Episode Guest:

Matt Callaghan is the Chief Operating Officer at easyJet Holidays, where he leads customer experience, operations, and long-term strategy. With a background spanning Deloitte, British Airways, and frontline leadership at Heathrow, Matt brings a rare blend of operational grit and strategic vision.

Episode Timestamps:

0:00 Introduction

1:23 Why Matt Said Yes to My Duvet Flip

2:14 First Job at Next: Life Lessons from Retail

4:00 Why Students Should Get a Job While Studying

5:24 From No Plan to Deloitte Graduate Scheme

7:01 Taking the First Step Without a 5-Year Plan

8:20 What "All-In" Really Means

10:16 Work-Life Blend and Being Present

13:12 Failing Exams and Bouncing Back

14:43 What Working Hard Means to Matt

17:06 The Power of Curiosity — And Acting on It

18:59 Why Matt Left Deloitte for British Airways

21:00 Moving to London: Expectations vs. Reality

23:00 Feeling Stuck and Choosing to Pivot

24:57 Getting the Heathrow Operations Role Without Airline Experience

27:11 Falling in Love with Aviation

29:00 Why Matt Applied for a Job He Wasn’t Qualified For

30:45 From Terminal 5 to easyJet

32:11 A Global Role That Wasn’t Sustainable

33:02 Joining easyJet and Shaping Strategy

34:46 Building easyJet Holidays from the Ground Up

36:00 Why easyJet Holidays Is a Special Place to Work

37:43 Life Lesson: What Fostering Taught Matt About Leadership

40:18 Matt’s Duvet Flip: Creating Joy and Connection Through Travel

Episode Partners

📊 Compare the Market

Discover how you can make a difference at Compare the Market, the company behind one of the UK’s most popular comparison sites. From tech and data to marketing and operations, they’re on a mission to simplify decisions for millions.

https://bit.ly/4i53Svj

Disclaimer:

The content provided on Duvet Flip is for informational and entertainment purposes only and should not be considered professional advice. The views expressed by hosts, guests, brands or contributors are their own and do not necessarily reflect those of the show's producers, sponsors, or affiliates. The information shared is not a substitute for professional advice, including but not limited to career counseling, financial guidance, legal consultation, or mental health support.

Listeners and viewers are responsible for their own decisions and actions based on the content provided, and Duvet Flip assumes no liability for any outcomes resulting from reliance on the information shared. By engaging with the show, you acknowledge and agree to this disclaimer.

If you’re struggling with debt, trusted advice and free support can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/debt-advice

If you’re struggling with mental health of any kind, you can find free support here: https://www.nhs.uk/mental-health/

Episode Guest:

Sam Sims is the Chief Executive of National Numeracy, with a career rooted in empowering individuals through confidence-building and lifelong learning. His work focuses on supporting those often overlooked to realise their potential with the right tools and encouragement.

Episode Timestamps:

0:00 Introduction

0:32 Meet Sam Sims, CEO of National Numeracy

1:13 What National Numeracy does

1:54 Sam’s early work and first jobs

3:06 Lessons from the call centre

4:18 How Sam built confidence as an introvert

5:21 Honest talk on imposter syndrome

6:16 Why networking is Sam’s greatest professional tool

7:23 The right (and wrong) way to network

8:55 From research to running his own business

10:11 What his first company was really about

11:02 When business plans don’t go to plan

11:42 Discovering purpose through volunteering in the US

13:10 Helping a teenager unlock maths confidence

14:19 Why confidence is more important than skill

15:06 The long-term impact of belief and encouragement

15:52 Why Sam joined the charity sector

17:02 What keeps him motivated in the third sector

17:51 Why volunteering is the engine behind social impact

18:37 National Numeracy’s biggest annual campaign

19:45 The power of their partnership with Compare the Market

21:00 How number confidence connects to money

22:01 Why financial literacy is about mindset first

23:00 Sam’s biggest money regret

24:06 One money tip Sam wishes he knew at 18

25:00 Helping communities through local volunteers

26:04 What the charity sector gives back to professionals

27:13 The best work-life lesson Sam ever received

28:09 Sam’s final message on confidence and belief

29:00 What gets Sam out of bed in the morning — his duvet flip

Episode Partners:

