Digital Hub: Recent Episodes
Ian Benjamin
Digital Hub is a podcast that focuses on Digital Transformation with a Digital Marketing focus from the perspective of our guests. Our guests are Business owners’, Leaders, industry professionals and enthusiasts. We discuss & share ideas, experiences and knowledge on how Digital Transformation has shaped the business world, listen to our guests’ vision on what the future holds for the digital world.
Get ready for an inspiring episode with Resham Ahdan, the unstoppable English-born Asian Business Process & transformation supremo. From shy to powerhouse, Resham has conquered the corporate world, leading global teams and coaching Leaders. Hear her incredible journey, learn the importance of company culture, and discover how to develop unwavering self-belief. With Resham's wisdom, you'll be inspired to exceed your potential and achieve greatness. Don't miss this uplifting and inspiring conversation. Thank you, Resham!
Kianna is a previous guest of the digital hub podcast, some of you may remember her, at the time Kianna was Senior Recruitment Business Partner for Mediabrands, Kianna is now DE&I Manager at Mediabrands leading their strategy for 2023 and is delivering on a plan to land 3 serious improvements to the overall D&I strategy in 2023.
Kianna is a successful black woman in her own right, her new role is a natural progression for herm as she has already devised and contributed so much to Mediabrands D&I strategy in her previous role its great ear her insights and what she has loaned for 2023 and beyond.
Seun is the Managing Director of Matterkind. Seun leads Matterkind UK and Ireland, IPG’s essentially, IPG’s activation intelligence company.
Seun, super bright & super driven graduated university in Manchester however while at Uni he took a gap year as an intern and that was his first taste of the advertising sector, and BOOM the rest is history!
Seun has flourished in the sector, and he describes his journey well with a story of how his current role as MD unfolded.
As a young black MD Seun is also an D&I advocate, acknowledging that working in advertising as a MD is a rare role for a black man, therefore he is working closely with Kianna to ensure the groundwork is laid down for up & coming people of colour can following his footsteps.
Thank you, Kianna & Seun.
Sergio Panday my brother from another mother, we are both super tall, I edge Sergio by an inch or two. Height is just one thing we share, we also share a passion for equality, equal opportunities for all.
Sergio an Investment Banking professional, he has a glowing CV with experience spanning Amsterdam, Singapore for tier 1 Investment Banks, check out Sergio’s LinkedIn profile its very impressive!
Sergio is also the founder & CEO of Roots Inspire the mentoring leadership programme that has developed 100+ up & coming leaders of colour, furnishing them with the tools, knowledge to better navigate the corporate world.
On this episode we talk about the inception of Roots Inspire its mission purpose and the programmes Roots Inspire has planned for the future. Sergio also shares snippets of early life, born in Suriname, raised in Amsterdam by his mother and his rise to significant heights within Investment Banking.
Ovo Ghararo, Legal & General’s Chief Data & Analytics Officer.
Within a few minutes it was evident that Ovo is one of the nicest guys you’d ever wish to meet, but also, you’ll realise he really – really knows his stuff, what he doesn’t know about data you can write on a postage stamp.
After graduating rising through the ranks to Deloitte, M&G & finally to his current gig at Legal & general as Chief Data & Analytics Officer, this journey has given Ovo the experience, knowledge & confidence to manage multi-billion-pound projects! & trust me when I say he has a natural knack for understanding & demystifying complex data problems & laying down facts.
Topics discussed not limited to ….
- Does the CTO always see the difference?
- Why 60% of data lake projects fail
- When will data be defined as its own entity and stop being referred to as technology?
It’s a great listen, effortlessly articulated in laymen terms.
Thank you Ovo!
I met Tolu earlier this year at a D&I conference organised by the one & only Andre Spence, thank you Andre!!
Tolu wowed the room, all 50+ attendees were transfixed on how eloquent he was and the messages that came from him, I was one of those attendees & we’ve spoken very week since
Tolu is Head of data visualisation at Sky, he has excelled through the ranks since completing their graduation program.
