Julia Ismael’s Post

Though worn out, the significance of sharing insights on topics that shape the global business community remains paramount. The upcoming engagement in Birmingham, UK, is an opportunity to address pressing issues that resonate with businesses worldwide. From navigating shifting market dynamics to the influence of emerging technologies, this event will provide a platform to engage with thought leaders, entrepreneurs, and executives who are all grappling with similar challenges. The global business landscape is increasingly interconnected, and sharing perspective at forums like these is vital to driving informed decisions and fostering collaboration. This engagement offers a chance to influence the conversation around innovation, sustainability, and economic growth, while reinforcing the importance of adaptability in a rapidly changing world. Despite the weariness, the drive to contribute meaningfully to these discussions fuels the commitment to this impactful engagement.

Now this is a training course l would like to be on. One of the toughest topics I discuss with founders is company valuation. It is more of an art than a science. Too often are we emotionally tied to our idea this can affect our judgement, no more so than valuation ie over evaluation.

This weekend I participated as a panelist in the Community Conference - A New Way Forward, asked to give my perspectives from twenty-two years as a business owner and advisor to business owners on a panel called "Financial Resilience and Lifestyle" - more on that later in a blog… The conference asked every participant the question: what does community mean to you? At first I wasn't sure what I could offer, the concept of community is one I was having a hard time articulating in a soundbite, especially with globalization, silo-isation, and our current geopolitical landscape. But after listening to the diverse set of speakers and their experiences, I believe a community is fundamentally a group united by a common purpose, shared values, and mutual support. It’s a space—sometimes a physical place, other times a shared mission—where people build together, look out for each other, and work toward a common vision. To answer the question I looked at a company, and realized that on a micro level it is similar to a town or physical community. A business community, much like a social one, thrives on a shared mission and vision, bound by core values, personal safety and respect. When each person aligns with these, and is empowered to make their own decisions that align with these, the company (community) grows towards its goals. However, if a community—whether social or business—lacks essential resources, clear vision, or core values, personal safety and respect, it will ultimately fail. Communities have existed since the earliest days of villages and organizations, offering mutual protection, survival, and benefit. And so, for me, community is a powerful bond that forms when individuals come together with a shared goal, mutual safety, support, and growth. In today’s fast-paced and interconnected world, communities—whether in business or society—are a grounding force, reminding us of the importance of shared values and resilience. As I left the conference, I know that nurturing community, fostering respect, and supporting one another through challenges may be the most essential factors in driving meaningful progress. #businessowner #community #growth

The best thing about my work: Helping brilliant founders like Jessie Brinton bring bold visions to life that aspire to improve our planet for the next generation. 🌎 🌱 Except instead of a startup, on Tuesday night we launched a movement - Mothership: a community dedicated to empowering grassroots action to tackle climate-related issues. Some of the core early-stage questions remain the same: 💰 How do we build audience and sustainable revenue before we run out of funding? 🎯 Which segments of our target market do we focus on first? 🚀 What growth loops will accelerate our momentum? 🤝 Which partnerships should we pursue to amplify reach and resources? 👥 How do we remain truly community-centric as we grow? But on the question of product-market fit - 3 reasons to believe the time has arrived for a community like Mothership: 👉 The vast majority of people crave ways to make a difference - they just need guidance and support. 👉 Collective action is required to solve the climate crisis - not just individual change. 👉 The wisdom of the crowd is an untapped resource in tackling complex societal challenges. Early traction in the form of funding from the European Climate Fund suggests this need is more widely recognised. As does the support of world-class collaborators like Samantha Moyo and Orsola de Castro 🙌 You can see ways to get involved and learn more about upcoming events and campaigns over at Mothership, link below. We're also building a Mothership Council across the UK - if you love on-the-ground community building and want to engage more on climate, let's chat 💚 https://lnkd.in/dFjbxYrA

Social Profit Orientation drives our mission forward! By prioritizing social impact, we can drive more meaningful, lasting change. Learn how in our newest blog: https://lnkd.in/ewWkTiUN

With each new presidential administration, transitions can open new paths for nonprofits and small businesses alike. Democratic administrations often boost grant availability, while Republican administrations tend to prioritize business development, sometimes leading to increased operational support. Each shift offers unique ways to grow and make an impact. Let’s embrace these transitions as chances to innovate and expand! (P.S. I crafted this image using AI technology—thoughts?)