📊 Compare the Market

Discover how you can make a difference at Compare the Market, the company behind one of the UK’s most popular comparison sites. From tech and data to marketing and operations, they’re on a mission to simplify decisions for millions.

https://bit.ly/4i53Svj

Disclaimer:

The content provided on Duvet Flip is for informational and entertainment purposes only and should not be considered professional advice. The views expressed by hosts, guests, brands or contributors are their own and do not necessarily reflect those of the show's producers, sponsors, or affiliates. The information shared is not a substitute for professional advice, including but not limited to career counseling, financial guidance, legal consultation, or mental health support.

Listeners and viewers are responsible for their own decisions and actions based on the content provided, and Duvet Flip assumes no liability for any outcomes resulting from reliance on the information shared. By engaging with the show, you acknowledge and agree to this disclaimer.

If you’re struggling with debt, trusted advice and free support can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/debt-advice

If you’re struggling with mental health of any kind, you can find free support here: https://www.nhs.uk/mental-health/

Episode Guest:

Lukas Kaminskis is the CEO of Boom Training and Turing College, two organisations focused on transforming tech education across Europe. He’s a serial entrepreneur passionate about building learner-first experiences that unlock economic mobility.

Benas Sidlauskas is the Chief Business Development Officer at Boom Training and Turing College. A long-time co-founder with Lukas, Benas is driven by creating scalable education models that equip people for the future of work.

Episode Timestamps:

0:00 Introduction

0:20 Meet Lukas and Benas: Co-Founders of Turing College

1:00 From debating rivals to co-founders

2:00 Lukas' first job: rats, grain, and coding bootcamps

3:20 Why Lukas turned down a political path

5:00 Benas’ first hustle: filmmaking at 14

6:15 The presidential film project that changed everything

7:30 Growing up in small towns, dreaming big

8:45 Turning down top universities to start something new

10:00 Investors said no — so they bootstrapped from scratch

11:20 Explaining bootstrapping: lessons and mindset

12:40 Organising events without a legal entity

14:00 Partnering with Harvard — and how Facebook helped

15:20 Getting government backing to bring CS50 to Europe

16:45 Flying to Boston and signing with Harvard

17:30 What Turing College actually does

18:40 Why AI and data skills matter more than ever

20:10 Scaling across 80+ countries

21:20 Impact stories from Uganda and Nigeria

22:40 Acquiring Boom Training and expanding in the UK

24:10 The apprenticeship system — and how they’re transforming it

25:20 Peer-led learning: the secret behind their model

26:30 What makes UK apprenticeships restrictive

28:00 Levy funding: what SMEs are missing out on

29:30 Why upskilling needs to go beyond senior leaders

31:00 What Europe must do to stay competitive in AI

32:00 Lukas on AI’s impact on the labour market

33:30 The financial mindset that helped them grow

34:20 Benas’ biggest money mistake

35:10 Lukas’ #1 advice on investing in yourself

36:00 Money tip: Spend first on “musts”, then “wants”

37:10 What success looks like in 5 years

38:20 Why education must evolve now

39:30 What’s broken in the system — and their fix

40:30 Their message to young people: take control

41:20 Their message to businesses: don’t forget the non-power users

42:20 Benas’ invisible success: resilience through rejection

43:20 Lukas’ invisible success: 10-year co-foundership

44:30 How they complement each other as co-founders

45:30 What gets Lukas out of bed: fixing the future of work

46:20 What motivates Benas: belief in Europe’s innovation potential

47:40 Jack’s reflections and final thoughts

48:40 Outro and thanks

Episode Partners:

📊 Compare the Market

Discover how you can make a difference at Compare the Market, the company behind one of the UK’s most popular comparison sites. From tech and data to marketing and operations, they’re on a mission to simplify decisions for millions.

https://bit.ly/4i53Svj

Disclaimer:

The content provided on Duvet Flip is for informational and entertainment purposes only and should not be considered professional advice. The views expressed by hosts, guests, brands or contributors are their own and do not necessarily reflect those of the show's producers, sponsors, or affiliates. The information shared is not a substitute for professional advice, including but not limited to career counseling, financial guidance, legal consultation, or mental health support.

