Joshua Mano Gilbertson

Taking #ESG commitments to new heights: Zip World UK's #BCorp journey. Featured in #Wales Insider Media this week, I discuss how our portfolio company Zip World achieved its recent B Corp certification and how we help the management teams we back to grow sustainably. Read article - https://lnkd.in/eWGcYJku #TrustedwithAmbition #ESGjourneys #privateequity #businessgrowth

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“You saved me time, money & a lot of frustration.”  // recent client feedback from a Start-up Founder A key part of our business is advising start-up Founders & exec teams in the wellness industry with improving focus, accountability, brand strategy and strategic decision making. I hold Non-Exec Director or Strategic Advisor positions for a range of wellness businesses, such as >> ▪ Mental Fitness Training App 📱 ▪ Luxury Wellness Luggage Brand 👜 ▪ Wellness Tourism Sport & Fitness Agency 🛫 ▪ New Sports Race Brand 👟 ▪ New Cooling Tech for Training Brand 🏋‍♂️ If you are interested to find out how I can help your business, get in touch. #startupadvisor #advisor #ned #strategy #wellnessindustry

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"Pillars for Retention" provide a foundation for formulating an effective retention plan tailored to the unique needs of your brand, rather than shoe horning in a one size fits all strategy!! If you dont know where to start, have a read of this and then get in touch. Short-Term Actions: 1. Brand Promise and Communication Alignment: Ensure all team members across departments are well-versed with our Brand Promise and values. This alignment is crucial as it sets the tone for all interactions with our members and staff. 2. Data Utilization: Dive deep into any existing NPS, eNPS, and VOC data to identify what resonates with our promoters and address the concerns raised by detractors. This will help us fine-tune our services to better meet member expectations. 3. Member Engagement: Revamp our communication strategies for new and existing members by tailoring messages based on individual goals (e.g., weight loss, fitness) and usage patterns. Emphasise the emotional impact of our services, making each interaction personal and memorable. Making the business a brand not simply a business. Mid-Term Strategies: 1. Evaluate and Innovate: Cease initiatives that yield poor results and focus on expanding successful strategies. Employ a test-and-learn approach to trial new ideas in selected locations, gradually rolling out successful ones across the network. 2. Brand Integration: Continue to instil a deep understanding and commitment to our brand values among all team members, ensuring these principles are reflected both inside and outside our facilities. Long-Term Vision: 1. Cultural Development: Foster a culture that views every member as a guest in our home, enhancing the overall customer experience (CX). This perspective should also extend to our staff, cultivating a workplace that mirrors the respect and care we advocate. 2. Continuous Learning: Develop and deploy a series of workshops aimed at enhancing staff understanding and delivery of our CX and brand values. These should include both online and in-person sessions, making them accessible to all staff levels. 3. Innovative Use of Technology: Leverage technology not only for operational efficiency but also to create unique, engaging member experiences that distinguish us from competitors. Additional Considerations: - Feedback Loops: Establish continuous feedback mechanisms to stay responsive to member needs and industry trends. - Community Building: Organize events and activities that not only foster fitness but also build community among members, enhancing their attachment to our brand. In implementing these strategies, our approach to retention is as much about the quality of interactions as it is about the number of memberships. By creating a club atmosphere that members love and feel a part of, we not only retain a loyal customer base but also turn them into advocates.

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Last week InsideOut® was selected via a competitive pitch process to attend Innovate UK’s Health Tech Investor Readiness event organised by the business growth team. We delivered a 5 minute pitch to both angels and VCs who provided constructive feedback on our pitch and pitching style. Key takeaways from our pitch: 1. We have a good deck and clear slides 2. The business is uniquely solving a real world problem in what is a busy space 3. Revenue is key in this climate. A well thought through model with a clear journey of how we will achieve our targets is essential. Our latest #investment round is almost done (🙌) so we are pleased to say that we will be extending the raise and therefore will be overfunding the round 🤞. If you’d like to learn more and support our journey, please DM me! #investmentraise #healthtech #vc #femalefounder #fundraising

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Start-up Founders, today’s Modern Wellness Podcast listener Q&A show is for you 👌 - A early stage Founder asked for input on how to avoid commons mistakes / overcome challenges in the early stages of building a business. I discuss 4 ideas and include examples from our advisory sessions 💡 ▪ Focus ▪ Having one customer persona ▪ Consistency ▪ Talk don't ask Listen on Spotify & iTunes 🎧 Oliver Patrick Adrienne Adhami #wellness #modernwellnesspodcast #startup #founders #ideas

