We Are Power Podcast
The We Are Power podcast is the podcast for your career and your life. A weekly podcast with listeners in over 60 countries worldwide where you'll hear personal life stories, top-notch industry advice, and key leadership insight from amazing role models. The podcast not only aids your personal and professional development but also delves deep into conversations around Gender Equality and Social Mobility. Each week the We Are Power Podcast will bring you a new interview from a leader within the 100,000-strong We Are Power community, hosted by Simone Roche MBE.
We Are Power Podcast
Aligning Passion and Purpose with Raina Heverin
Join us for an inspiring conversation with Raina Heverin, founder of Reculture and co-founder of Supplywell.
Raina's journey goes far beyond business—it’s a powerful story about aligning passion with purpose.
From heartfelt insights to actionable strategies, our chat is filled with life lessons about how personal growth drives professional impact.
Raina also shares:
- Practical steps for employers and employees to support mental well-being
- Stories from her volunteering experience in Costa Rica
- Her dedication to empowering young female entrepreneurs through mentorship at the Women of Colour Global Network
- The triumphs and challenges she’s faced as an entrepreneur
This episode is a must-listen for anyone seeking motivation, guidance, and a fresh perspective on balancing personal and professional growth.
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Hello, hello and welcome to the we Are Power podcast. If this is your first time here, the we Are Power podcast is the podcast for you, your career and your life. We release an episode every single Monday with listeners in over 60 countries worldwide, where you'll hear personal life stories, top-notch industry advice and key leadership insight from amazing role models. As we Are Power is the umbrella brand to Northern Power Women Awards, which celebrates hundreds of female role models and advocates every year. This is where you can hear stories from all of our awards alumni and stay up to date with everything. Mpw Awards and we Are Power Never imitated, never replicated singularly wonderful, everybody's wonder girl. Today I am joined by Raina Heverin, who is the founder and MD at Reculture and co-founder of Supplywell. Raina, welcome to the studio.
Speaker 2:Thank you so much. It's such a privilege. I love it and I'm loving these sofas. They're very comfortable.
Speaker 1:It's very cozy and that's what today is. We're going to fantastic conversation. So you were commended for outstanding entrepreneur earlier this year in the northern power women awards what did it mean?
Speaker 2:honestly, I'm still like pinching myself. It felt like a dream. I wasn't expecting it, honestly, and all I can say it was just so humbling and I was ecstatic. Um, it really. Yeah, it means so much to have been recognized, because it's sometimes hard to to look at yourself and and see that you've done a good job. Um, so, yeah, no, it was.
Speaker 1:It was amazing well, we created the awards to encourage people to high-five their achievements, but sometimes it's difficult to take that time to to write down stuff about yourself or even to take a response. It but it's important, that recognition it's important, especially entrepreneurs. We don't get the time, do we no?
Speaker 2:so it is important to highlight your high five, your achievements and also it's quite therapeutic as well, in a weird sort of way, like backtracking all the stuff that you did and the journey you've been on and how it even started, because when you're in the thick of so many things, you forget where it all began sometimes, um so, yeah, no, it's it.
Speaker 1:I think it's really important to do that and I think it's important for entrepreneurs as well, isn't it? When you're too busy in the moment, being the accountant, uh, being HR, being the administrator, being the cleaner, um, the spotlight that it can build on for entrepreneurs is amazing, isn't it it?
Speaker 2:is because and also you know what, being in a room filled with other entrepreneurs and other women and advocates who are so you know you've all been through something similar and there's nothing quite like it. Um, but yeah, when you wear so many hats, it's really hard to find that time to actually give yourself a little tap on the back.
Speaker 1:But it's great, isn't it? High-fiving those achievements, isn't it Absolutely so? Where did this entrepreneur journey, adventure path all start for you?
Speaker 2:It's an interesting one because I think, ever since I remember, I think I always wanted to do something for myself. Um, I was always quite independent, perhaps, and had a desire to build something, but I didn't really know, I wasn't like one of those people that was an entrepreneur from day one, like you know, selling things in the in, in the school playground or anything like that. But but over time I think I started to really think about business, kind of when I was in London and I was working and I honestly registered about a hundred different domains. I don't know if anyone else has done that.
Speaker 2:I've spoken to a few people saying you'd have an idea and you'd be like, oh my God, that's genius. I'm going to have to register this before anyone else does.