Listeners and viewers are responsible for their own decisions and actions based on the content provided, and Duvet Flip assumes no liability for any outcomes resulting from reliance on the information shared. By engaging with the show, you acknowledge and agree to this disclaimer.

If you’re struggling with debt, trusted advice and free support can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/debt-advice

If you’re struggling with mental health of any kind, you can find free support here: https://www.nhs.uk/mental-health/

Episode Guest:

Richard Walker is the Executive Chairman of Iceland Foods and a passionate advocate for responsible business. He also founded the sustainable property firm Bywater, blending purpose, grit and leadership to champion people and planet.

Episode Timestamps:

0:00 Introduction

0:48 Why business is a force for good

1:34 Richard’s first job and early lessons in customer service

3:44 What makes a great communicator?

4:53 Battling assumptions and proving himself

6:14 A year on the shop floor: lessons in humility and leadership

8:15 The power of team culture in retail

9:42 Leadership vs management

10:46 Facing hard days in a tough industry

11:58 The palm oil campaign — and media backlash

13:39 Social impact: microloans, food banks and responsibility

15:00 Why politics wasn’t the answer

16:57 Learning resilience through failure and Everest

19:06 Just keep going: Richard’s Everest analogy

20:28 Biggest money regret

21:09 Richard’s money tip to his younger self

21:56 The Poland chapter: starting from scratch

24:51 Returning to the UK and building a bold property vision

28:03 Pushing through the no’s

29:41 Rethinking what a ‘network’ really means

30:59 Is social media helping or harming ambition?

32:13 Staying authentic in the influencer age

33:50 The four Ps: Passion, Purpose, Profit & Peace

36:43 The influence of Richard’s father and family legacy

38:58 Why Richard joined Iceland despite doubts

40:24 The invisible driver behind Richard’s success

41:52 Richard’s duvet flip moment

Episode Partners:

📊 Compare the Market

Discover how you can make a difference at Compare the Market, the company behind one of the UK’s most popular comparison sites. From tech and data to marketing and operations, they’re on a mission to simplify decisions for millions.

https://bit.ly/4i53Svj

Disclaimer:

The content provided on Duvet Flip is for informational and entertainment purposes only and should not be considered professional advice. The views expressed by hosts, guests, brands or contributors are their own and do not necessarily reflect those of the show's producers, sponsors, or affiliates. The information shared is not a substitute for professional advice, including but not limited to career counseling, financial guidance, legal consultation, or mental health support.

Listeners and viewers are responsible for their own decisions and actions based on the content provided, and Duvet Flip assumes no liability for any outcomes resulting from reliance on the information shared. By engaging with the show, you acknowledge and agree to this disclaimer.

If you’re struggling with debt, trusted advice and free support can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/debt-advice

If you’re struggling with mental health of any kind, you can find free support here: https://www.nhs.uk/mental-health/

Episode Guest:

Nick Bent is the CEO of upReach, a UK-based social mobility charity helping university students from less-advantaged backgrounds secure top graduate jobs. With a background spanning government, business, and the third sector, Nick co-founded upReach to level the playing field for talented young people.

German Bencci is the CEO and founder of CodeYourFuture, a volunteer-driven organisation training individuals from disadvantaged backgrounds to launch successful careers in tech. Originally from Venezuela, German built CodeYourFuture into a global community offering accessible, flexible, and impactful tech education.

Episode Timestamps:

0:00 Introduction

0:41 Why mentoring and informal conversations matter

1:26 Meet Nick Bent and German Bencci

2:03 First jobs and early career lessons

4:00 Nick's pivot from law to public policy

5:00 German's journey from Venezuela to Europe

6:42 Taking leaps before you're ready

7:49 The power of asking for help

8:13 How mentors shaped Nick and German

9:32 Why in-person learning still matters

11:00 Role models and mindset shifts

12:02 Mentorship at CodeYourFuture and upReach

13:37 From volunteering to founding a charity

16:03 Turning passion into full-time purpose

17:31 Spotting a gap and launching CodeYourFuture

19:02 How young people can start volunteering

21:03 Volunteering as work experience

22:54 The real value of giving your time

24:04 What upReach does for young people

25:26 The graduate job gap and social mobility

27:36 How CodeYourFuture supports career changers

29:54 Removing barriers: childcare, laptops, and support

32:00 How the HG Foundation makes it possible

33:19 What is the Tech 500 programme?

