She decided at 12 to become a journalist. No money, no women in the field, no clear path. Here is how she made it happen.

Bian grew up in Mumbai and became a journalist in India before moving to the UK at 25, knowing almost no one. Over the next 25 years she built a career across telecoms, media, consulting and financial services, at Sky, Capgemini, BT, TSB and LinkedIn. Today she is a non executive director and marketing strategist, and she coaches people of colour through her RISE programme.

In this episode of ExExecs, John, Tarek and Robin sit down with Bian for an honest conversation about career resilience: the setbacks, the imposter syndrome, and the choices that shape a working life. She explains why curiosity is a superpower, why hunger is not the same as desperation, and why the question we ask children (what do you want to be) is the wrong one. She is also candid about her hardest lessons, from hiring the wrong people to ignoring her own health while her father was dying.

Key takeaways:

• Take the opportunity in front of you, not the perfect one. A receptionist job became a career in journalism.
• Hunger is a positive force. Desperation is not. Know the difference.
• Imposter syndrome eases when you know who you are, not just what you do.
• Hire for attitude and values, not talent alone. One wrong hire can damage a whole team.
• You cannot run on an empty tank. Look after yourself before the numbers.

Chapters:

• (00:00) Welcome and meet the hosts
• (02:32) Bian's story: from Mumbai to Sky, BT and LinkedIn
• (05:00) Curiosity as a superpower
• (07:49) Getting comfortable being uncomfortable
• (09:59) Deciding at 12 to be a journalist
• (12:20) Receptionist to journalist: there is only one way to find out
• (14:59) Hunger is not desperation
• (15:38) Mentors, and why most were men
• (19:05) Not enough seats at the table
• (24:37) Imposter syndrome: who, not what, do you want to be
• (28:45) Her biggest mistake: hiring for talent, not attitude
• (30:55) Burnout and you cannot run on an empty tank
• (33:04) Culture shock and finding your feet
• (36:05) Marketing, AI and the RISE programme
• (38:56) Closing reflections

If this conversation helped you, follow ExExecs and share it with someone navigating a tough patch in their career.

Get in touch: 3exExecs@gmail.com

Hosts: John Newton, Tarek Anwar and Robin. Guest: Bian Salins, linkedin.com/in/biansalins.