Tolu is Nigerian, from the age of 3 years of age Tolu grew up in Hampshire with is parents and siblings from. He didn’t set the world at light at school, he was a rebel at times who waited until he went to college to unleash the focus and superb brain that seen him excel academically and shape his focus that he possesses to this very day, we have a great chat, it was fun as I already kind of knew his values and a tiny bit about Tolu, and he didn’t hold back in sharing with me how his life and career to date has unfolded, articulated in away that is true to the Digital Hub that is full of inspiration.
As with many of my guests we ran out if time and we were only just getting started.
Enjoy & thank you Tolu.
This is an enjoyable podcast interview, not just for the up & coming but for us that are a few years older too, don’t get me wrong, Eddie isn’t ancient as he’s similar age to me…lol we grew up when the world was a different place to what it is now, we get into that as well as his rise to being Managing Partner at Publicis.
Eddie was calm, super – super cool, his demeanour remained stellar throughout this episode, he came with invaluable insights including the importance of how his actions of “persistence & passion” saw him land his first gig in the world of advertising which was massively a white dominated sector at that time. His early years in Newcastle was great to hear, I listened and imagined how cool it would’ve been to of been his mate as we had so many similar interests with football, clothes & music.
I’m already looking forward to Part 2
A talent that I’m going to love to see him thrive and keep achieving he is so humble that he surprises himself with his achievements & repetitive successes.
Sam was born in Nigeria, into family of high values & standards.
Sam doesn’t hold back, he shares with you every step of his journey from Nigeria, boarding school to his first role crunching numbers in a data role ad to where he is today as Global Account Manager at WPP.
Sam’s story is a true inspiration, confirming international immigration overseas & success is possible for those who work hard and believe in themselves.
Ebony Douglas, the Senior Digital Marketer & proud Mum from Wembley, a truly magnificent black female marketeer, blessed with such as a positive no fear outlook that’s infectious!
Brought up by a single parent, an only child, however, she’s taken on all what a modest upbringing can throw her way and made herself into a woman on a mission to the boardroom who is one of few who has the balance of work and family life down to a fine art, being the devoted mother that she is to her young son while carving herself out a career.
On Ebony’s path to the Boardroom, it’s clear throughout this episode that her self-belief to push and knock on doors has contributed to Ebony making her own opportunities …..even her first job as intern which soon turned into a much bigger role.
We chatted about several topics each had a lesson within itself & I love that, it’s impossible for any up & coming individual or any career person to not get value from this episode.
Ebony would also like to share the name of “Efrosyni Adamides” to our listener & YouTube viewers, as she had a massive impact on Ebony’s life as a mentor and coach. We touch on this in this episode too.
Enjoy and be inspired as always as you’ve become accustomed to now know that’s what the Digital Hub podcast is all about, thank you Ebony.
Kianna is a trail blazer, the eldest of 3 siblings from South London.
Still in her 20’s Kianna has become a leader in the world of recruitment… internal Talent Acquisition and leadership!
Spearheading the talent team for a global media giant “Mediabrands” approximately 14000 employees in the UK is no easy feat.
Not just leading talent acquisition strategy but as a young black woman Kianna has really taken the lead from a DE&I perspective taking responsibility, implementing & driving visible change.
In typical Digital Hub style listen, learn & be inspired through hearing how and why Kianna has achieved so much in a relatively short amount of time.
Some of the topics discussed in this episode of Young Gifted & Black!
- We discover what has shaped Kianna
- Kianna’s life before and after University
- Early careers in retail sales, estate agency & then recruitment
- Kianna’s experience on not being her authentic self
- The importance of not burning bridges
- How George Floyd’s death inadvertently helped boost D&I initiatives
- Imposter syndrome
- Finding your niche & owning it
- Not being afraid of being successful
Enjoy this inspirational episode, thank you
Ian Benjamin & Kianna Briggs
It was an absolute pleasure to have Carol on as a guest, interviewing Carol was a joy.