Speaker 1:What was your most rogue or most favorite?
Speaker 2:So the first one I did was Game and Date, which was going to be a dating gaming website before apps. So it was like 20, I think it was 2010 when I came up with that and registered it with a friend who I worked with, but, honestly, none of it. We didn't have a clue how to build anything tech like any sort of tech, so that was just an idea. And then I had a burrito, which was burritos, which I actually did like a food tasting test for and all of that kind of stuff and was going to do it. And then I thought you know what, food's too difficult, I don't know if I want to do food. And then I had, oh God, all sorts business babies, which was going to be creches on site in offices, which I still think could work, but anyway. So always had lots of ideas.
Speaker 2:And then I was busy working. I then obviously had children and it kind of goes on the back burner a little bit, but really, what fueled myself and my husband, michael, to set up our first business, which was Supply Well, was really just born out of his absolute kind of experiences as a teacher. You know, we hit rock bottom and it was really through that that we discovered there was a better way of doing things. And it was really through that that we discovered there was a better way of doing things, and that was our calling to set up Supply Well, basically to do something different and fix the broken education recruitment system.
Speaker 1:But where did you start? Because you're in that world of the world of work, yeah, getting those things. Entrepreneurs are always funny to reflect back and think what was that salary thing?
Speaker 2:I know, I know we literally there was a period where neither of us were taking a salary, which is what then led to me setting up reculture as well um, but we'd kind of. You know, michael was was in a really low point. I was on maternity leave, um, or about to go on on maternity leave for the second time, and we just knew that we had to do something. Michael could not go back in the classroom. We knew that when he left, he was one of 42,000 teachers to leave that one year and it's only gone up since then and we knew that he couldn't go down the supply route because he'd get ripped off. He wouldn't earn anywhere near what he earned as a permanent teacher and assistant head, and we knew that there were so many teachers leaving and not coming back, and we felt that there was just a better way to do things.
Speaker 2:It was a journey, it was an idea for a while and then, you know, it iterated over time, but there came a point in 2019 where we just thought we've got to go for it. It's now or never. We just have to. We just have to do it because we think this is going to be something that's going to make change, and I think when you've got that passion, that's what drives you and you find a way. Quite honestly, it makes you unstoppable, doesn't?
Speaker 2:it, it does it does, and we had kids' mouths to feed. We knew we had to make it work, but then over time we built it to a certain point. And there's three of us, there's three co-founders myself, michael and Dan, who I went to school with, so we're like one big family. And really the opportunity to set up Reculture came kind of a little bit further along and Michael and I just really kind of had an honest conversation and thought we cannot put all our eggs into one basket. You know, we've got children, young family, We've got to put food on the table and there's no guarantee that supply well, is gonna gonna work.
Speaker 1:Um, so yeah, so that's where reculture came from and and now kind of both operating, yeah, wow, that is, and so that focuses on well-being and, yes, happiness for candidates, and you said just a few moments ago that that was sort of one of the reasons it was almost was that reculture was formed while you were almost as a seed idea.
Speaker 2:It's always yeah, I mean, I've always worked. I've worked in recruitment since that's been my kind of career to date and I've always kind of seen I've been agency side and in-house. So I work for brands like the mirror group now, um reach and very and you know. So I've worked on both sides and I've really kind of over that time seen the importance of getting that culture piece right from being in-house, you see the person once they've landed in the business and how they're going to embed and are they culturally aligned? Are we supporting it, supporting them in the way that's going to bring the best out of them? And that was really where reculture came from. It was about how can we look beyond just skills and look at a person as they are, what makes them tick, what's their values, and you know them, being able to match them to to organizations that we work with that we know have values that are aligned and you know if, if that kind of, if that's the focus, there's a better chance of them staying and doing a good job.
Speaker 1:So and why those some of you very clearly very purpose driven but why those values specifically? Why were those the two of all the things that drive you? Why were those that, that things that jumped out?
Speaker 2:I think I'm just a big believer in you know, staying true to your own values and what makes you happy, because if you're happy, you're going to do a better job ultimately. And if you're just thrown into an environment that the values don't match yours and you don't believe in their purpose or what they stand for, it's going to be really hard for you to do a good job and become fully optimized to do the best you can. You know, and you're going to be really hard for you to do a good job and become fully optimized to do the best you can. You know, and you're going to be probably thinking about leaving because you just don't feel that that's where you're going to thrive. So I just think I I guess I've always been a passionate person and a believer in people being happy at the end of the day. You know we've we've only, we only got one life and we spend a lot of it working. So why work somewhere that makes you unhappy, you know?