The view from the top of BT's Three Snowhill - almost as inspiring as the conversations today at the Social Value UK (Institute of Social Value) annual conference 😁 Though impact is the driver for our work at Stronger Stories, we only began our journey into social value at the start of this year. As relative newbies, it was very reassuring and affirming to hear a lot of our thoughts echoed by those of other attendees! ⭐ A few key takeaways: 👉 Transparency is so key. When reporting your impact, that includes warts and all, not just a version of the story that makes your organisation look good. Every activity offers a learning opportunity, even (or especially!) when there are unintended consequences. 👉 This helps build trust - a recurring theme throughout the day. According to Edelman's Trust Barometer 2024 report, business is more trusted to integrate new innovations into society than government, media, and NGOs. There is still a level of public skepticism, however. 👉 Happily, storytelling also came up a lot 👀 "Stories are just data with a soul" - Brene Brown said this, but it could have easily been a quote from today! The power of social value doesn't lie in the numbers (though they play a key role), but in the emotional resonance that comes with being able to explain exactly how your initiative affected real people's lives. Thanks so much to all the amazing speakers for today (I was particularly inspired by the words of Zoë Colosimo, Hana Kapetanovic, Dr. Tumi Hawkins, and Simon Godfrey; go stalk their work!!), the fabulous Isabelle Parasram OBE and the ISV team for putting this event together. And many thanks to Tom Winter for embarking on this learning journey with me. I look forward to reflecting on the year to come at the 2025 event 🤩

☝️𝗛𝗲𝗿𝗲'𝘀 𝗵𝗼𝘄 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗰𝗮𝗻 𝗴𝗲𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗺𝗼𝘀𝘁 𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝗼𝗳 𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗻𝘁𝘀. Grab a seat and listen in to our Co-Founders and Fund F by Female Founders Managing Partners, Nina Wöss & Lisa-Marie Fassl chat about how you can wrap up the final #conferences of the year knowing that you have done what you can to make it as fruitful as possible! Including #advice on: 🕵♂️ Getting into the right side events 💸 Outreach to VCs  ⏲️ Spending time efficiently at events 🤝 Why #events are important for founders Plus...💡What #VCs are actually looking to do at conferences Next time you run into Lisa or Nina at an event, let them know if this chat resonated with you. Have other opinions on making conferences as useful as possible? Share them here! 👇

Just shy of two years ago, I picked up Jon Alexander book Citizens—a beautiful and hopeful exploration of how “how the key to fixing everything is all of us.” Written by an ad-man turned Citizen, whose old job was essentially to sell stuff, the book reimagines what’s possible when we shift from being passive consumers to active citizens. It’s a tribute to those who stand up, experiment with possibility, and bring the future into the present by coming together. More than anything, it’s a call to action—a reminder that when we harness our collective power, even the messiest challenges can feel surmountable. 🐝 The book really stuck with me. I finished it just as I was about to leave school. School was a tricky time for me—as a neurospicy human, I hated being stuck in four walls all day. The mounting pressure of exams and anxiety became too much, and I crawled inside myself. Add to that cocktail a rising sense of climate anxiety, and it all felt completely overwhelming. I kept thinking about what I could do. The question itself was rooted in uncertainty about my own future—a future that felt like it was being mapped out for me. But what I really wanted was to get stuck in, to find my people. To feel less alone. 😔 Throughout the lockdowns, when my classroom became my bedroom, I spent my afternoons walking. Nature became my happy place, my solace. It reminded me why I care so deeply about our planet—and why I needed to find a way to act. 🌲 So I did. I found myself drawn to the work of Re-Action. At a time when most of the actions I was told to take to “save the planet” felt like joyless personal sacrifices—eating less meat, buying a reusable coffee cup—this kind of action felt different. It meant that there might be a way for me to take action alongside others, not as if I was on some solo mission to save the world. 🙃 And this film is the unraveling of where that led me next. ACTionism is a film about the art of finding your people to take collective action. About collectively moving from passive consumers to active citizens. A story centered around doing thinks with others, not to others. 🌱 Our film will soon be released at community screenings with our mates at 99p Films with the very first one at the Better Biz Summit. 🍿 I have so many people to thank for helping me out on my way. But I’ll start with Gavin Fernie-Jones and Heather Davies who have been such wonderfulmates and who’ve taken me on the most bonkers adventures, helped me find my crew and feel less alone. Thank you. To Michael Shaw our very brilliant filmmaker - I don’t know how coped with my quirks for as long as you did thank you for capturing the heart of Actionism. Prue Stone and Krissy Roe thank you for making this whole thing happen. 🧡

For friends and colleagues shaping the future of our cities through the public sector - whether driving innovation, systems change, attracting talent, shaping place and built environment and seeding the next generation of leadership: