Key takeaways from our NCME session on 24 June 2025
With thanks to Jenny Brady, Marius Stancu, and founder Hannah Worth
First, to introduce our panellists, whose perspectives, as coach, mentor, and founder, made for a rich, well-rounded conversation, chaired by NCME Co-Founders Victoria Nicholl (Imperial College London) and Harveen Chugh (UCL School of Management).
- Jenny Brady – Coach and facilitator with 20+ years’ experience supporting students, researchers, and early-stage founders in building confidence, clarity, and practical tools.
- Marius Stancu – SME growth strategist and long-time mentor across UK and international programmes, formerly leading City, University of London’s incubator and teaching at Bayes Business School.
- Hannah Worth – Entrepreneur and founder of Bowler at Swansea Indoor Market, supported by structured mentoring since winning The Big Pitch in 2022.
Three key themes emerged from the discussion – what success feels like, how it is best tracked and managing the relationship.
- What “success” feels like (and how you can tell)
Success in entrepreneurial support isn’t just about outcomes, it’s about fostering trust, growth, and accountability. When founders feel supported, challenged, and empowered, the relationship becomes a catalyst for meaningful progress.
- Jenny: Success means calm, confident decision-making, built on self-trust and personal development – not just business planning.
- Marius: It’s about trust and open communication. A mentor should be a “critical friend,” offering honest challenge that the mentee is ready to receive.
- Hannah: From the founder’s perspective, success is confidence plus accountability. Having someone who understands the journey and keeps you committed.
- How success is best tracked
Effective measurement balances structure with flexibility. By combining clear goals, regular reflection, and simple tools, mentors and coaches can track meaningful progress without losing the human touch.
- Marius: Start with agreed objectives and an action plan. Track progress using both metrics (e.g. hiring, investment) and
- testimonials.
- Victoria: Use light-touch check-ins after each session to keep evaluation ongoing and collaborative.
- Harveen: Make progress visible with simple 1–10 scales, let movement over time be the measure.
- Boundaries & expectations: design and structure the relationship up front
Strong relationships are built on clear expectations. By designing the structure early and revisiting it when needed, mentors and coaches create a safe, productive space for growth and accountability.
- Marius: Use a commitment email to set mutual expectations. If engagement drops, revisit the agreement and pause if needed, keeping things clear, kind, and accountable.
- Jenny: Clarify coaching roles from the start, giving founders ownership, encouraging reflection, and allowing targeted advice. This builds trust and reduces pressure.
- The panel also discussed how to manage when progress stalls in the relationship and suggested techniques such as naming the wobble, revisiting and resetting the contract (Marius), shrinking the task to the next tiny step, then celebrating it (Jenny), or meeting people where they are—agree one small action if life feels heavy (Hannah).
Drawing from the emerging themes, we summarised our findings here to provide the key takeaways as a practical checklist for those coaching and mentoring entrepreneurs.
- ✅ Quick Coaching/Mentoring Session Checklist. Before your next session, ask:
- Define success
What does success look like for you in the next 4–6 weeks?
→ Aim for one clear, outcome-focused sentence.
- Identify the next step
What’s one small, doable action you can take next?
→ Should take 7 minutes or less, keep it achievable.
- Choose what to measure
What’s one tangible outcome + one story or reflection that shows progress?
→ Combine metrics with meaning.
- Set expectations
What are our working agreements?
→ Turn these into a short, mutual commitment email.
- Check-in rhythm
How will we reflect and adjust as we go?
→ Decide on light-touch check-ins to keep momentum and alignment.
Final thought
Successful coaching and mentoring relationships are built on trust, clarity, and shared purpose. When expectations are set early, progress is measured meaningfully, and wellbeing is respected, the support becomes transformative. Whether you’re a coach, mentor, or founder, these insights offer a practical roadmap for relationships that empower, sustain, and spark real growth.