Speaker 1:And what can we do? It was like top tips to come away from the pods and stuff, but what are things that organisations and individuals can do to really make sure that they are happy and they're prioritising that mental health and wellbeing in the workplace? Because, like you said, we've been working an awful long time. So what can the bosses do and what can you sort of take ownership of yourself to make sure that you're putting that first, because it's hard sometimes deadlines, really hard, harmony at home, harmony of trying to balance everything else, and then we've had something called COVID which we had to.
Speaker 1:Yeah, I'm familiar with that.
Speaker 2:That thing that happened. You know companies are bringing staff back into the office and that whole thing around getting you know your staff back in. It's hard.
Speaker 2:It is challenging for employers as well, but I think it's really, really important. You know, we all know the statistics around wellbeing. We all know how important it is, and wellbeing comes in many different shapes and sizes, and what makes one person happy can be quite different to another person. So I think, as bosses, I think it's really important to understand your workforce, whether that's through engagement, surveys or whatever. There's loads of different things you can do to get to know what makes your staff tick and how do they feel, and putting supportive um mechanisms in place to really nurture. I think it's about nurturing support um because, at the end of the day, if you're not looking after your staff and they're leaving, you're in a pickle, aren't you um? So yeah, it's, it's definitely important. It isn't just about making money.
Speaker 1:the money will come if that, if your staff are happy yeah, if you've got no staff, then you can't do that exactly. And if you're an individual, what can you take ownership of? Of your own well-being, if you like.
Speaker 2:I think if you're, if you're a candidate looking for a new opportunity, I think it's really good for you to understand the values of the organisation that you're potentially interested in working in.
Speaker 2:So really asking those questions in an interview if it's not clear what they stand for, even asking you know, what are your core values, what do you strive to be, what's your purpose, so that you can really get a feel for whether you're going to be aligned. I think that's really cause that is going to help you with your, your own personal wellbeing, definitely If you, if you feel, feel like you're in a place that you are passionate about and you know you, yeah, you feel comfortable working for I guess you know there's so many different things. For me personally, my own wellbeing comes from kind of family, from spending time with people I love, but also exercise. I'm a big kind of I have to do something every day. It just makes me feel better Morning or evening. I am a sort of yeah, I can't do early morning anymore. I think once I've hit a certain age, it's harder for me to.
Speaker 1:I'm always tired. I've got to be in and out otherwise Are you good in the morning. Oh yeah, I'm always tired.
Speaker 2:I've got to be in and at it, otherwise are you good in the morning oh yeah, I'm in and I'm on that peloton bike. I like to do it at lunch, if I can really. I like to do it mid at the weekend when I've got time to kind of do it yeah at a more leisurely kind of hour. Then I'll do it sort of late morning.
Speaker 1:But but during the thing, isn't it? It's you, do you as an individual? Yes, take, if you take that there's been times here when we've had the obviously worst summers in the world, and you know the weather and stuff like that. I remember there was a point last year where it was again a whole summer of awful weather and all of a sudden the sun came out and it was like straight away on teams. Everyone step, step away from the laptop. Get out, so get outside, so important butD.
Speaker 2:At the end of the day, we don't get enough of it which is probably why we love to chase the sun wherever we can find it. Yeah, walking, going out for a walk at lunch, having walking meetings these are all things that people are doing more so, and, you know, to a company that doesn't cost much. It's like just encouraging. Instead of sitting in an office to have your team stand up, why not all go for a walk together around the block and chat um when it's not absolutely pouring down?
Speaker 1:I think if that happened with our team, we'd just go and end up um talking food as we walked the destination would be is it there or is it there?
Speaker 2:that would determine the land, but I think that is a part of you do you right, you know and I think, probably making it, making it known, maybe from day one, the kind of things that you know, not kind of saying this is how everything needs to be, but you know, having that open conversation with your manager or whoever it is that you report into, and sort of saying this is, this is really important to me. You know, on a, I play football and I have to be able to get there because otherwise I'm going to be stressing out. Am I okay to start a little bit earlier and finish early? You know, having those things and those conversations and just communicating and being transparent, I think is really important, yeah, and I think, if you're open, like that, the person you're talking to will be happy to hear it.
