This week on The Merri-Cast podcast, we had the pleasure of speaking with Mindy Gibbins-Klein – Founder of The Book Midwife and Giving 1%.

Mindy describes herself as an “accidental entrepreneur”, but what an accident it turned out to be! Redundancy pushed her into building a career that’s empowered thousands of authors, leaders and entrepreneurs to share their stories with the world.

In our conversation, Mindy shares powerful insights that will inspire anyone thinking about writing a book, growing a business or leading with purpose.

Highlights include:
•Books as legacy - A book is a “sacred part of you going out into the world.” Too many people die with their book still inside them.
•The 90-day book process - Forget the myth that writing a book takes years. With the right mindset, structure and accountability, it can be done in 90 days.
•Thoughtful leadership vs. thought leadership - Don’t call yourself a thought leader. Let the market decide.
•Giving 1% - From her TEDx talk, small and consistent giving can make a huge impact. Could you live on 99% of your income and give 1% to causes you care about?
•Mindy’s advice for entrepreneurs – be clear about where you’re going, check in with yourself often, and don’t let others’ opinions dictate your path.

This episode is full of Mindy’s trademark energy and practical wisdom. If you’ve thought about writing a book, wondered how to stand out as a genuine leader or simply want to make a big difference with small, consistent actions, this conversation is for you.

Don’t let your story, your book or your leadership stay hidden.

Mindy Gibbins Klein:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mindygibbinsklein/
Giving 1%: https://giving1percent.com/
The Book Midwife: https://bookmidwife.com/
The Thoughtful Leader: https://mindygk.com/
Tedx Talk: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h_Fft9u69as
Email: mindy@bookmidwife.com

Trevor:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/trevormerriden/
Merriborn: https://merriborn.co.uk/
Email: trevor.merriden@merribornmedia.co.uk

This week on The Merri-Cast podcast, I had the pleasure of speaking with Richard Barkey – Founder and CEO of Imparta.

I first met Richard almost 20 years ago, when his sharp questions about PR effectiveness left a lasting impression on me. Since then, he’s gone on to build and scale a business in a sector that is notoriously difficult to grow.

How has he done it? With curiosity, resilience and innovation at every turn.

In our conversation, Richard shared his journey and valuable insights that every entrepreneur can learn from, including:

• How an engineer’s mindset helped him pivot from McKinsey to founding Imparta.
• Why early investment and serendipity gave him the springboard to build something that would last.
• The importance of reinvention: from the dot-com bubble, through the 2008 crash, to pivoting early during the pandemic.
• His forward-looking approach on AI in sales and coaching, including its potential and the pitfalls of “cognitive offloading”.
• How he managed to break into the US market and scale globally, in a sector where many others have failed.
• His practical advice for entrepreneurs.

Richard’s story is one of persistence, vision and adaptability. If you’re navigating challenges in your own entrepreneurial journey, this episode is for you.

Richard Barkey:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/richard-barkey-72604a4/
Imparta: https://imparta.com/

Trevor:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/trevormerriden/
Merriborn: https://merriborn.co.uk/
Email: trevor.merriden@merribornmedia.co.uk

After a short Summer break, we’re back with a very special episode of The Merri-Cast. We depart from our usual format to pay tribute to the late, great Charles Handy – social philosopher, visionary thinker and one of the most influential voices in leadership and management.

Charles’s insights heavily shaped my own journalistic and entrepreneurial journey. And his books including The Age of Unreason, The Elephant and The Flea, and The Second Curve, continue to inspire entrepreneurs, leaders and anyone curious about the world in which they live.

To honour his extraordinary life and legacy, I’m joined by three fantastic guests:
•Kate Handy – Charles’s daughter, who shares both personal memories and fascinating insights on his work.
•Mark Goyder – Founder of Tomorrow’s Company, a champion of purposeful business and a long-time admirer of Charles’s forward-thinking ideas.
•Andrew Hill – Senior Business Writer at the Financial Times, who offers an interesting perspective into Charles’s relevance to today’s challenges.

From the value of curiosity, to championing hybrid working decades ahead of everyone else, to keeping organisations human in an age of technology and AI – we explore the man behind the ideas and why his thinking matters now more than ever.

Charles Handy Books:
The Age of Unreason: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Age-Unreason-New-Thinking-World/dp/0099548313
The Elephant and The Flea: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Elephant-Flea-Thinking-Looking-Backwards/dp/0099415658
The Second Curve: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Second-Curve-Thoughts-Reinventing-Society/dp/184794132X