This week on The Merri-Cast, I’m joined by the fantastic Jenny Garrett OBE – an award-winning Author, Speaker, Thought Leader and Founder of Jenny Garrett Global.

Jenny’s entrepreneurial journey didn’t begin with a grand plan. It started cautiously, carving out one day a week to test her new coaching path. Now, it’s a thriving business that is 20 years strong.

Along the way, Jenny has become a leading voice in inclusive leadership and empowerment, helping women and underrepresented groups break through barriers.

In this episode, Jenny shares wisdom that every entrepreneur and leader can learn from, including:

• Starting small – Why began by coaching one day a week before taking the leap into full-time entrepreneurship.
• Building communities – Creating “jellies” (co-working meetups) to beat entrepreneurial loneliness and launching the UK’s first Diverse Executive Coach Directory.
• Inclusive leadership – How to go beyond the tick-box to create real, long-term impact in organisations
• Empowering the next generation – How and why she’s helped many young people make better choices and grow in confidence.
• AI as a mirror – Why the real danger is having our own biases reflected back at us and how AI can be harnessed for equity.
• Advice for entrepreneurs – Such as playing the long game, charging your worth, protecting your holidays, and not waiting too long to delegate.

Jenny’s story is one of courage, clarity, and commitment to making business a force for equity and empowerment.

Jenny Garrett:
LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/jennygarrettreflexion
Coach Directory: https://diverseexecutivecoaches.co.uk/
Podcast: https://aiforequity.world/
Rocking Ur Teens CIC: https://rockingurteens.com/
Website: jennygarrett.global
Email: info@jennygarrett.global

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, 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