The Role Models Podcast Podcast

The Role Models Podcast

Role Models
The Role Models Podcast is a series of interviews that captures and shares the stories of inspiring women. These are far-reaching conversations with female leaders we look up to. We discuss how they got to where they are – including the lessons they’ve learned, the decisions they’ve made, and the challenges they’ve tackled.
#46 How Seedcamp co-founder Reshma Sohoni’s unwavering optimism helped her succeed
Reshma Sohoni is the co-founder of Seedcamp. As one of the most important women in Europe's startup and technology ecosystem, Reshma Sohoni works with founders of 300 portfolio companies and interacts with around 3000 startup founders every single year. Reshma founded Seedcamp in 2007, creating a diverse team of founders, makers, operators, executors, investors and tech-enthusiasts who actively promote early-stage tech. In the 11 years since founding, Seedcamp has amassed 300 portfolio companies and works with over 3000 companies a year, representing some of the best investments in early-stage tech companies across Europe and playing a pivotal role in getting the European tech ecosystem to the place it is today. Reshma is an energetic, engaging and eternally optimistic. Throughout this conversation, Isa, David and Reshma delve deep into these core characteristics and explore how they’ve helped Reshma leverage every opportunity afforded to her, and she now helps others to do the same. Our conversation includes tips on: - Reshma’s key life skills of optimism, people pleasing and pragmatism - and why they’re so important for leveraging opportunity: - What she looks for in successful founders: “grit, perseverance and hustle!” and patterns she sees in successful founders - How to network your time effectively within different people power dynamics Find out more about Reshma and Seedcamp: http://www.seedcamp.com This conversation was recorded with a live audience in Berlin. If you want to listen to more women making waves in the tech world then check out episode #28 with Ann Miura-Ko - often hailed as the “most powerful woman in startups”: https://www.rolemodels.co/podcast/28-how-venture-capitalist-ann-miura-ko-became-the-most-powerful-woman-in-startups/ And you should also check out our Medium site where we post articles featuring all the best insights from our podcast guests. To find us head to: https://medium.com/@rolemodels Thanks to Samsung NEXT for supporting this episode. Find out more about their mission to support entrepreneurs: http://samsungnext.com/berlin Thanks to our event sponsors Samsung NEXT, She’s Mercedes and location sponsor Spielfeld for supporting our live recording in Berlin: http://samsungnext.com/berlin https://newsletter.shesmercedes.de http://www.spielfeld.com/ And please follow Role Models! On Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/_rolemodels/ On Twitter: https://twitter.com/rolemodels Don't miss future events or podcast episodes! Sign up for our newsletter on https://rolemodels.co
Mar 4, 2019
1 hr 19 min
#45 – How Zipcar co-founder Robin Chase is creating a world she wants to live in
Robin Chase is the co-founder of Zipcar and the author of Peers Inc. Robin is a serial entrepreneur within the mobility and transportation sectors with a special focus on sustainability. Her mantra is to “everyday, create the world you want to live in”, meaning she’s helping to create cities that are livable, environmentally sound, and full of joy for all who pass through them. Working closely at the intersectionality of transportation and climate change, Robin is a passionate advocate of our environmental impact. Since 2000, Zipcar has lowered CO2 emissions by 1.6 billion lbs per year and taken away the need for more than 415,000 privately owned cars. Her new initiative, The New Urban Mobility Alliance (NUMO) continues to further the aim of creating cities where the new normal is both sustainable and livable. In this far-reaching conversation Robin had a lot to say on how she manages her personal commitment to creating more sustainable futures whilst recognising the immensity of the task at hand and our chat with Robin is full of advice on: Ways to be impactful within a very complex global problem Why diversity and thinking of your “single and best use” are the most powerful tools Adapting and continuing to learn over time Why we’re all role models to each other and so need to hold ourselves accountable It’s a great episode for anyone interested in effecting a positive global change and if you’re interested in platform companies such as Zipcar, or how to go about building them, check out Robin’s new book, Peers Inc. If you enjoy our conversation with Robin you can: Follow Robin on Twitter: https://twitter.com/rmchase Learn more about Robin on her website: http://www.robinchase.org/ Check out her new book, Peers Inc: http://www.robinchase.org/#peers-inc Read more about Zipcar: https://www.zipcar.com/ Read about the New Urban Mobility Alliance (NUMO): https://www.numo.global/ And check out the Shared Mobility Principles for living: https://www.sharedmobilityprinciples.org/ If you want to listen to more women who are following their passions to create better futures then check out episode #40 of the podcast where we spoke to seed.com founder Ara Kratz about how she’s redesigning microbiome science: https://www.rolemodels.co/podcast/40-seed-com-founder-ara-kratz-on-finding-your-path-without-following-the-recipe/ And you should also check out our Medium site where we post articles featuring all the best insights from our podcast guests. To find us head to: https://medium.com/@rolemodels Thanks to Samsung NEXT for supporting this episode. Find out more about their mission to support entrepreneurs: http://samsungnext.com/berlin A big thanks also to our Patreon patrons who support this podcast: Megan Quinn, General Partner at Spark Capital who supports the organization: http://www.code2040.org/ Anna Caroline, a leadership coach based out of Berlin that you can find on truthcircles.com Emma Harris And please follow Role Models! On Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/_rolemodels/ On Twitter: https://twitter.com/rolemodels
Feb 18, 2019
1 hr
#44 – How founder turned investor Soraya Darabi started investing in the future of living well
Soraya is the founder of Trailmix Ventures, a venture investment firm focused on the future of living well. About Soraya: Soraya began her career as manager of Digital Partnerships and Social Media at The New York Times, where she positioned the global news leader on social networks such as Facebook, YouTube, Twitter, partnered with startups large and small, and established award winning campaigns. She went on to co-found the application Foodspotting, named by Apple and Wired Magazine as an “App of the Year” (acquired by OpenTable) and later Zady, a mission-driven brand described often as "The Whole Foods of fashion”. Today, Soraya is a General Partner and founder of Trailmix Ventures, an early-stage investment firm focused on the future of living well. TMV invests in services and products that elevate our physical, mental, and financial well-being, next-generation marketplaces, in design-driven technologies and brands born online. In this episode, we speak with Soraya about the future of wellbeing as she introduces some of the companies she works with such as The Wing or Parsley Health who are actively creating that future. We also talk about: - The highs and lows of being a founder, what she looks for in future investments and why we need to rethink the startup work culture to make more time for self care. - Soraya’s personal story (which she hasn’t told before) about how she learned to become a great listener and conversationalist. - And finally, how Soraya makes time to practice self care. Learn more about Soraya and Trailmix Ventures at: https://twitter.com/sorayadarabi http://www.trailmix.vc/ https://www.instagram.com/soraya If the future of our health and wellbeing is something you want to find out more about, check out episode #19 of the podcast where we spoke to Robin Berzin about redesigning healthcare: https://www.rolemodels.co/podcast/19-robin-berzin-how-would-you-redesign-medical-care/ And you should also check out our Medium site where we post articles featuring all the best insights from our guests. To find us head to: https://medium.com/@rolemodels Thanks to Samsung NEXT for supporting this episode. Find out more about their mission to support entrepreneurs: http://samsungnext.com/berlin A big thanks also to our Patreon patrons who support this podcast: - Megan Quinn, General Partner at Spark Capital who supports the organization: http://www.code2040.org/ - Anna Caroline, a leadership coach based out of Berlin that you can find on https://truthcircles.com - Emma Harris And please follow Role Models! On Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/_rolemodels/ On Twitter: https://twitter.com/rolemodels
Feb 4, 2019
53 min
#43 - Activist & actress Sophia Bush on owning your wins and how to listen to the “gut of the gut”
Sophia Bush is an actress and activist. After debuting on-screen in the 2002 comedy Van Wilder, Sophia went on to have major roles in the television series One Tree Hill as well as films including John Tucker Must Die, The Hitcher and The Narrows. From 2014 to 2017, she starred in the NBC police series Chicago P.D. Alongside her acting roles, Sophia effectively leverages her Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and blog platforms to raise awareness of world events, causes and political campaigns – encouraging millions of people to participate in the ongoing activism opportunities all over the world. To this end, Sophia has been part of fundraisers such as Fuck Cancer, Run For the Gulf and I Am that Girl whilst also being a founding member of the female resistance movement TIME’s UP. In 2016, Sophia’s selfless activism was named in Oprah’s SuperSoul 100 list of visionaries and influential leaders. Our episode with Sophia is recorded during a self-confessed “huge stage of transition” at the end of what she describes as an incredibly toxic period in her career. Sophia shares the ins and outs of this recent journey of radical self-enquiry with us and generously unpacks her inner landscape in beautifully articulate ways. The challenges she’s recently undergone are themes many of us can identify with and Sophia gives meaning to, and tangible advice about, topics including: - Recognizing your triggers and learning how to look after yourself when they arise - Managing fear and terror in a toxic work relationship and learning to build