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January 16, 2025 48 mins

Dan Sherrard-Smith is the founder & CEO of MotherTree. MotherTree works with values-led businesses to reduce CO2 emissions, increase client satisfaction, and unlock savings. Launched by the founding team behind Look After My Bills: Best ever deal on Dragons' Den, saved the British public £127m in 3 years.


What You’ll Learn in This Episode:

  • Following the Money for Impact: Discover why your bank and pension investments have a bigger carbon footprint than your diet or commute—and what you can do about it.
  • Building a Personal Brand: Learn why authenticity and storytelling are crucial for leaders and impact-driven founders.
  • Scaling Connections with LinkedIn: Dan’s proven strategy to create high-quality content that generates leads and builds lasting relationships in just two hours a week.
  • Entrepreneurial Lessons: Behind-the-scenes of Dan’s Dragons’ Den journey, including the challenges of rapid growth and the power of staying adaptable.
  • Finding Purpose: How becoming a father inspired Dan to leave a cushy job and tackle the climate crisis head-on.

Key Moments:

  • [04:32] The “aha” moment that led to MyMotherTree.com's creation.
  • [18:10] The Dragons’ Den story—how Dan secured an unprecedented deal and scaled his business almost overnight.
  • [30:22] The three levers of impact: money, influence, and voting.
  • [47:15] Counterintuitive LinkedIn strategies to grow your network and drive revenue.
  • [1:02:50] The importance of gratitude and moving beyond fossil fuels to embrace innovation.

Actionable Insights:

  • Start small: Audit your bank and pension to ensure your money aligns with your values.
  • Build trust on LinkedIn by showing up authentically—connect, don’t sell.
  • Define your key content pillars to balance reach with resonance.
  • Focus on scaling relationships, not just transactions, for sustainable business growth.

Connect with Dan Sherrard-Smith:

 

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John Bates provides 1:1 Executive Communications Coaching, both in-person and online. He also gets 92+ Net Promoter Scores for his large and small group leadership development trainings at organizations like Johnson & Johnson, NASA, Google, Intuit, Boston Scientific, and many more. Find more at https://executivespeakingsuccess.com.


Sign up for his weekly micro-trainings for free at https://johnbates.com/mini-trainings and create a great leadership communications habit that makes you the kind of leader who inspires trust, loyalty, and connection.

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