Cindy Gallop, Founder of Make Love Not Porn

“I have a sunglasses case that says on it, ‘Don’t look back, you’re not going that way.’ And that’s my philosophy.”

Nope, taking a backwards step is not in Cindy Gallop’s DNA. After nearly four decades working in brand building, marketing and advertising on global businesses including Coca-Cola, Ray-Ban and Polaroid, ten years ago Cindy founded social sex video sharing platform Make Love Not Porn. MLNP is on a mission to make it easier for everyone in the world to talk honestly about sex, to promote better communication, consent, good sexual values and good sexual behavior. “The way to think about us is, if porn is the Hollywood blockbuster movie, Make Love Not Porn is the badly needed documentary,” is how Cindy puts it, quite simply.

In fact, much of the advice Cindy has to offer is simple – and transformative. From how to ask for a payrise (“The amount you ask for is always the highest amount you can say out loud without bursting out laughing”) to why you should consider starting your own business (“Whose hands would you rather place your future in? Those of a large corporate entity who doesn't give a shit about you or somebody who will always have your best interests at heart, i.e. you?”), Cindy’s Pep Talk with host Caroline Hugall is like a cheat sheet for life done right.

This first series of Pep Talk is in partnership with the not-for profit Fitted For Work, which runs work-readiness programs and mentorships for disadvantaged women.