Knowing Carol for the past few years, on a business level as well as on a person level shaped the interviews relevant & varied questions on a business and personal level which Carol embraced and shared a heck of a lot with me, & now with you Digital Hub listeners and viewers.
I’ve seen Carol’s career, stature & profile flourish in recent years now Head of Construction at Access Group, not only a mentor to so many and more to come and she has continued to embark on what is an amazing career in the digital & technology side of the construction sector or built environment as it’s becoming widely known today.
All that know Carol of will agree with me that she is a trail blazer for all women, most definitely black women but all women too as she becomes a recognised as an influential figure within the construction sector where gender & race gaps are an issue.
Carol takes on new challenges head on and excels time & time again an example of this was the sale of Easy Build in 2020, Carol managed the entire process almost single handed, navigating the entire sale from start to finish which ironing out the bumps in the Road to see the sale over the line, these traits are what have allowed her to grow and keep excelling in her career and personal life too, which she shares Ray, her son’s daughters and now grandkids too.
If you don’t know Carol you can easily follow her, she is frequently on the Clubhouse audio app, LinkedIn and also holds a seat on the board of the Hertfordshire Chamber of Commerce alongside Chamber CEO my friend Briege Leahy, again testament to her achievements in construction technology & the wider business community.
Grab a coffee, sit back & relax & be inspired….. well of course you know by now it’s the Digital Hub podcast!
Imran Anwar and I sat down we talked and laughed about his journey; Imran is a Pakistani Muslim who grew up in the northeast of England in the 80’s. His family already had roots there from his grandfather’s time spent in England during the war, albeit an Asian community was non-existent at that time.
Imran’s working-class family worked hard, and opened the traditional corner shop, which instilled the foundations for Imran’s business acumen that he fell back on after his dream of becoming an RAF pilot fell short after a rugby injury while representing the northeast of England while at school.
Imran shared with us how he fell into design, how he came up with an innovative idea that would save the rail sector millions on product development and Alt Labs was born in 2017.
Alt Labs is now 10+ team and growing as a Digital Product Studio, serving tier one clientele and picking up awards along the way, however Alt Labs success was not enough to keep Imran occupied as his love for cars and vans was always there & Haus of Vans was born in 2019. Haus of vans is a business that designs & makes bespoke custom vans, Haus of Vans kicked off its journey just as Covid had about hit us, and the timing couldn’t have been more perfect as staycations became the norm. Haus of vans is now a team of 3 full-time employees and have designed and to date have successfully built 26 custom bespoke premium vans.
These days Imran spends his time split between the two-businesses trying to keep his growing roster of clients happy, it’s a good thing there newly acquired premises is home to both businesses, not leaving as much time as he would like to spend with his wife and kids.
This is a great story of true grit determination and focus, and in typical Digital Hub fashion we have a laugh and a joke along the way.
Sit back and enjoy, as we keep trying to inspire listeners and viewers young & old from all ethnic backgrounds with each episode.
Thank you to all Digital Hub listeners and viewers for your continued support to Digital Hub.
Ian Benjamin
This an episode that really lifted me, the Digital Hub podcast has always been about Inspiration, and this episode certainly does that, it’s packed with Inspirational Energy & fun from the outset!
My guests Rejoice and Wilhemina both are up & coming Digital Marketing experts who have developed a passion for everything digital.
These two young experts niched their passion for digital marketing into the world of search engine optimization otherwise known as SEO.
To the listeners & viewers who aren’t familiar with SEO it is a skilled technical science. the objective of SEO is to achieve high ranking, visibility on Google or websites, essentially driving more traffic to a website. To create the right processes, keywords, content images links, knowing when to use innovative tools to increase the visibility from a Google search is no easy task.
If focusing on upskilling in SEO their chosen areas of Digital Marketing wasn’t enough, they launched B _Digital their own networking group a couple of years ago to help likeminded young black & ethnic digital enthusiasts as a network to help develop their skills, share ideas advice and more and have seen B-Digital grow & grow across the Discord Platform.
