Mad Influence – Details, episodes & analysis

What does it take to build brand and creative work that genuinely connects with culture - without defaulting to clout, pile-ons or empty critique?

In this episode of Mad Influence, Helen Saul is joined by Tamira Hamden and Victoria Montgomery, co-founders of Women in Brand, a global community supporting women working across brand, marketing and creativity.

Women in Brand was founded in response to a pattern Tami and Victoria kept seeing around them: talented women doing influential work, but not always feeling visible, confident or encouraged to take up space.

Coming from different routes into brand (from publishing to teaching and communications) - they’ve both gone on to lead teams, build major brand projects and create spaces that centre community, care and creative confidence.

As Tami puts it: “Inclusive spaces aren’t a nice to have. They’re the foundation for truly great creative work.”

This conversation explores culture, critique and community - from how brands engage (and sometimes misstep) with subcultures, to the emotional labour of translating brand work inside organisations, to the impact of public criticism and hot takes on creative confidence.

Helen, Tami and Victoria also discuss leadership, imposter syndrome, age and authority, and what it really means to use influence responsibly in an industry that shapes culture every day.

01:57 - Why Women in Brand began

08:34 - Culture, identity and creative collaboration

12:27 - Community as a leadership and brand strategy

18:43 - Confidence, authority and who gets heard in brand

23:57 - Age, leadership and finding your voice

34:56 - Criticism, LinkedIn pile-ons and creative harm

37:46 - What’s next for Women in Brand

42:05 - Influence, mentoring and moments that matter

Music written by Joseph McDade

Follow Mad Influence:

YouTube: www.youtube.com/@madinfluencepod

Instagram: www.instagram.com/madinfluencepod/

TikTok: www.tiktok.com/@madinfluencepod 

Follow Women In Brand:

LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/women-in-brand

Instagram: www.instagram.com/womeninbrand/

TikTok: www.tiktok.com/@womeninbrand

Website: www.womeninbrand.online/

Substack: womeninbrand.substack.com 

Follow Helen Saul:

LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/helensaul/

How does someone build a tech startup from scratch when the odds are stacked against them, and help thousands of other young people improve their access to opportunity across the UK?

In this episode of Mad Influence, Helen Saul is joined by Joe Seddon, Founder and CEO of Zero Gravity, a tech platform supporting students from low-opportunity backgrounds into top universities and high-impact careers.

Joe built Zero Gravity from his student bedroom with the last £200 of his student loan. Today, the platform has supported over 15,000 students into leading institutions and careers, deployed millions in scholarships, and partners with some of the UK’s biggest employers.

But Joe’s journey also reveals the personal trade-offs and identity questions that often come with social mobility.

As Joe puts it: “Everyone talks about imposter syndrome. What we don’t talk about enough is social mobility guilt.”

This conversation explores how Joe identifies talent early, why community and long-term support matter as much as access, and what it takes to build systems that level the playing field at scale. Helen and Joe also discuss employer partnerships, geographic mobility, and how AI could reshape opportunity for the next generation- for better or worse.

Key Moments:

02:42 What Zero Gravity does and who it’s for
07:36 The four factors that shape opportunity
11:16 Imposter syndrome vs social mobility guilt
18:23 Natalie’s story: Oxford, Tesco and a US law firm
25:59 Why opportunity is concentrated in London
36:43 Who gets to build startups (class and founders)
43:35 AI, education and the future of early careers
48:50 Final reflections

Music written by Joseph McDade

Follow Joe Seddon:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/joeseddon/

Website: www.zerogravity.co.uk

Follow Helen Saul:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/helensaul/

Follow Mad Influence:

YouTube: www.youtube.com/@madinfluencepod

Instagram: www.instagram.com/madinfluencepod/

TikTok: www.tiktok.com/@madinfluencepod

Jay Richards, co-founder and CEO of Imagen, joins Mad Influence to talk about his research agency which pays thousands of its Gen Z community to help brands and agencies shape culture. We chat about how he started out by setting up his first business selling t-shirts aged 14, after an injury put an end to his pro football career. In the brutally honest spirit of Imagen, we also talk about everything from why brands are often too quick to believe their own hype, how it’s not a natural human instinct to accept feedback, and why Gen Z reports often fill Jay with fear. We also talk about how Jay felt when he put his own brand through his research process (spoiler: it was equal parts stressful and rewardingl!) and some of his proudest projects working with brands like Gymshark, Ebay and Pepsico.

