Show Notes
It’s safe to say that firing yourself is a rather unique experience in business. But this is an entrepreneur that has made a career of challenging the norm and thinking differently. Whether it’s taking on the male-dominated insurance industry or questioning the culture of high company valuations (AKA “Ponzi schemes”), she’s not afraid to blaze her own trail.
With refreshing honesty and unwithering self-reflection, in this conversation with Sam White, Founder of Freedom Services Group & Stella Insurance, we cover being “unemployable”, leading teams across the globe, raising funding as a woman, and much more.
Here's what we discussed:
If we listed your achievements to date to a younger Sam White, what would her reaction be? (00:23) Were you an entrepreneurial person from a young age? (01:03) Could you give us an overview of your career to this point? (02:17) You describe yourself as “unemployable”, is that something you notice in your peers too? (05:28) You started a psychology degree at university, you have a podcast called “Human Business”, where does your fascination with the mind and what makes people tick come from? (07:20) You’ve fired yourself as CEO – could you tell us about that story? (10:16) You’ve always been a disruptor with your businesses, but as this disruptive native always been within you and how did it manifest itself? (13:43) Did you find that leading teams in the US and Australia were different to ones in the UK, and if so, how did you adapt your leadership style? (15:21) What has your funding journey been like? (19:25) You touch on female funding in your own podcast, have you been shocked at the stories you’ve heard on the podcast and in the female entrepreneurs you come across? (23:10) Have you noticed an improvement since you first started fundraising to now? (25:41) Do we need to change the relationship and view of failure, and did you notice a difference in the attitudes towards failure between the US and elsewhere? (31:47) What are your thoughts on the trend of companies raising a lot of money, with wild valuations, before even turning a profit? (37:48) The Good News Postcard: What is the hardest challenge you've ever faced as a business? (42:06) What makes a great business leader? (43:28)
Thanks to Oscar from the Jill Dando News for bringing us The Good News Postcard this week. Get your dose of positive news by visiting The Good News Post, a website collated by hundreds of young people aged 8 to 18 in the UK. They've written real-life “news that’s good for you”, covering people, animals, stories to cheer people up, and tips to make lives better.
Be sure to subscribe to the podcast and the Business Leader YouTube channel for more interviews with some of the world’s leading business figures. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
More from The Business Leader Podcast
High performance. The buzz term du jour on LinkedIn and in the business community. The man who literally has a podcast on the topic has his doubts about whether people actually know its true meaning.
“Rebel with a cause” is the term often associated with the president of Seat and Cupra. A quick glance at his LinkedIn reveals that Wayne Griffiths is not your usual business leader. He’s a vehement fan of David Bowie, despises suits and ties and is almost always seen sporting jeans and a leather jacket.
30 minutes a day on personal training and development methods, according to research from the Centre for Management & Organisation Effectiveness. Inspiration can come from books, Ted Talks, podcasts and many more sources. But what about improv comedy?
If you haven’t heard of disruptive men’s health brand Numan, it’s time to start taking notice. Since its launch in 2018, the company has helped 430,000 men maximise their health.
“I wasn’t taught money management at school.” This is a long-held frustration by almost everyone who’s attended formal education. But one company has taken matters into its own hands, with the mission to “make every kid smart with money” and become a household name in the process.