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

What do you do when the career you worked so hard for no longer feels right? And how do you build something new that’s driven by purpose, not pressure?

This week on The Merri-Cast, I’m joined by Emily Gill – Co-Founder of human skills platform Levra and a qualified coach.

In this episode, Emily shares her fascinating career journey from lawyer to Oxford MBA student, to entrepreneurs. It’s full of insight, humility and real-world lessons.

Other key highlights include:
• Her father’s influence, particularly his encouragement that “anything is possible”.
• How her career change came from periods of quiet reflection – not a single ‘lightbulb moment’.
• Her perseverance and belief in long-term goals.
• Learning to embrace uncertainty and imperfection.
• Not taking setbacks personally.
• Building a values-led business with long term impact.
… and much more!

Emily’s honesty and grit makes this episode a must-listen for anyone navigating change or wanting clarity in their entrepreneurial journey.

Emily Gill:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/emilygilllevra/
Website: https://www.levra.me/

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

We love guests who challenge the status quo – and our latest one does exactly that.

This week, I’m joined by Dani Dufresne – Emmy Award Winning Executive Producer and Founder of The Auxiliary.

Dani’s journey from film school in LA to reinventing how creative production works is inspiring and refreshingly honest. With over 20 years’ production experience across Film, TV, Commercials and Events, Dani’s built an incredible reputation for turning her client’s visions into reality.

In this episode, Dani discusses her experience with burnout, how she found her niche and reinvented herself.

Key insights that Dani shares in this episode include:
• How knowing what she didn’t want helped shape her business model.
• Creating a fractional, creative business that actually works.
• Winning awards, without chasing the spotlight.
• Why brands should rethink how they tell stories.

If you have ever felt stuck in a traditional model – or dreamed of breaking one, then listen to Dani because this episode is for you.

Dani Dufresne:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/danidufresne/
Website: https://www.theauxiliaryco.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, I’m joined by Melitta Campbell, otherwise known as ‘The Value Whisperer’. She is a business and leadership coach, TEDx Speaker, best-selling author and an unapologetic introvert.

In this episode, Melitta shares how she went from being a shy child, who believed that no one wanted to hear her voice, to coaching female founders to sell themselves and their services with clarity and confidence. Her journey is impressive to say the least.

Key insights that Melitta shares include:
• How a bad job interview made her learn the importance of owning her value.
• How quiet leadership can be more compelling than loud self-promotion.
• The link between self-care and entrepreneurial success.
• How introverts can create their own networking rules – and thrive on their own terms.
• Debunking the myth that salespeople must be pushy.
• The importance of reflecting on how far you’ve come – not just focus on what’s next.

Melitta also shares what we can expect from her new book ‘The Art of Value Whispering’. It’s due for release later this year so keep your eyes peeled!

This conversation is inspiring for any start-up or scale-up entrepreneurs wresting with being an introvert, imposter syndrome or just uncomfortable with traditional notions of selling.

Melitta Campbell:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/melitta/
Website: https://www.melittacampbell.com/
Podcast: https://www.melittacampbell.com/podcast

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, we pick up where we left off with part 2 of our conversation with Dr. Zareen Roohi Ahmed.

In this episode, Zareen shares how she launched Gift Wellness without any business background, but with a powerful mission and drive.

In part 2 of our conversation, Zareen also discusses:
• Realising that period poverty wasn’t just abroad, but everywhere, including on her doorstep.
• Building eco-friendly products before "sustainable" was a trend.
• Facing resistance and breaking long-held taboos about period poverty.
• Learning the really hard way about how product distribution works.
… and much more!

💬 “Be prolific, not perfect.”
That’s one of Zareen’s mantras - and both this episode and Part 1 left a deep impression on us in this respect and many others.

Let us know what you think!

Dr. Zareen Roohi Ahmed:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dr-zareen-roohi-ahmed-phd-3b51b219/
Gift Wellness: https://giftwellness.co.uk/
Halimah Trust: https://www.halimahtrust.org.uk/
Period Poverty: https://www.periodpoverty.uk/
Website: https://www.zareenroohi.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, I’m joined by Zareen Roohi, Founder & CEO of Gift Wellness, an inspiring voice in purpose-led entrepreneurship.

In the first of a powerful two-parter, Zareen shares her remarkable life and career journey – from growing up as the daughter of Pakistani immigrants in the West Midlands to navigating early life challenges, building a remarkable and diverse career and then, tragically, losing her daughter Halimah in 2007.

Out of this unimaginable loss came incredible resilience and purpose. Zareen built the Halimah Trust and later launched Gift Wellness – the latter born out of a sudden and powerful moment of clarity.

In part 1 of our conversation, Zareen shares:
• Navigating identity and racism in building her career.
• Her experience as CEO of the British Muslim Forum in the wake of the 7/7 bombings.
• Building a legacy through her daughter’s passions and values.
• The birth of Gift Wellness and its mission to restore dignity to women in crisis.

This conversation is raw and real - and offers real insight to entrepreneurs seeking purpose, as well as profit.

Stay tuned…because part 2 is coming soon where we dive deeper into Gift Wellness and Zareen’s brilliant advice for fledgling entrepreneurs.

Dr. Zareen Roohi Ahmed:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dr-zareen-roohi-ahmed-phd-3b51b219/
Gift Wellness: https://giftwellness.co.uk/
Halimah Trust: https://www.halimahtrust.org.uk/
Period Poverty: https://www.periodpoverty.uk/
Website: https://www.zareenroohi.com/

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