If you like this episode, please subscribe, rate and review us, as this will really help the podcast to grow.

Key topics

• Gen Z
  
• Starting a business when you’re young
  
• Creating a business on a shoestring
  
• Creating a brand or product with your target market
  
• How to accept feedback
  
• Breaking free from echo chambers
  
• Creative diversity
  
• How to be a Netflix and not a Blockbuster
  
• Greenwashing, and making genuine commitment to causes like sustainability and Black Lives Matter
  
• Why brands like TALA and Nike will always win

Where to find us

Guest: linkedin.com/in/jaykrichards/, imageninsights.com, Imagen This podcast at anchor.fm/jay-richards5

Host: @madinfluencepod on Twitter and linkedin.com/in/helensaul/

This episode was recorded remotely with music by Joseph McDade

Today’s guest has interviewed everyone from Sir David Attenborough to Ben Fogle, but today we get to turn the mic on Vikki Stephenson, Senior Creative at the BBC. Vikki joins Mad Influence to talk about her career of over 20 years promoting content with purpose. We chat about everything from the time she landed her “dream job,” only to find out that it clashed with her values, to coming up with the idea to add old-school hip hop to Planet Earth trailers, which then went viral. We talk about her involvement in the ‘1 in 5’ programmes that are created, filmed and produced by people with disabilities. We also discuss jumping between serious topics like Hurricane Katrina and 9/11 to writing scripts for CBeebies, and why both are just as important for children. 

If you like this episode, please subscribe, rate and review us, as this will really help the podcast to grow.

Key topics

- Finding a job with value

- Getting into the BBC

- Representation of disabilities in TV

- David Attenborough

- Natural History, Planet Earth and Perfect Planet

- How to interview people

- Children’s TV

- Are your last ideas the best ideas?

- Advice for young people starting their careers in TV or marketing

Where to find us

Guest: linkedin.com/in/vikki-stephenson-creative/

Host: @madinfluencepod on Twitter and linkedin.com/in/helensaul/

This episode was recorded remotely with music by Joseph McDade

Jean Kilbourne, a pioneering activist, speaker and writer, joins Mad Influence to discuss her research for over half a century into how advertising represents women. We talk about what it was like starting her career as a young female in the 1960s and how things have changed since then. We discuss why her critically acclaimed Killing Us Softly documentary shocked the world when it was first released in 1979, and why people thought advertising's influence was trivial at the time. We chat about Jean meeting with UK parliament and the stereotyping regulation that came into place afterwards. We also discuss social media and its role in the recent storming of the US Capitol, why Jean has never been advocating for censorship of advertising, and which people have inspired her most in her career. 

If you like this episode, please subscribe, rate and review us, as this will really help the podcast to grow.

Key topics

- Representation of women in advertising

- Photoshopping and the pursuit of perfection

- How advertisers can use their power to make positive change vs 'fauxvertising'

- Social media and the storming of the US Capitol

- Conscious capitalism

- The 3% movement

- Stereotyping in advertising

- Media literacy

- Feminism 

- Advice for young people starting their careers in marketing

Where to find us

Guest: www.jeankilbourne.com and @jeankilbourne on Twitter and Facebook.

Host: @madinfluencepod on Twitter and linkedin.com/in/helensaul/

This episode was recorded remotely with music by Joseph McDade

Adam Smith, founder of The Real Junk Food Project, joins Mad Influence to talk about saving millions of meals from going to waste and feeding the world. He also talks about using his platform to speak up about mental health after surviving a suicide attempt ten years ago, and inspiring people to improve their lives, while not having all the answers.  We chat about why the media seem to think his work is so radical, the reason he apologises to the burglars who have broken into his pay-as-you-feel cafes and the best and worst things about social media. We discuss transforming his organisation during coronavirus, the real story behind what’s happening with the food contractors supplying free school meals, and why kindness should always start with looking after yourself.

If you like this episode, please subscribe, rate and review us, as this will really help the podcast to grow.

You can find out more about what the Real Junk Food project does at https://trjfp.com/ which also has links to all its social media pages.