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I am excited to announce our latest investment round lead by FIGR Ventures and supported by follow on from existing investors to match fund our £1.1m Innovate UK grant. Read more about it here: https://lnkd.in/eyJ6crxF For years, TRUSS has been working to fill critical data gaps for fashion's forgotten products. We've developed a range of use cases spanning fashion resale, machine learning and logistics, all centred around our core data capabilities. While each use case delivers value in its own right, we use AI and advanced tools to unite them under a single, comprehensive product profile. This profile consolidates all information about a product – from where it's listed online to how people search for it all the way to an item's sell-through-rate – forming a highly advanced system that offers benefits to anyone with a touch-point to second hand fashion products. We are building multiple millions of these product profiles diving deep into the back-catalogue of brands so that every time a business or individual needs information about any given fashion good, they can rely on TRUSS. To power these systems, we organise, standardise, and group millions of unique listings into structured product profiles that provide ground source truth information about fashion's past products. LLM's get things wrong, TRUSS information is correct and reliable and provides insights that are impossible to get from chatGPT. As part of this endeavour, TRUSS secured a £1.1m Innovate UK Grant to develop an proprietary algorithm with the University of Warwick that can recognise and the same products even when the image is very different. FIGR’s investment provided the critical match-funding needed to make it possible. This algorithm has already surpassed industry-standard benchmarks, marking a significant step forward in TRUSS' mission to transform the resale market.

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How do Founders make successful key and critical hires? It is so easy to make long lasting errors - losing time, momentum and even credibility.. ....Dana Denis-Smith-Smith founded Obelisk Support | B Corp Certified an outsourced legal services provider mainly staffed by part-time female lawyers, in 2008. Denis-Smith, 49, had always been the main driver of sales growth, but when her mother died suddenly two years ago and she had to take time away from Obelisk, turnover fell by £1 million to £4.5 million. To get the business back on track, Denis-Smith hired Caroline Allen as Chief Commercial officer in April 2023. Obelisk, which has a core team of 16, is forecasting sales of £7 million this year. - Denis - Smith's advice - For anyone who’s in a similar position I would advise them not to be cheap when making an important hire. Try not to consider it a cost, but look at it more as an investment for the future. We were in decline, so making a significant and expensive hire was bold, but I needed to do something bold or I risked not having a business at all." #foundershiringkeypersonnel #businessandlife #hiringdecisions

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Brilliant News today for UK startups: the Invest in Women Taskforce has exceeded our £250 million funding target, creating one of the world’s largest dedicated pools to support female-led businesses! Now is the time to reboot the system and give female investors the power to drive meaningful change. This funding pool will be deployed by female decision-makers across the UK, ensuring female-powered ideas are championed. A huge thank you to our contributors, including - Barclays, M&G plc, British Business Bank, Morgan Stanley, Visa Foundation, BGF and Aviva. The current statistics must change. In the first half of 2024, all-female founded businesses received just 1.8% of funding, down from 2.5% in 2023. The problems faced by women entrepreneurs and investors are systemic. Huge credit to Hannah Bernard OBE & Debbie Wosskow, OBE who have led from the front on this with extraordinary tenacity and vision! https://lnkd.in/eFcWRYmk #changetheratio

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A once athletic, 30-something male, seeks multiple partnerships (greedy) at PI LIVE Show next week. Looking for decarbonising retail partners, in #fashion, #healthandbeauty and #homeware who want to take things to the next level. Likes: Helping consumers save money at rates linked to brand emissions data. 🌱 And dogs 🐶 Dislikes: Net Zero targets for show. And rom coms 🥲 #sustainabilitypeggedrewards #affiliatemarketing #networking

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🫂Tech-enabled care is an exciting and impactful investment opportunity, with significant returns potential - but it often gets overlooked. The care sector is HUGE - we all have care needs to varying extents throughout our lives, but innovation to date has lagged other sectors, making the care space today ripe for disruption. Excitingly, we are now seeing an increasing number of startups entering this space.  Since Dalia Aga-Shaw and I started 3SV, the care economy has been a key focus for us, but we have found that an understanding of the care space among peers has often been limited, and we want to change this.  📍That’s why we’re publishing this market map showcasing tech-enabled companies operating in the UK care economy. Thank you very much to Rachel Drapper who has led this work for 3SV. #CareEconomy #VC

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Fellow founders always say that once the first investor steps in, the rest will follow. While we haven't secured funding just yet, the number of first and second conversations we’re having with potential investors is incredible. This momentum shows that all the groundwork and planning we’ve put into Callo is paying off. We’ve connected with top brands, laid solid foundations, and crafted a clear, ambitious vision to transform the beauty industry. Our belief in the business has never wavered, and now the opportunities are coming thick and fast. It’s a thrilling time for us as founders! There’s still a journey ahead, but with the right financial support and a strong business plan in place, it’s hard not to see success on the horizon. What’s been really encouraging is hearing the confidence coming from investors and our team’s ability to answer even the toughest questions with assurance. This is just the beginning for Callo. If you're interested in joining us at this exciting stage and helping shape the future of the beauty industry, we’d love to connect! #InvestInCallo #Growth #VisionaryLeadership #Opportunity