35:12 VIP access to Google HQ

37:05 Restarting CodeYourFuture’s software programme

39:52 How corporate partners can get involved

42:31 Paid internships and practical pathways

44:59 Final question: What's your duvet flip?

Episode Partners:

Hg Foundation

Together with The Hg Foundation, we’re on a mission to motivate and inspire young people like you to explore, or even start a career in technology through inspirational talks from industry.

https://bit.ly/4mwzRGs

Disclaimer:

The content provided on Duvet Flip is for informational and entertainment purposes only and should not be considered professional advice. The views expressed by hosts, guests, brands or contributors are their own and do not necessarily reflect those of the show's producers, sponsors, or affiliates. The information shared is not a substitute for professional advice, including but not limited to career counseling, financial guidance, legal consultation, or mental health support.

Listeners and viewers are responsible for their own decisions and actions based on the content provided, and Duvet Flip assumes no liability for any outcomes resulting from reliance on the information shared. By engaging with the show, you acknowledge and agree to this disclaimer.

If you’re struggling with debt, trusted advice and free support can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/debt-advice

If you’re struggling with mental health of any kind, you can find free support here: https://www.nhs.uk/mental-health/

Episode Guest

Briya Campbell is the Senior Data Enablement Manager at Compare the Market, where she champions innovation and inclusion in the data space. With a dynamic background spanning retail and tech, Briya is passionate about mentorship, representation, and driving commercial impact through data.

Episode Timestamps:

0:00 Introduction

0:23 Meet the Guest: Senior Data Enablement Manager at Compare the Market

1:03 Bria’s Background: Growing Up in a Single-Parent Household

2:04 First Job Lessons: Patience and Pivoting

4:00 How a Career Academy Opened New Doors

5:57 The Power of Mentorship

7:32 Planning a Future Without a Blueprint

9:00 Being First in the Family to Go to Uni

10:48 The Grit from a Single-Parent Upbringing

12:02 Giving Back: Mentoring Four, Learning from Two

13:25 Breaking into Data After Redundancy

14:44 What Compare the Market Is Really Like

16:27 The Importance of Representation at Work

17:23 Money Tips: Pensions, Budgeting & Saving Early

19:02 Being a Role Model and Staying Authentic

20:47 Advice for Young Black Women in the Workplace

22:30 Overcoming Imposter Syndrome

23:55 Why Data & AI Are Exciting Careers

25:29 Final Advice: Take the Risk, Be the Cultural Add

25:50 Bria’s Duvet Flip

Episode Partners

📊 Compare the Market

Discover how you can make a difference at Compare the Market, the company behind one of the UK’s most popular comparison sites. From tech and data to marketing and operations, they’re on a mission to simplify decisions for millions.

https://bit.ly/4i53Svj

Disclaimer:

The content provided on Duvet Flip is for informational and entertainment purposes only and should not be considered professional advice. The views expressed by hosts, guests, brands or contributors are their own and do not necessarily reflect those of the show's producers, sponsors, or affiliates. The information shared is not a substitute for professional advice, including but not limited to career counseling, financial guidance, legal consultation, or mental health support.

Listeners and viewers are responsible for their own decisions and actions based on the content provided, and Duvet Flip assumes no liability for any outcomes resulting from reliance on the information shared. By engaging with the show, you acknowledge and agree to this disclaimer.

If you’re struggling with debt, trusted advice and free support can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/debt-advice

If you’re struggling with mental health of any kind, you can find free support here: https://www.nhs.uk/mental-health/

Episode Guests

James Turner is the CEO of the Hg Foundation, leading its mission to drive social mobility through technology and education.

Elona Mortimer-Zhika is a Board Trustee at the Hg Foundation and a passionate advocate for diversity, inclusion, and access to tech careers.