You can follow Mad Influence on Twitter at @madinfluencepod and follow Helen Saul on LinkedIn at linkedin.com/in/helensaul/

Content warning: This episode includes reference to childhood trauma, substance abuse, and suicide. If you or someone you know is experiencing suicidal thoughts please call:

- Samaritans in the UK on 116 123 / or CALM for men on 0800 58 58 58 (or webchat)
- The International Suicide Prevention in the USA on 1-800-273-TALK (8255)

We recorded this episode remotely with music by Joseph Mcdade

Jack Parsons, CEO of the Youth Group and The UK’s Chief Youth Officer, joins Mad Influence to talk about his mission to help millions of young people into meaningful employment. Jack opens up about the personal reasons behind his drive, from being a young carer for his Mum who suffered from alcoholism, to realising he wanted to leave a legacy after being operated on for skin cancer. We talk about launching the Mentor Me programme which gives young people the chance to speak to industry experts and a brand new website. We also run through everything from why a multi-million pound apartment doesn’t equate to happiness, to building a personal brand, and how Jack went from being unable to speak at the age of six to being invited to do a TED talk.

If you like this episode, please subscribe, rate and review us, as this will really help the podcast to grow.

Content warning: This episode includes reference to alcoholism and a mention of violence.

You can find out more about what the Youth Group does at www.theyouthgroup.com.

You can follow Mad Influence on Twitter at @madinfluencepod and follow Helen Saul on LinkedIn at linkedin.com/in/helensaul/

We recorded this episode remotely with music by Joseph Mcdade

Oisika Chakrabarti, Acting Chief of Communications and Advocacy for UN Women, joins Mad Influence from her home in New Jersey to talk about her 16 years at the United Nations and her current role working towards gender equality. She explains how growing up and studying in India inspired her deep interest in social justice, along with her early roles in TV reporting and filmmaking. We discuss partnering with Netflix, reaching 1 billion people with the Generation Equality campaign, and putting up billboards highlighting the shocking types of violence that are still legal in many countries. We also talk about the 6 month programme that some high profile celebrities go through before working with UN Women, and why grassroots campaigners are just as important as the valuable support that comes from Nicole Kidman and Emma Watson. 

You can find out more about all the work that Oisika and her team do at www.unwomen.org, @unwomen on Instagram and Facebook and @UN_Women on Twitter.

You can also find Oisika on all the usual social media platforms.

You can follow Mad Influence on Twitter at @madinfluencepod and follow Helen Saul on LinkedIn at linkedin.com/in/helensaul/

If you like this episode, please subscribe, rate and review us, as this will really help the podcast to grow.

Laura Johnson, director at Zebedee (a specialist talent agency for disabled and visibly different actors and models) joins Mad Influence to talk about why disability has to be included in the conversation around inclusion. We chat about how she went from calling up brands’ customer service departments in search of marketing contacts, to now being responsible for Gucci and Kurt Geiger’s most liked Instagram posts ever, and featuring in outlets like BBC News and Vogue. Laura tells us about her transition from social work to running her own agency with her sister-in-law Zoe, and what conversation sparked their original idea. We discuss how people are proven to be fed up with seeing the same generic advertising, and why she won't ever stop trying to drive social change.

If you like this episode, please subscribe, rate and review us, as this will really help the podcast to grow.

You can find Zebedee at www.zebedeemanagement.co.uk, @ZebedeeMan on Twitter, @zebedeetalent on Instagram and @zebedeemanagement on Facebook.

You can follow Mad Influence on Twitter at @madinfluencepod and follow Helen Saul on LinkedIn at linkedin.com/in/helensaul/

We recorded this episode remotely in December 2020 with music by Joseph Mcdade.

Kate Dale, Campaign Lead for This Girl Can joins Mad Influence to talk about what was going through her mind the night before launching a globally successful campaign which won multiple Cannes Lions and got 3 million women active worldwide. We talk about why it’s hard for her to shout about that success and what we can all do to beat imposter syndrome.

We also chat about everything from her move from journalism to marketing, what made her stay at Sport England for almost 20 years, how barriers to women doing sport have evolved over time and why it was important to tackle taboos around periods in her latest ad.

We also go in-depth into how she’s got so many famous names on board with This Girl Can, what made her change her views on influencer marketing over time, and if it’s ever OK to spend government money on Love Island stars.

If you like this episode, please subscribe, rate and review us, as this will really help the podcast to grow.

You can find Kate on LinkedIn at linkedin.com/in/dalekate/

You can follow Mad Influence on Twitter at @madinfluencepod and follow Helen Saul on LinkedIn at linkedin.com/in/helensaul/

We recorded this episode remotely with music by Joseph Mcdade.