In the is episode we discuss their journeys to date & understand more about B-Digital and as always, we have a lot of fun and laughs along the way.
What this current landscape of BLM and George Floyd has produced is a new wave of unapologetically black thought espoused now by the proverbial water cooler a much as in the boardroom. CNN refers to Siddum’s definition of Unapologetically Black as not expending energy on what white people think,’ .He expands in his essay it’s “A journey towards freedom and rapture, but a painful journey nonetheless.”
We are not surprised how this sentiment would raise an eyebrow and a sense of concern about how this lands in the workplace. How does that fit in the discourse around equality and diversity in the workplace where the priority is harmony? Is the unapologetic space aligned with a truly inclusive environment? Leading some of these conversations during this potentially paradigm-shifting space has revealed a revived appetite for race based inclusion efforts that work, as well as a disdain and a fear of others being excluded. In private people tell me that they feel that things have “gone the other way”. If that’s what some are saying directly to a Black practitioner, you can imagine what the hidden unspoken thoughts are.
In referencing the late Toni Morrison’s writing, the guardian writes – that her brand of unapologetic black thought is “Without anger, apology or explanation, she moved black life from the margins of American history to the centre of stories that excavated American truths.” What this definition reveals is that are indeed D&I conversations that are honest, unrepentant but without shame or blame. Do we need to fear this unapologetic sentiment? This podcast is part 1 in exploring the possibilities and opportunities for real inclusive leadership and D&I efforts that inspire and the how this unapologetic narrative can be the catalyst.
Series 3 of the Digital Hub is here, ED&I is the focus, interviews with ED&I leaders and influencers will shape the backbone of this new series I hope you enjoy it!
We are recording 10 – 12 episodes will complete this series; however, I hope this series inspires at least one person, or a member of a community or one organisation after these episodes are published aired & shared.
18 months have passed since George Floyd was killed; the uprising of BLM & the spotlight has been firmly shone on the ED&I since then.
So, Rob Neil OBE & I unravel & discuss where we are at on this epic journey.
“Rob Neil” EDI - why, what & how with Rob Neil OBE
Rob is a founding member of the (Ministry of Justice) MoJ’s BAME Staff network in 2001
In April 2016 Rob was included in the ‘New View 50’ which recognises influential Black Asian Minority Ethnic (BAME) professionals in the public sector
Rob was awarded an OBE in the 2018 New Year’s Honours list for ‘Services to Race Equality in the workplace and the community’ and received his gong from the Queen at Buckingham Palace in May 2018.
Together we lift the cover off and discuss the topics below, we also get to know Rob as a person, his likes & what makes him tick.
- 18 months on from George Floyd, what’s working in ED&I”
- Krystal Alliance Rob’s ED&I consultancy work, helping businesses
- Uncomfortable but positive conversations in the board room”
- Are employers ED&I strategies REAL or NOT Real?
- Positivity coming from forming alliances
- Introducing Sandra Kerr’s “BITC” & Karl George’s “Race at work”
- ED&I What has worked & what hasn’t worked over the last 18 months”
Digital Hub podcast, focuses on sharing inspiring stores, journeys from Digital Leaders, influencers and Sharon’s episode “Mindset and achieving the (im)possible dream” is no exception, truly remarkable story that will resonate with many of us & deeper with anyone who had self-doubt or imposter syndrome”
If you like stories of success against the odds then this is a podcast you’ll cherish.
Sharon was born & raised in Tottenham in the 70’s & 80’s along with her 6 siblings, her parents are from Barbados.
Sharon left school with minimal qualifications and took a job in the typing pool with The Midland Bank now known to us all as HSBC, this role quickly became a dull and mundane.
However, the fire in Sharon’s belly was lit when she took it upon herself to solve a repetitive IT networking bug that was bottlenecking operations in her division at The Midland Bank, taking on and resolving this issue was a light bulb moment shaping Sharon’s career from there on in, the self-doubt took a 180-degree turn.
