The Short Cut:
A quick-fire chat about working life with Esther O’Callaghan
The Short Cut designed to bring you a snapshot of our members’ working lives. Today, we’re speaking to Esther O’Callaghan, founder of Web3-based education platform Hundo.
At the heart of the Nurture Network is the power of sharing experiences.
From breakthrough career moments to best-ever advice, how to deal with stress and the women that inspire them.
Tell us about your breakthrough career moment
My breakthrough career moment was moving to Manchester and meeting a friend of mine – now one of my best friends in the world – who was a receptionist by day and a Drum and Base / Jungle DJ by night. And she introduced me to an entirely new genre of music because I was heavily into techno and progressive house/breaks – and I still am! But that’s when I met all her network. And then, long story short, I met Tony Wilson, who ran Factory Records back in the day – and I opened a record shop in Manchester. I was the first female DJ producer to own a record shop.
What’s the best piece of advice you’ve ever had?
“Advice is the thing that you ask for when you wish you didn’t already know the answer,” which I’ve also found to be true.
Have you ever felt held back as a women? How do you respond?
I was lucky early in my career to have phenomenal male and female bosses, so I never really faced gender barriers—until I became a tech startup founder in my late 30s. Entering the VC world as a non white male, non-STEM founder with no technical background was a wake-up call – I suddenly became aware that my quarter of a century as a domain expert in my field counted for nothing.
Unfortunately, this isn’t unique—I see many underrepresented female founders facing the same struggles. You know, people talk about the glass ceiling, but for me, it was actually a paper ceiling – really, it was the fact that I was not an academic, and I left school at 16 because I had to go to work.
And I think I’ve dealt with it well and I’ve dealt with it not so well! But I think I deal with things by having a really strong sense of mission. I know why I’m doing something because, honestly, some days, that is the only thing that will get you out of bed. I speak for myself, can’t speak for everybody. So that helps, but it’s also an Achilles heel because, of course, then you’re all about the mission. And that’s a double-edged sword because when things go wrong, it feels personal.
And then also just having the ability – which I did not always do well with and still struggle with – to not be defined by work. Because, of course, when things went wrong, it felt like I failed as a human being, you know, not that my business had failed. But running a startup in the middle of a market crash is a challenge, so I have had to go back to some very basic principles like, do you have a roof over your head? Do you have food in the fridge?
And I’ve always had a huge amount of help from my colleagues, from mentors, from friends, from a network. Because it is not possible to have done any of the things I’ve done without that huge network of people who are willing to back, believe, forgive, and support you. People say, “Your network is your net worth.” If that were true, I’d be a billionaire! But in terms of life’s richness and your non-financial net worth, I’d say they’re absolutely right.
How do you protect your mental health in moments of pressure?
I do endurance sports—triathlons, specifically—which feels a lot like running a startup. Swim, bike, run… just like work and life, where you’re never quite sure if you’re just getting in the water or if you’re nearly at the finish line. But the key is to keep going.
Recently, I’ve also separated passion from purpose. We’re told work should be both, but they’re not always the same. Sometimes, you can feel passionate about something, but that’s not necessarily your purpose—and that’s okay. For instance, I’m passionate about tackling youth unemployment, but my purpose may be something else—and that’s fine. Credit to The School of Life for that insight.
Somewhere along the way, work became everything. We meet people and ask what they do, not what they like. That’s why I think the ‘lazy girl’ trend is genius— it’s about the principle that work is not everything – work isn’t life. Unfortunately, I learned that the hard way. My health suffered, and though I was there for my son, I wasn’t always present. It took tough circumstances to wake me up to that.
The woman who empowers me the most is…
…Oh, wow, too many to mention.
I feel empowered when…
…When I am making progress – when I’m moving forward and not sitting paralysed.
The woman who everyone should know about is…
Being in the Middle East, I’ve been diving into its history and recently watched Lawrence of Arabia—a four-hour epic. But the real unsung figure is Gertrude Bell, Lawrence’s peer, who was hugely influential yet often overlooked. Rather than focusing on just one woman, I’d recommend looking beyond the main historical narratives to find the women working behind the scenes—they’re often the most fascinating. Gertrude Bell is a perfect example.
The world will be a better place when…
…We start to have leaders who remember that you lead through service.
Do you have any hobbies to keep you busy in your spare time?
Music and travel – I’m a nomad at heart. So, yeah, travel, triathlon and techno; those are my escape routes.
Where is your favorite place in the world?
My favourite place in the world is Rotterdam in the Netherlands. I love it. I love the Dutch. I love living there. It is my favourite place. And I basically live on my favourite street in my favourite city in the world when I’m there.
Ever wondered what it takes to transform the future of work for young people worldwide?
Ready to inspire and be inspired?
Join the Nurture Network—a free community of women empowering women. Share your story, connect with like-minded leaders, and be part of the conversation that’s changing the game.
Your journey matters—tell us about it here.