Speaker 2:Nine course, they're gonna, they're gonna and we've talked.
Speaker 1:You've been in recruitment on both sides. You know both in-house and agency. So for anyone watching listening out there, who may be new into the world of work or wanting that new adventure or new challenge, how can you stand out in that recruitment process? Because it's very competitive out there it is and it's also. It works both ways, because it's hard to try and find, like you say, the right organisation you want to work for as well. Yeah, but how do you make that sort of stand out?
Speaker 2:moment for yourself. I'd say be authentic, and I know that that's sort of a big thing to say, but be true to yourself. No one really likes somebody who's being fake. It's clear, right. Be authentic. Have a really genuine reason why you want to work for that organization. What's been your journey? What have been the highlights that you've, um, you've had through your life, whether you're a graduate or just starting work, or whether you're a seasoned, you know, expert in whatever field, you are having that real, distinct ability to talk about your journey and why you made the decisions you've made and how it's led to this moment, and really understanding the why, the why you want to work for that business, what makes them different to every other business you're interviewing for you know, showing you've done your research, showing that you have emotional intelligence, you know that you have the behaviours that are aligned to their value, all those things, because now it isn't just about skills.
Speaker 2:As we've talked earlier more and more employers are looking at what is this person about? What are they going to bring? What impact are they going to make as a person, not just as a skill. So, showing all of that and you know, preparing, just make sure you've done your research, Honestly, the amount of times it's clear we get feedback and you know candidates haven't really looked at the website even or, you know, done their digging in to find out. You know what that, yeah, and you know, fail to prepare, prepare to fail, really.
Speaker 1:So just be, be prepared and you talked earlier about your, your kids and your family and being really important. Um, I'm not a big fan of sort of you talk about how do you have it all or how do you have your work-life balance, so kind of adopting the phrase about how do you have the harmony because you've got two successful businesses, an amount of side hustles, relationships, friendship groups. How do you kind of keep a handle on that but make sure rain is okay in the middle it's you know what I mean.
Speaker 2:We talked about exercise earlier. That is one of my mechanisms. I find a carve out time each day not every day, but obviously most days to to have that bit of time for myself, whether it's going for a run or a walk or whatever where I can have a bit of me time, um, but you know what it? It's hard, it is really really hard and there's no quick fix. But I think, setting boundaries for yourself and making sure that you know you do prioritize what's most important from a work perspective so that you can carve out time to do those other things. And it's about balance.
Speaker 2:But that doesn't mean everything's in equal measures. You know, it's just really kind of being strict with yourself. You know, my most important thing in my life my children and my family. You know, and I talk to them a lot about why I work so hard and bring them on the journey, and you know Kian wants to run Supplywell in the future and Aaliyah wants to run Reculture. So you know, hopefully, hopefully, they see, they see why we work so hard. But you know, carving out time, setting boundaries, prioritizing and just making sure that you do have a bit of time for yourself, definitely and sort of where you are now successful multi, you know, award winning entrepreneur, right Family, yeah, so much.
Speaker 1:But what I think it was back in 2005, you volunteered out in Costa Rica. Yes, what changed? How did that experience sort of shape Raina now?
Speaker 2:I have to say that was probably one of the most pivotal moments, I think, of my life.
Speaker 1:And was it youth organisation? It was.
Speaker 2:It was ICYE, intercultural Youth Exchange and, quite honestly, I'd left university I didn't really know what I wanted to do. You know, I've always kind of been one of those people that never really quite knew I knew I wanted to do something. I studied sociology and again it was a bit of a random choice, Didn't really know. You know I wouldn't change it for the world. I had a brilliant time at uni, was in Sheffield, you know, it was absolutely amazing, but it was more for the leaving home than the studying.
Speaker 2:Yeah, amazing, but it was more for the leaving home than the studying. Yeah, it was more life skills, live it, being in independent, you know, forcing myself into that situation. But after uni I went to London and I worked for ASOS actually when they were very, very, very early on, um, and I was temping and, but I'd always wanted to learn Spanish and I've always wanted to live abroad at that at that point. So, yeah, after doing some, I felt that that was the best way to do it.