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Scotland's ecosystem for nurturing tech start-ups continues to transform into a powerful support network, greater than the sum of its parts. The latest example is the new partnership between Scottish EDGE and TechScaler. By combining two of our most effective assets within Scotland’s entrepreneurial ecosystem, we significantly increase the value that they bring to our start-ups. Alumni start-ups from Scottish EDGE can now access an ongoing development path within Techscaler, while Techscaler’s network of startup founding teams is strengthened further by dynamic businesses curated by EDGE.  https://lnkd.in/eZcM9RYR

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Sometimes it feels like you're juggling a million things and trying to get everything right #founderlife Then customer feedback comes in and you're reassured that you are on the right track. As a consumer centric business at LendoCare we work on putting the customer first, if they're loving our services that's all that matters #circulareconomy #healthcare

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𝐇𝐨𝐰 𝐍𝐢𝐜𝐤 𝐇𝐮𝐬𝐬𝐞𝐲 𝐓𝐮𝐫𝐧𝐞𝐝 𝐅𝐚𝐢𝐥𝐮𝐫𝐞 𝐢𝐧𝐭𝐨 𝐅𝐮𝐞𝐥 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐒𝐮𝐜𝐜𝐞𝐬𝐬 𝐢𝐧 𝐇𝐞𝐚𝐥𝐭𝐡 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐖𝐞𝐥𝐥𝐧𝐞𝐬𝐬 𝐌𝐞𝐞𝐭 𝐍𝐢𝐜𝐤 𝐇𝐮𝐬𝐬𝐞𝐲 Nick Hussey, the founder of @FrahmJacket.com, faced tremendous challenges on his entrepreneurial journey. Nick initially founded Vulpine, a commuter cycling clothing brand, out of a deep passion for stylish and technical cycling wear. Despite his relentless hard work and initial success, he encountered personal and professional hardships that led to burnout and eventually, the downfall of his company. Nick's journey was marked by long hours, financial stress, and the pressure of balancing a growing business with family responsibilities. His dedication to his work led to severe mental and physical exhaustion. The situation became so overwhelming that it ultimately resulted in a nervous breakdown. Realizing the need for change, Nick took a step back to rebuild his life and mental health. He started Frahm Jacket, a brand focused on men's kindness and sociability, with a mission to support mental health. His new venture not only reflects his personal growth but also his commitment to raising awareness about mental health issues. Nick's story is a powerful reminder of the importance of self-care and balance. As entrepreneurs, it's easy to get caught up in the hustle and neglect our well-being. But true success comes from maintaining a healthy balance between work and personal life. For more details on Nick's inspiring journey, you can read the full story on Mind.org.uk and SUCCESS. As someone who crafts compelling email copy for health and wellness brands,  I understand the profound impact of creating an emotional connection with your audience. Let’s learn from Nick’s journey and ensure we take care of ourselves while pursuing our entrepreneurial dreams. What’s your go-to strategy for maintaining balance? #EntrepreneurLife #HealthAndWellness #MentalHealth #Inspiration #Resilience #BusinessGrowth

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Could my choice of clothes really be the make or break for angel investment? 👀 Spoke informally to some investors at an event this week Was talking to them in very general terms about pitching advice Both gave some generic but sound advice: relax / be yourself / be prepared / there’s power in the pauses etc… But both gave two pieces of unexpected advice (because nobody’s been allowed to tell me what to wear since I was 2-3 yo) Person 1: “Dress smartly with a suit or something, so they know you’re serious” [as if I’m not being serious when talking to investors about selling shares in my business] Person 2: “stick on a nice frock or something” 👗[Gee thanks buddy, I’m guessing you haven’t realised it’s 2024… also who says frock now?] While they have me some helpful advice, I left just feeling a bit meh 🫤 that my clothing should be something they felt was important enough to mention Having been to see some other people pitch (50/50 male/female)… I do wonder if any of the guys were given suggestions on what to wear. For the record… I’m stealing Rhianna’s style for all pitches. Perfect combo of big ✏️ comfy 👟 + 👔 to show I’m serious, natch Amirite? Lemme know 👇 #fundfemalefounders

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Exciting News Alert! Introducing JustRx – Your Ultimate Script Management Solution! Thrilled to announce the launch of JustRx, a groundbreaking, free solution tailored for clinics. Developed in collaboration with specialist doctors, JustRx simplifies complex PBS authority forms and streamlines HPOS uploads, reducing administrative burden. Key Features: 🔹 User-Friendly Interface: Easy navigation & quick setup. 🔹 Complete Automation: Goodbye to manual paperwork! 🔹 Efficient Submissions: Automate submissions, pharmacy communications, home deliveries, and patient reminders. 🔹 Smart Workflow: Pre-populated applications & automated calculations. 🔹 Renewal Reminders: Stay on track with Authority renewals. By adopting JustRx, clinics can prioritize patient care over paperwork. Interested in partnering with us for specialty disease areas? Reach out at [email protected]. #HealthcareInnovation #ClinicSolutions #PatientCare #JustRx #HealthTechRevolution

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