Episode Timestamps

0:00 Introduction

0:49 Meet James and Elona from the HG Foundation

1:27 Why tech access is a social mobility issue

2:29 James’ journey from law to education leadership

3:42 Elona’s powerful story: from Albania to tech boardrooms

5:00 Why opportunity is everything — and not equally shared

6:07 What the HG Foundation actually does

8:01 Scaling impact: 100,000 tech opportunities

9:24 Behind the partnerships driving change

11:00 The diversity crisis in tech

12:27 Why inclusion powers better businesses

13:40 Data-backed impact and smarter giving

15:00 Why Elona believes “playing small does not serve the world”

16:26 Who backs the HG Foundation — and why it matters

17:58 The unique power of the HG network

19:46 Why tech careers are ideal for young people

21:26 Mira Murati, ChatGPT & tech role models

23:06 How to future-proof your career with tech

24:52 Real programs, real opportunities

26:07 Final message to the next generation

28:07 James' duvet flip moment

28:43 Elona’s reason for showing up — every single time

29:50 Closing thanks

Episode Partners

Hg Foundation

Together with The Hg Foundation, we’re on a mission to motivate and inspire young people like you to explore, or even start a career in technology through inspirational talks from industry.

https://bit.ly/4mwzRGs

Disclaimer:

The content provided on Duvet Flip is for informational and entertainment purposes only and should not be considered professional advice. The views expressed by hosts, guests, brands or contributors are their own and do not necessarily reflect those of the show's producers, sponsors, or affiliates. The information shared is not a substitute for professional advice, including but not limited to career counseling, financial guidance, legal consultation, or mental health support.

Listeners and viewers are responsible for their own decisions and actions based on the content provided, and Duvet Flip assumes no liability for any outcomes resulting from reliance on the information shared. By engaging with the show, you acknowledge and agree to this disclaimer.

If you’re struggling with debt, trusted advice and free support can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/debt-advice

If you’re struggling with mental health of any kind, you can find free support here: https://www.nhs.uk/mental-health/

Episode Guest:

Matthew Wragg is the CEO at Gattaca Plc. Parent company to Matchtech, Infosec People and Gattaca Projects , where he’s spent over two decades rising through 12 roles to lead the company. Known for his people-first approach and belief in learning through hard graft, Matthew brings deep insight into recruitment, leadership, and resilience.

Episode Timestamps:

0:00 Introduction

1:20 Matthew’s first job and “get the hell out if it’s not learning” mindset

4:10 From door‑to‑door sales to recruitment: the pivot

7:05 What “hard graft” really means and why it matters

10:22 The role of emotional intelligence in recruitment

13:35 How recruitment has stayed the same — and what’s changed

16:40 Building a team game, not just a desk/mini‑business

19:12 The power of curiosity: “everybody knows something you don’t”

22:30 What makes a great recruiter and what the industry gets wrong

25:45 Inside Gattaca PLC: culture, identity & client‑candidate impact

29:10 Matthew’s “duvet‑flip” moment: what wakes him up in the morning

32:05 Financial decisions, bold steps & money tips

35:20 Career reflections: loyalty, learning and making yourself redundant

38:00 Closing thoughts & take‑aways

Episode Partners:

📊 Compare the Market

Discover how you can make a difference at Compare the Market, the company behind one of the UK’s most popular comparison sites. From tech and data to marketing and operations, they’re on a mission to simplify decisions for millions.

https://bit.ly/4i53Svj

Disclaimer:

The content provided on Duvet Flip is for informational and entertainment purposes only and should not be considered professional advice. The views expressed by hosts, guests, brands or contributors are their own and do not necessarily reflect those of the show's producers, sponsors, or affiliates. The information shared is not a substitute for professional advice, including but not limited to career counseling, financial guidance, legal consultation, or mental health support.

Listeners and viewers are responsible for their own decisions and actions based on the content provided, and Duvet Flip assumes no liability for any outcomes resulting from reliance on the information shared. By engaging with the show, you acknowledge and agree to this disclaimer.

If you’re struggling with debt, trusted advice and free support can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/debt-advice

If you’re struggling with mental health of any kind, you can find free support here: https://www.nhs.uk/mental-health/