Speaker 2:Costa Rica was appealing from kind of just the fact that it's so beautiful, relatively safe as well, and I, you know, I'm very empathetic, I've always had a care for people, so doing voluntary work just felt like it was really. You know it was. It was well aligned to what I wanted to do and it was one of the best years of my life, I have to say. It taught me love, it taught me empathy, resilience, it showed me the importance of social responsibility, which I think carries through to to to what we do now, um, and honestly it it it gave me the independence independence, I think, beyond anything else I'd ever done and I came back so much more enriched and ready to to take on the world of work and I just felt so much more grounded, honestly, and made relationships that I still, you know, hold so dearly and like they're relationships for life.
Speaker 1:It was incredible and I think you can never underestimate what you do at any point in your your, can, you. It's all part of the story, isn't it? And where that comes back to go, that's why I'm driven by that. That's why I do that I still do that now I still think, all right, now I get it. Why did I do that?
Speaker 2:Oh yeah, yeah, I do. I think it's all about you know, these choices are really important, but sometimes are really important, um, but sometimes you might not know where it's going to take you, but every person you meet, every experience you have, is going to shape you in some way and it's going to open doors, or you know there's so many. Yeah, I'm a true believer in, in, in pushing yourself and and doing things out of your comfort zone and how's your Spanish comfort zone?
Speaker 1:and how's your Spanish Poco a poco?
Speaker 2:Hablo poquito, no mucho, pero poquito. I can still swear, but I'm not going to do that now.
Speaker 1:There you go.
Speaker 2:That'll be the next lesson that'll be the next edition of the we Are Power Español.
Speaker 1:Version of the podcast. What have you got coming up what? What have you got any key goals, any key projects coming up in the future? Because you're not someone to sit on your hands.
Speaker 2:No, I mean, we've always got ideas. I'm I'm really keen to help mentor the next generation of of female entrepreneurs, and especially women of colour as well. I'm part of a fantastic organisation, women of colour global network, which is all around mentorship mentorship of of younger women of color who may find it difficult to have sort of challenging conversations in the workplace or, you know, want to push themselves out of their comfort zones in some ways. That is something I'm passionate about. But also, quite honestly, winning the award was like validation of all the hard work that I suppose I've put in and sometimes at the cost of other things in my life and I think it's fueled me to just keep going.
Speaker 2:And you know we've got such big plans for supply. Well, you know we're expanding nationally. There's so much going on. We've made some amazing key hires recently which we're super excited about, and the same with Reculture. You know we've got so many ideas. We've got a new member of the team starting next week, which I'm excited about as well. Just want to keep going and keep growing, I suppose. But it doesn't come without challenges. There's always going to be challenges along the way.
Speaker 2:It'd be boring otherwise wouldn't it Of course, and you just have to pivot change. Be agile, you know, pick yourself back up, I think.
Speaker 1:What would you give advice to Rainer, young Rainer? Buying all those URLs? What?
Speaker 2:would you give to?
Speaker 1:the Rainer now who thinks I think I could do this whole business thing. What would you give her? What would you say I'd?
Speaker 2:say don't have so much self-doubt. I think that's always been the thing you know and there's so many of us that have that. You know, especially women. You know imposter syndrome and all these things that we all regularly face on a daily basis and I still do, I'm sure we all do, you know have some self-belief. It's going to be okay. You know, you've chosen all the different things that you've done in your life for a reason and it's going to lead you to something. And I think that's what I tell myself. And I'd say don't wait for something to be perfect before doing it. You know, if you've got an idea and you really have validation that you can do it and you're passionate about it, and you know it might not be perfect, but just give it a go because you might miss out on opportunities if you don't and that would be criminal effect. But just give it a go because you might miss out on opportunities if you don't, and that would be criminal and it would be criminal not to have you on this sofa today reina, thank you
Speaker 1:so much for joining us on our we are power podcast um, it's just been brilliant and I'm I love your tote bag moments. We always look for those t-shirt tote bag moments. About that top tips and advice.
Speaker 2:Thank you so much for having me.
Speaker 1:Thank you, thank you and thank you for joining us. Can we just leave that rolling a minute? Can we just leave that rolling? Is it still going? Oh, right, okay okay, come on now give me that notepad right, don't need notes. Subscribe on youtube, apple amazon music spot or wherever you get your podcasts. Leave us a review or follow us on socials. We are Power underscore net on Insta, TikTok and Twitter. We are Power on LinkedIn, Facebook and we are underscore Power on YouTube.
