot of the things that we talk about; the personality traits of an e...

Entrepreneurs have unique characteristics; what are the traits that make somebody do something risky and unpredictable like starting a business? How much control do we have over the entrepreneurial urge? Can you learn to be an entrepreneur or is it something you’re born with? “I have this unique experience of being an entrepreneur, understanding mental health and going on the same journey as every...

On this week’s episode, Vladi and Nektarios expand on their last ExtraNAKED conversation about their personal self-care practices and small habits, and reflect on the most recent NAKED episode with Selma Ribica. They talk about depression and the stigmas around the topic in different cultures; being vulnerable and vocal about mental health; and the importance of talking and therapy. Share your que...

TRIGGER WARNING: Please be aware that this episode contains information and discussion on postpartum depression, which some listeners may find triggering. For more information and support, visit Postpartum Support International . How do you manage the struggle of early motherhood and building a business? How do you overcome the feelings of guilt and shame attached to postpartum depression and ment...

On this week’s ExtraNAKED episode, Vladi and Nektarios reflect on their conversation with Michael Lints, where Burnout remains a central theme of the series. They talk about how they have experienced struggles similar to those that Michael shared; how they have come to recognise the signals of mental health stress; and the self-care practices and tools that they have established for themselves. Of...

What do you do when the world stops turning and your day-to-day responsibilities shift? How do you find new meaning? What do you see as real value to your life? As a VC, how do you build stronger relationships with the founders? “I had to step back and think about what my value is, as a person, a colleague, a friend, a husband and that hit me hard.” Michael Lints is a Singapore-based VC, and until...

On this week’s ExtraNAKED episode, Vladi and Nektarios reflect on their conversation with Double Olympic Champion, Dame Kelly Holmes MBE (mil). Triggered by Dame Kelly’s recent openness about heading towards “Burnout” and needing time for self-reflection, this episode is incredibly personal for our hosts. Vladi and Nektarios discuss the signals that lead to Burnout; how they have come to know the...

When you’ve achieved your goals and reached the peak of your career, where do you go next? How can high performers rebuild their lives or build the next stage of their lives? How do you define what balance looks like for you, rather than what you have been told balance looks like by others? “Passion, purpose, planning, preparation and performance.” This is the mantra that Colonel Dame Kelly Holmes...

On this week’s ExtraNAKED episode, Vladi and Nektarios reflect on their conversation with activist, entrepreneur and psychotherapist, Dr Leyla Hussein OBE. They share their admiration for not only the work that she does, but also how she goes about her life. They discuss the importance that Leyla puts on her support system, which led our hosts to reflect on their own team. The discussion moves to...

TRIGGER WARNING: Please be aware that this episode contains a detailed account of what Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) involves, which some listeners may find distressing. For more information on FGM, visit Dahlia Project . What is an activist entrepreneur? How does a traumatic experience impact your life and how do you deal with it 20 years on? Why is it so important to surround yourself with peo...

On this week’s ExtraNAKED episode, Vladi and Nektarios reflect on their conversation with VC and startup psychologist, Noa Matz. They discuss whether more psychologists are needed in the world of venture capital and how much support VCs provide to their entrepreneurs, specifically related to their mental health and emotional wellbeing. It’s such an important conversation and one of the driving for...

What is a VC’s role in founder mental health? Can there be a more compassionate VC? Founders feel increased stress once they receive VC money. Why and how can this be reduced? “I can relate to our founders, I’ve been through this.” Noa Matz isn’t a business builder, but a VC and startup psychologist. Investors have a role to play in our ecosystem but have often struggled with the subject. Noa is a...

On this week’s episode of ExtraNAKED, Vladi and Nektarios reflect on their conversation with Driekie Van Wyk and dig into the tension between being an entrepreneur and an artist. Frequently, creatives are not seen as entrepreneurs but need to build up that capability and mindset in order to grow, and often survive. That rollercoaster of ups and downs is very similar to the ones experienced by entr...

What is the definition of a typical entrepreneur? Can you be an artist and an entrepreneur? How do you manage the emotions that arise when your ‘hobby’ turns into something serious? When the art and creative collide with commerciality? How do you deal with your inner critic when it is constantly telling you that you’re not good enough? “Many nights you go to bed questioning all of your being.” Dri...

On this week’s episode of ExtraNAKED, Vladi (currently in Pakistan) and Nektarios (in lockdown London) reconnect on the little things that have helped them through the challenges of the last week. They reflect on their conversation with Stefan Kollenberg, continuing to explore the relationship between addiction and entrepreneurship, and share why it was such an important episode for them on a pers...

* This episode discusses addiction. The views and content expressed in this episode are based on one person’s experience. If you need treatment or support for drug and alcohol addiction or misuse, please contact a support line: https://checkpointorg.com/global/ What is the connection between addiction and entrepreneurship? What are the traits that a person obsessed with ‘getting the next hit’ shar...

Welcome to the first episode of ExtraNAKED, where our hosts Vladi and Nektarios will be exploring some of the themes discussed in our previous episode in greater depth, adding their own experiences and reflections, and sharing practical tools that might be helpful. This week we focus on transitions and mental health, picking up from our conversation with James Routledge on his stepping down as CEO...

What happens when you derive your sense of worth from the business you have built and what does it mean when you walk away from it? How do you deal with the loss of identity and purpose? What’s next? Why is having a support system and using tools like journaling so important? We begin Series 2 of NAKED by The Future Farm with a conversation that encompasses many of the themes that you’ve heard us...

Welcome back to NAKED by The Future Farm. Before we dive into series two of the podcast, our hosts Vladi and Nektarios, share a quick insight into what you can expect from the coming series. It is clear that we still need to talk, even more so. The emotional and mental wellbeing of entrepreneurs and those around us is essential. We’ll be getting deeper with our reflections, exploring more resource...

Join Vladi and Nektarios as they reflect together on the vulnerable and open conversations you’ve heard in series one of the NAKED podcast. They look back on some of the things that have surprised them most - both about themselves and the honesty of their guests; the learnings they will take away from the experience; and share tips and tools that might help in building your own emotional resilienc...

Not all entrepreneurs fit the common definition of an entrepreneur. But are still builders and risk takers as any Silicon Valley tech founder. When a car accident took away Muniba Mazari’s mobility at 21 years old, it took her hopes and dreams with it. Over the last decade, she has turned her life around and been through a transformational experience, turning her worst fears into a true calling. M...

The Coronavirus pandemic has thrown the world into disorder. Millions of lives were turned upside down overnight, including Kate Shepherd’s. Over 15 years, Kate grew her business into a multimillion dollar company, but at the beginning of 2020, everything changed. Kate joins the NAKED podcast to talk about her experience of grieving the loss of her business but also her own identity and people’s e...

Today, he’s a calm and charming man that exudes confidence and knows how to navigate the challenges that life throws at you. You would never have thought that the same man was once booed by a stadium of football fans and was close to being public enemy number one in the Netherlands. Ruud Hendriks has experienced failure on a gigantic scale. A successful DJ, reporter and media mogul (for more, visi...

We hear the stories that glorify entrepreneurial success but rarely do we hear about the ones that failed. Nadira Yusoff is an impressive woman. She built a successful computer hardware business from scratch, in a world dominated by men in Malaysia. All whilst juggling her responsibilities as a single mother raising six children. But when the business went south overnight, she found herself left o...