a personal support system - Figuring out where your boundaries are and following them by listening to the “gut of your gut” Later on in this episode Sophia also talks to us about her galvanizing work as an political activist – advising us all to “own our wins” and play the long game for the greatest advocacy fulfillment. Keep up-to-date with Sophia’s fantastic work by following her: On Twitter: https://twitter.com/SophiaBush On Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/sophiabush On Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sophiabush And check out her website: http://www.sophiabush.com If you’d like to hear more from women advocating for social change then make sure you check out previous episodes of The Role Models Podcast: https://www.rolemodels.co/podcast/language:english-only/category:feminism Thanks to Samsung NEXT for supporting this episode. Find out more about their mission to support entrepreneurs: http://samsungnext.com/berlin A big thanks also to our Patreon patrons who support this podcast: - Megan Quinn, General Partner at Spark Capital who supports http://www.code2040.org/ - Anna Caroline, a leadership coach based out of Berlin that you can find on https://truthcircles.com - Emma Harris And please follow Role Models! On Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/_rolemodels/ On Twitter: https://twitter.com/rolemodels
Nov 26, 2018
1 hr 15 min
#42 - Deutschland ‘83 & ‘86’s creator & writer Anna Winger on how to create a hit TV drama
Anna Winger is the creator and screenwriter of hit television dramas 'Deutschland 83’ and ‘Deutschland 86’. For 15 years, Anna worked as a freelance photographer before switching to write her first novel, ‘This Must Be the Place’ as well as personal essays for The New York Times Magazine, Condé Nast Traveler, and the Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung. She then went on to create and write the screenplay for the hugely successful Deutschland ‘83 and ‘86 trilogy series which broke international barriers with their widespread international popularity in Germany, the US, and all over the world. In this episode Anna shares her experience of creating a hit television drama from scratch with lots of advice for budding screenwriters including: - The different roles at play in the writer’s room and how it all works - Tips for becoming a great screenwriter (including staying committed to an idea and having the tenacity to respond well to edits). - The importance of surrounding yourself with people who know your voice and will help you push through when struggling. Alongside these tips, Anna is also a passionate advocate for following opportunities wherever they might take you and not sticking to a set career path. This episode is full of welcoming and practical advice for people following a creative career direction as well as anyone looking to diversify their professional endeavors. Check out the Deutschland ‘83 & ‘86 series on Amazon Prime: https://www.amazon.de/Deutschland-83-Staffel-1/dp/B018J45ERC And you can follow Anna on Twitter: https://twitter.com/annawinger If you’d like to hear more from the women such as Anna who are behind some of the world’s most well known television shows then make sure you check out previous episodes of the Role Models Podcast: https://www.rolemodels.co/podcast/language:english-only/category:tv-music-fashion-film/ Thanks to Samsung NEXT for supporting this episode. Find out more about their mission to support entrepreneurs: http://samsungnext.com/berlin A big thanks also to our Patreon patrons who support this podcast: - Megan Quinn, General Partner at Spark Capital who supports the organization: http://www.code2040.org/ - Anna Caroline, a leadership coach based out of Berlin that you can find on https://truthcircles.com - Emma Harris And please follow Role Models! On Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/_rolemodels/ On Twitter: https://twitter.com/rolemodels
Nov 12, 2018
1 hr 9 min
#41 – How ski-mountaineer Tamara Lunger first faced death then never stopped exploring
Tamara Lunger is a high-altitude ski mountaineer. A big Thank You to The North Face for making it possible for us to record this episode with Tamara. Tamara was born in Bolzano, northern Italy, as the daughter of ski mountaineer, Hansjörg Lunger, she started ski mountaineering in 2002. Since 2009, Tamara has been a high-altitude climber meaning she makes her ascents without oxygen. On 23 May 2010, Lunger became the youngest ever female climber (aged 23 years, 11 months, and 17 days), to have reached the main summit of Lhotse. By the age of 30 she had climbed two of the world’s four highest mountains (K2 and Lhotse) this was despite injuries and afflictions that meant every step taken was in pain. In this incredible episode Tamara tells us what it’s like to traverse some of the world’s most punishing summits, all whilst under considerable physical pain and mental stress. Within this, Tamara generously describes: - Coming face-to-face with death and the life-changing experience that resulted - How she prepares mentally about the fact she may potentially not return from a trip - How she’s helped exhume dead bodies and body parts in order to take them back down a mountain - How she overcame her ego and turned around just 70m from the top of a mountain summit - How she separates the fear of doing something from its end experience (if she knows it will be beneficial) After some action-packed years of adventure, Tamara is currently in a period of reflection, meditation, and physical recovery which she also speaks about later on in the episode. Find out more about Tamara’s achievements: http://www.tamaralunger.com/en/index.php And follow her story on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tamaralunger If sports, adventure and their positive affects on the mind are all themes you want to explore then you’ll find more Role Models episodes on the topics here: https://www.rolemodels.co/podcast/language:english-only/category:sports-athletes/ Thanks to Samsung NEXT for supporting this episode. Find out more about their mission to support entrepreneurs: http://samsungnext.com/berlin A big thanks also to our Patreon patrons who support this podcast: - Megan Quinn, General Partner at Spark Capital who supports the organization: http://www.code2040.org/ - Anna Caroline, a leadership coach based out of Berlin that you can find on truthcircles.com - Emma Harris And please follow Role Models! On Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/_rolemodels/ On Twitter: https://twitter.com/rolemodels
Oct 29, 2018
1 hr 10 min
#40 – Seed.com founder Ara Kratz on finding your path without following the recipe
Ara Kratz is the founder of seed.com Newly launched in June 2018, seed.com is a science-based company that supports health, wellness and wellbeing through the application of microbiome science in people’s everyday lives. Seed.com has succeeded not just in translating science into a beautiful product, but in translating science, period. seed.com is currently setting the gold standard in a future where microbes play an increasingly important role in our daily lives. Talking to Ara so soon after seed.com’s launch provided the perfect springboard into conversations about the dynamism of the post-launch period. This includes: - What to expect straight after launching - How the months that follow are about rediscovering the why you created the product in the first place. Elsewhere, Ara also shares her valuable experience in: - Storytelling - the mechanics of what makes a good/bad story and storyteller - Tips on how to meet people where they are when launching a complex product - How to balance the detail as well as the bigger picture when in startup mode Find out more about Seed’s products and mission at: http://www.seed.com On Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/seed/ If founding your own company is something you want to explore, you’ll find more Role Models episodes on the topic here: https://www.rolemodels.co/podcast/language:english-only/category:business/ Thanks to Samsung NEXT for supporting this episode. Find out more about their mission to support entrepreneurs: http://samsungnext.com/berlin Thanks to our patrons for this episode: - Anna Caroline who coaches leaders in Berlin: http://truthcircles.com - Megan Quinn who supports Code2014: http://www.code2040.org - Emma Harris Follow Role Models! On Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/_rolemodels/ On Twitter: https://twitter.com/rolemodels
Oct 15, 2018
59 min
#39 – #Girlboss founder Sophia Amoruso on how to redefine success
Sophia Amoruso is the founder of Nasty Gal Vintage; author of #Girlboss; and founder of Girlboss Media. About Sophia Sophia started Nasty Gal Vintage from her bedroom at the age of 22 and grew it into one of the world’s fastest growing companies. In 2016, she was named one of the richest self-made women in the world by Forbes, and Netflix created the show Girlboss based on her story. When the company subsequently filed for bankruptcy, Sophia founded Girlboss Media bringing events, conferences, multiple podcasts, books and more to the millennial women and helping them to redefine success by providing the tools and connections they need to own their futures. In this episode Sophia speaks openly and honestly about what she learned from bankruptcy before going on to found a globally recognised movement with over 10 million #Girlboss uses on Instagram. These conversations touch on areas including: Growing and owning your personal brand - How to take risks, own failure and learn from it - How to lead a company and onboard people into your vision Find out more about Girlboss at: https://www.girlboss.com/ Follow Sophie on Twitter: https://twitter.com/sophiaamoruso Or on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sophiaamoruso/ This episode was recorded in partnership with the OMR Podcast which is usually hosted by Philipp Westermeyer. Check out previous episodes of the OMR Podcast here: https://omr.com/de/podcast/ If founding your own company is soemthing you want to explore, you’ll find more Role Models episodes on the topic here: https://www.rolemodels.co/podcast/language:english-only/category:business/ Thanks to Samsung NEXT for supporting this episode. Find out more about their mission to support entrepreneurs: http://samsungnext.com/berlin Thanks to our patrons for this episode: - Anna Caroline who coaches leaders in Berlin: http://truthcircles.com - Megan Quinn who supports Code2014: http://www.code2040.org - Alexandra Cosma: http://alexandracosma.com - Emma Harris Follow Role Models! On Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/_rolemodels/ On Twitter: https://twitter.com/rolemodels