Sharon’s career starting swiftly rose upwards & she met Marc Elbet while at GSK, Marc also played a pivotal role in shaping Sharon’s journey, he became her mentor & from there on in the rest is history!
Sharon performed at the highest level in IT & Digital Leadership roles for The Post Office, Thomson Reuters, Bank of England, Ann Summers, GSK and is currently the Divisional Director of Digital for IMI Critical Engineering.
Academic achievements after starting work include a Computer Science Degree, a Law Degree, Honours in Law & and an MBA.
P.O.E.M (POST OFFICE ETHNIC MINORITY” an organisation that Sharon became the Chair of while at the Post Office & had deepened her commitment to equality diversity & inclusion and is a focal point of her row at IMI Critical Engineering.
Paul Sesay, born in the 70’s in Yorkshire, to a white Mother & black father, essentially the creation of a one-night stand!
Paul spent his early life through to his late teens in and out of Care Homes and Foster Homes.
Paul was naturally staring down the barrel of a life of crime whilst inside there was a strong feeling & sense of knowing he was destined for so much more, this ambition was recognised by James Klass, the late BBC radio presenter & DJ from Liverpool who brought Paul under his wing, and the rest is history!
Over the last decade Paul has ignited the Equality Diversity & Inclusion sector, paved the way for many careers and employers through creating Equality Diversity & Inclusion events, awards & solutions that are paving the way in solving Equality Diversity & Inclusion issues that have existed for too long, Pau says it’s not just about race but also about tackling disability, gender biases in the workplace too.
One of Paul’s creations is the Diversity Awards, they have grown year on year and in 2021 has exceeded 62,000 nominations and involvement & partnerships with ITV, Microsoft and many other tier one brands, another creation of Paul and his team is the Diversity TOP 50 companies, the success has many UK companies knocking the door down for recognition of the steps they have taken in equality and diversity.
His latest project the Precedent Group, a recruitment agency focused on Equality, Diversity & Inclusion has a UK focus with global road map.
Have a listen to hear Paul’s story a real inspiration for many not only to see what he has achieved but also to be moved on Paul’s commitment to change, which is what Paul Sesay is all about.
Enjoy, be inspired & perhaps get involved!
Another great Digital Hub episode, with my guest Andrew Lewis, a true Social Justice advocate.
At the start of 2021 Andrew was offered and accepted his new role of Global Head of Digital Operations at Cisco an opportunity few would pass up on. Leaving behind the D&I work that was bearing fruit at The Post Office didn’t sit right with him and Inner City Truth was born.
Inner City Truth is Andrew’s very own movement, created in 2020 after Andrew left his Head of Content Management & Digital Operations at The Post Office. While employed at The Post office Andrew took on the internal Diversity & Inclusion role of Chairman role that addressed their own Diversity & Inclusion transformation journey.
Andrew has amassed so much experience and passion for digital that has excelled his career, knowing & trusting what & where he wanted to take his career and it has gone for strength to strength and now has landed one of the biggest digital operations gigs on the planet, yes indeed at Cisco boom! …what a gig.
Maybe Andrew is the Digital Unicorn that every VP & CEO is looking for, have a listen as he explains how he landed the role and what this humongous role global digital looks like.
And to top it off he’s a top bloke that used to live in my own town of Luton, and he loves vinyl and drinks rum…wicked!
Enjoy, I have no doubt you will!
He needs no introduction is how I introduce this podcast, as its with Scott Saunders, Scott is a kind of a celebrity in his own right, a candidate of series 11 of the BBC’s The Apprentice with Lord Sugar.
Scott and I have known each other for some time, a few years, we have done business together through my recruitment firm Digital Execs and Scott’s digital marketing business Skye Inc that he successfully runs with is brother Kye.
To everyone’s amazement shook up the Apprentice series 11 by leaving the process at midpoint, it was crystal clear that Lord Sugar did not give Scott the acknowledgement, recognition that he deserved and Scott refused to bow to the peer pressure and left on his own accord, we touch on this during the podcast.
