Asi Sharabi on scaling Wonderbly from the kitchen table to an award-winning business & selling to Penguin Random House

Asi Sharabi on scaling Wonderbly from the kitchen table to an award-winning business & selling to Penguin Random House

Author: JBM, James Mitra November 5, 2025 Duration: 35:45
Today’s 40 Minute Mentor is Asi Sharabi, Co-Founder and CEO of Wonderbly, the world’s leading personalised publishing company.  Founded in 2012, Wonderbly is on a mission to inspire boundless self-belief in children through clever and sophisticated personalisation.  Over the last decade, Asi and the team have gone from strength to strength, raising money from some of the biggest investors in the industry, winning multiple awards, growing the team and shipping over 10 million books.  In this episode, Asi opens up about the reality behind this fast-growth journey, from raising capital to taking back ownership and scaling the team while keeping a strong culture at the core.  📚Episode Chapters: ➡️ The moment it all started [02:00]  ➡️ Hypergrowth & fundraising lessons [10:00]  ➡️ Building a high-performing culture without burning people out [13:30]  ➡️ Why proximity still matters in a remote world [23:20]  ➡️ Selling to Penguin Random House [26:30]  ➡️ The hard side of being a Founder [32:20]  🔍 Find out more:  ✨ Connect with Asi ✨ More about Wonderbly ✨ Asi’s book recommendation ⭐ Enjoyed this episode? ⭐️ Keep up to date with all our latest episodes by hitting the subscribe button on your favourite podcast platform. And for any feedback on what you enjoy the most and ideas on what we can do to make 40 Minute Mentor even better, please leave us a review at https://ratethispodcast.com/40mm Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Ever wondered what a conversation with a truly groundbreaking founder or an elite performer actually sounds like? 40 Minute Mentor captures exactly that, offering intimate, structured dialogues designed to unpack the real journeys behind extraordinary success. Hosted by James Mitra, this podcast operates on a simple but powerful premise: profound insight doesn't require hours of your time. Each episode is a focused, forty-minute session with a different leader, from purpose-driven entrepreneurs building unique companies to Olympic athletes who have mastered their craft. The conversations move beyond theory, delving into the pivotal decisions, personal challenges, and practical lessons that have shaped their paths. You'll hear not just about their triumphs, but the resilience required during setbacks, providing a honest look at what building a brilliant career or venture genuinely entails. As one of the UK's prominent business podcasts, it serves as a direct source of mentorship, aiming to elevate ambitions by sharing these powerful career narratives. Tune in for a regular dose of inspiration and actionable wisdom, all within the span of a single commute or workout.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 100

40 Minute Mentor
Podcast Episodes
Duncan Clark on staying purpose-driven in a $42 billion company [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 44:05
Today’s 40 Minute Mentor is Duncan Clark, Head of EMEA at Canva, the world-leading visual-communication platform on a mission to empower the world to design. Before joining Canva, Duncan co-founded Flourish, the data-sto…