Oct 1, 2018
46 min
#38 – How Reddit’s Anna Soellner communicates with and on behalf of 300 million active users
Anna Soellner is Director of Communications at @Reddit. With over 300 million active users spread across 138,000 different communities on the number 6 most trafficked website in the world, it’s fair to say Anna Soellner has a pretty daunting role as Reddit’s Director of Communications - a website which positions itself as “the front page of the internet”. Recorded live at The European Communications Summit in Berlin, Anna shares her personal journey from working in governance alongside Dianne Feinstein and Sheryl Sandberg all the way up to her current position overseeing communications with, and on behalf of, Reddit’s many millions of international users. Whether you work in communications yourself or want to learn how to better connect your business with those around you, today’s episode is full Anna’s personal learnings and insights as she tells how we can all become better and more effective communicators. Anna shares tips including: - How to manage the fragmented media landscape its ever-changing macro trends - How to practice social listening across multiple social media platforms - Why staying curious, discipline and being an advisor are all key communication skills As well as this, Anna also took the time to talk us through her thoughts on the future of communications, sharing insights on what she thinks we should be paying attention to in the next 2-3 years. To hear more from Anna you can follow her on Twitter: https://twitter.com/axisanna88 And if technology and the internet are something you’re keen to hear more about, you’ll find lots more Role Model episodes on the subjects here: https://www.rolemodels.co/podcast/language:english-only/category:technology-internet/ Thanks to our patrons for this episode: - Anna Caroline who coaches leaders in Berlin: http://truthcircles.com - Megan Quinn who supports Code2014: http://www.code2040.org - Alexandra Cosma: http://alexandracosma.com - Emma Harris If you’d like to help us create The Role Models Podcast in the future (thank you!), become a patron and chip-in $1, $3, $5, or $10 per episode. Read more about the different tiers and rewards on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/rolemodels Follow Role Models on Instagram: https://instagram.com/_rolemodels Follow Role Models on Twitter: https://twitter.com/rolemodels
Jul 10, 2018
46 min
#37 – How to cultivate your own leadership style with executive coach Carolyn Coughlin
Carolyn Coughlin is an executive coach, facilitator, and leadership development specialist. Carolyn’s journey began as a management consultant first at PriceWaterhouseCoopers and later at McKinsey & Co. She was introduced to the idea of adult development shortly after leaving the corporate world 15 years ago, and instantly felt passionate about helping people not only to grow into their biggest selves, but also to live as fully as they can. Throughout all of her work, Carolyn acts as a coach for executives struggling to navigate new or different career situations and in particular, has a keen interest in encouraging more women to step into leadership positions. With her fellow Cultivating Leadership partner Jennifer, Carolyn co-designed and runs the Growth Edge Certification series – a developmentally-oriented coaching platform that helps people find the right coach alongside helping coaches expand their knowledge in the developmental coaching area. Key to Carolyn’s work are two core philosophies of: - Cultivating leadership by offering skills that are immediately useful as well as developmental in nature. - Seeing leadership as a series of habits that are both self-reinforcing and contagious. In this episode Carolyn expands on both of these principles and shows us how we can all create a “self-authored” leadership voice that moves us away from reinforcing feedback loops that could potentially be holding us back. We also touch on topics including: - Why the key to deep listening is curiosity - Why we need to ask different (not better) questions of ourselves - How we can all escape reinforcing feedback loops - Why we’re so hard on our leaders! If you’re inspired by today’s episode you can learn more from Carolyn at: Leadership and change consultancy: https://www.cultivatingleadership.co.nz/ Learn more about the book by Stanley McCrystal 'Team of Teams' https://www.mcchrystalgroup.com/insights/teamofteams/ Developmentally-oriented coaching: https://www.growthedgecoaching.com/ And if leadership is something you’d like to learn more about you’ll find lots more Role Model episodes on the topic here: https://www.rolemodels.co/podcast/category:leadership/ Thanks to our patrons for this episode: - Anna Caroline who coaches leaders in Berlin: http://truthcircles.com - Megan Quinn who supports Code2014: http://www.code2040.org - Alexandra Cosma: http://alexandracosma.com - Emma Harris And if you want to help us create The Role Models Podcast in the future (thank you!), become a patron and chip-in $1, $3, $5, or $10 per episode. Read more about the different tiers and rewards on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/rolemodels
Jun 26, 2018
55 min
Load more