However, time waits for no man and we fast forward 6 years and Scott and I deep dive into his entrepreneurial spirit, his drive, his upbringing. Scott explains what it was like growing up as a mix raced lad in the 80’s in Letchworth Garden City, Hertfordshire and we are able to give our listeners and viewers a look at what he has achieved after the show and the Digital project, products & services he is bringing to the fore.
Be ready for a very brutally honest but inspirational interview, sit back and enjoy this episode of the Digital Hub.
I’m in the company of SEO & Digital Mktg royalty David Sayce & Jason Barnard!
The essential podcast and webinar for the microbusiness, start-up to understand what’s critical to know, the must have’s.
In this episode we demystify and clarify SEO fundamentals and lucky for me and you the listeners and viewers we will be understanding SERPS - Search Engine Results Pages also known as SERPS, this your backlinks.
This means you will also find out about
•“My business listings”
•What metrics to focus on at first”
•Keywords and testing
Jason’s own Consultancy is Kalicube everything SERPS and more about Jason & his Consultancy can be found at www.Kalicube.pro
David’s consultancy is PaperGecko find out more above David and his Consultancy at www.papergecko.com
Happy New Year to you all, and a big Thank you to the support and encouragement received in 2021!
Lukas and I will be publishing more Digital Hub episodes in 2021 with some interesting guests from in and around the digital sector.
The first 2021 episode is with the glamorous & driven Karen Levett, Founding & Managing Partner of The Live Chat Factory. Karen demystifies the Live Chat sector for us. www.LiveChatFactory.live
Karen is a veteran of the Live chat sector, previously spending 15 years at which/ running live chat teams it was a natural progression for her to launch.
With Customer Service & Customer Experience at the highest level of priority for all businesses to reduce churn having a live chat solution.
Would you believe that as much as 21% of live chat questions go unanswered a waste a potential sale, enquiry and a waste of marketing spend that drove that traffic to your website.
Launching any business is a big decision at any time, let alone through a pandemic sound like a crazy idea for many but not for Karen, she dived in and is swimming and making a success of her business landing some juicy clients and now rolling out a manual “How to Guide” in 2021 on how to implement and achieve the Best of Class with live chat for a business & website.
In typical Digital Hub fashion, Karen opens up about her business, her life, love for live music and much more, sit back and listen or check it out and watch it on our YouTube channel.
Enjoy, Ian Benjamin
Cyber security, we all fear being attacked and I know it plays on my mind if I have been attacked, but I feel more secure now after speaking and listening to Francis it’s a relief.
I can honestly say I was shocked alarmed how vulnerable businesses are, Francis is a straight shooter, his honest direct professional insight while not pulling any punches is an eye opener for any business owner or and even IT Support professionals.
You will hear or see the steps ruthless Cyber criminals take to bring ransom attacks to light, the good news Francis also shares how we can be protected too in a few short inexpensive steps.
Typical with Digital Hub podcasts we also get to know Francis too, and he’s a good guy underneath it all a family man who is just looking out for us all, tune in and enjoy!
https://open.spotify.com/show/5w7O5YSSbJLSQ7C763ePpN
https://www.buzzsprout.com/1170836/6497701
https://www.digitalexecs.com/podcast
Sunny is one of the most driven people I’ve ever met, and I should know as I have worked for him! Yes it was one of my first tastes of recruitment many - many moons ago and we’ve remained good friends ever since., Sunny & Anju, his wife, are friends of my family, we socialise together a few times a year.
Sunny is the founder of Device Charger Ltd, which he initially started as an event business providing Mobile Phone Charging Stations to brands, corporates and marketing agencies at their events throughout the UK. Recently, however , he has had no choice but to implement a 180-degree turnaround strategy as Corona Virus raised its ugly head. Fortunately he has come out of the other side smiling. He shares with us what that was like, but also what moves he made from a Digital Marketing perspective.
And in typical Digital Hub fashion we lift up the bonnet and find out a bit about Sunny too. It’s a great listen and can also be viewed on the Digital Execs YouTube page.
I think that sets you all up for an enjoyable Digital Hub. It’s fun, transparent and also a very rewarding listen from a Digital Marketing point of view. Enjoy!
Diana Richardson from SEMrush joins Cheryl Luzet and myself!
Diana Richardson, Social and Community Manager at SEMrush. Cheryl Luzet, Founder & CEO of Wagada Digital Marketing www.wagada.co.uk.
SEMrush is one of the must have tools for any Digital Marketer or anyone who is serious about SEO, improving website traffic, keywords, competitor analysis and much - much more.
I am blessed to of had Cheryl in my corner for this journey but also to have SEMrush’s very own Diana Richardson giving us the inside scoop of SEMrush’s cool new features released this week!!...how cool is that!
Diana also gives us the run down on SEMrush from an employee perspective as she recently joined as an employee through Covid-19, in addition we learn, see & hear her demo on the new features and she also discloses how her love for wine originated, it’s a fun & detailed podcast as usual!
Diana is thew coolest super SEO geek on the planet, she absolutely loves SEO, an SEO practitioner prior to joining SEMrush. Digital Hub folk are in for a real treat with this SEMrush masterclass episode.
Thank you, Cheryl and Diana, can’t wait to do it all again.
If you enjoy the content, please subscribe and stay in tune for the upcoming podcasts!
Enjoy!
Well…. what can I say, a truly remarkable interview and conversation with Andrew Daley.
From humble beginnings in Hackney to becoming a globetrotting Senior Change Program Manager.
From a young age Andrew realised what he could achieve, what he wanted including smashing his University grades in super quick time, achieving a 1st in all his modules and he is now a true reflection of what he wanted to be, an accomplished Senior Change Programme Manager that manages large global programs for the likes of RBS, Vodafone, M&S, MSD to name just a few.
Andrew shares with us that his technical interest in computer networks from a young age to the decisions he made that were crucial in shaping& defining his career in the Change Management sector.
It’s such a great watch and listen about “Self-Belief” real value for anyone who would like to hear or watch Andrew explain how coming from humble beginnings to becoming a sought-after Leader in the Change Management sector is possible, enjoy!
My time interviewing guests on the Digital Hub is like a chat with a friend who happens to be from the digital sector but with “Sugar on top”, this episode with Cheryl Luzet is also a fascinating one too.
I have known Cheryl for a year or two, and let me tell you that underneath the elegance of Cheryl is an academically strong entrepreneur, immensely driven, she is also fluent in multiple languages.
After graduating Cheryl never set out to start a business. Back in the early 2000’s Cheryl worked in a Content Manager role, and when she became a Mother loving what she did so much she wanted to continue her passion for developing her career further in the web sector, evaluating her options as now a Mother of two young children this led to Cheryl setting up Wagada from her home, initially working for her clients from her kitchen table and now BOOM exactly 9 years later Wagada is a thriving Digital Marketing business, serving a large mix of SME clients from multiple sectors & is rapidly expanding, currently a team of 16.
Have a listen, you’ll soon agree it’s a great inspiring story not just for entrepreneurs.
· We touch on the exemplary levels of service Cheryl commits to for her clients.
· The types of services, solutions that Wagada offers.
· Evaluating herself & the business that led to successfully navigating growth strategy through Covid.
· Wagada’s expansion plans into the South West.
And in typical Digital Hub style, we have a laugh leading to Cheryl revealing her most embarrassing moment in her life to date, very funny but I’m not sure the RNLI thought so at the time.
Enjoy,
Ian
Digital Hub listeners and viewers have a real treat, Amanda Toussaint and I covered so much in a short space of time, Amanda is a Change Management professional, 12 years in Change Management, progressing from HR.
Amanda has a passion for life, energy and a sense of humour, we had some laughs throughout whilst she displayed her commitment to her craft in Change, her standards and what she strongly believes in “The future of work” & equality, all this this while balancing a busy family life which includes cooking in her new swanky kitchen & her new interest in walking since Covid
I’m not going to give any more away, tune in and listen or watch Amanda’s interview in its entirety on the Digital Execs YouTube Channel.
Gori Yahaya, a serial entrepreneur, CEO & Founder of global digital training & transformation consultancy UpSkill Digital.
Gori is super smooth, while being transparent in articulating how he has navigated his career from humble beginnings in the UK & New York to & steering the ship of 3 start-ups with UpSkill Digital being his 3rd. As always Digital Hub also gives listeners & viewers the opportunity to get to know Gori as an individual too, we touch on his love for Arsenal, Thierry Henry & his adventure in the Columbian jungle!
Definitely not one to miss, you can watch the entire interview on our Youtube Channel, Digital Hub or listen to it on Apple podcasts and Spotify!
My guest, Phil Gudgeon, is leading the change in the Environment & Waste Management sector.
As Managing Director of Cawleys a 73-year-old business, phil gives listeners & viewers an in-depth view of the Environment & Waste Management sector from his & Cawleys perspective.
Phil breaks it down in terms of not just the financial but also the commitment he and his team have invested making Cawleys remain at the forefront of innovation in Waste Management improving the environment for us all & businesses.
*How Covid has impacted the Waste Management sector
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1/3rd of staff furloughed
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A late adaptor to WFH who now sees the benefit
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Plan & implementation of an entirely new strategy
If there was ever a Stigg of the UI/UX design sector it would be this guy, proud to say that he’s a friend, even a mentor & yes, it’s the one and only Michael Ruocco
Michael started his career as a graphic designer for Saatchi & Saatchi, Ogilvy & Mather & then in the late 90’s Web Development which has led to App development.
Michael has led App design teams for multiple UI /UX projects
· John Lewis
· Camelot
· Nike
· Lloyds Bank
· Barclays
· HSBC
· Shell
Today he is still hands on with prestigious UI/UX projects but he’s also the proud author of a new book “Hacking your way to a career in UI/UX design” which is in line with his youandi.london project that over the last 4 years has helped 500+ people from all walks of life including the less privileged get an insight into how to start a career in UI/UX design.
Check out the podcast on Spotify or Apple Podcasts or watch it on our Youtube Channel!
Phillip has stood the test of time with regards to applying his trade as a Digital Transformation leader. His own consultancy Digital Fabrique has been consistently successful delivering complex programmes from many tier one brands such as Arcadia, Channel 4, M&S to name a few in the UK and also in the U.S. too.
Phillip will give Digital Hub listeners a clear insight into the challenges faced and how he overcame them to deliver complex change and Digital Transformation programmes, and as always, we take a peek under the bonnet to better understand what makes him tick from a personal level too.
This a super informative listen or watch for anyone with a sense of the magnitude of the Digital Transformation programmes that he has successfully undertaken & delivered.
We hope you enjoy it!
We talk with Emma Parkins, a great Digital Marketing Manager who has been one of many to lose their positions due to COVID-19. She has stuck her head above the parapet, using video as a platform to stand out as a result of being a casualty of COVID-19. We drill down into Emma’s strengths and what has she learnt through out the past 5 years and look at how lockdown has helped her evolve and broaden her skill sets outside of her every day work.
She has displayed “strong candidate characteristics” and this is an amazing podcast for those who are furloughed or have become one of the many people to lose their job as a result of COVID-19.
Today on our very first Digital Hub Podcast we discuss Briege Leahy's path to becoming a self driven, successful CEO of the Hertfordshire Chamber of Commerce. We will be given insights into Briege's success right from what motivates her, down to her choice of cocktails in her non work life.
Also, we have two guests joining us from a Marketing agency Wagada. Nick Silverstone and Cheryl Luzet will be shinning some light on the logistics sector and what has COVID-19 meant for the logistics industry from the digital marketing perspective.