Life Beyond The Numbers

“There’s probably something about confidence that I back myself, that I can do more or I can strengthen this particular skill. I can learn to do a new thing.” Julie Smith

 

Julie Smith and I talk about the realities of confidence, humility and self-doubt and how these play out in both life and leadership. Julie describes confidence as “trust in yourself” and reminds us that nobody feels con...

This is a special episode to mark the 5th anniversary and the launch of the audio book version of Leading Beyond the Numbers. 

 

In this episode I share:

5 reflections from 5 years of podcasting:

• Hosting or facilitating
• Holding space and listening
• The most surprising thing...
• The power of voice
• Why this podcast still matters to me

A short interview by Rob Lawrence recorded in JMS Group Studios at the end of two days spen...

"We don't eat nutrients, we eat stories." Mari Giuseppe   Mari Giuseppe and I delve into the intricate relationship between food, culture and self-perception. Mari, a dietician with a unique approach, explains how food isn't just nutrition; it's deeply intertwined with the stories we tell ourselves. We discuss the pressures of cultural ideals, the impact of trauma on eating habits and the harmful effects of societal expectations. W...

"When I first become aware that I was experiencing perimenopause, or at least put a name to what I had been experiencing for years without knowing what was going on, it was a very different world. That was just 10 to 15 years ago." Laura Haycock

 

Laura Haycock and I talk about her recently published book, M-Power, which addresses menopause as a critical issue that intersects with organisational culture and how we tre...

"I'm a great one for saying yes to things because I like saying yes to things .... and my husband always says, availability isn't a skill, Susanne. So, I have to remind myself of that sometimes." Dr Susanne Evans

 

Susanne, David and I speak about burnout. Not as a concept, but as something that we may well have to navigate in our work-lives. We talked about signs like exhaustion, disconnection, losing a sense of self. We spoke abo...

“I want to create something which fit that space and would help those people... to future-proof themselves.” James Culmer-Shields

 

James Culmer-Shields and I recently sat down at my kitchen table and talked about something that touches all of us: how we stay well enough as we age to live the lives we want to live. James has spent decades in the world of fitness - from his time in the military training to personal coaching to found...

"So by that definition, all stories are useful. The question is: to what end?" Jay Perry

 

Jay Perry and I explored what happens when we begin to see story not as decoration or distraction, but as data - the language we use to survive, connect and create. Jay shared his definition that “a story is language put to use” and reminded us that “all stories are useful” - the real question being to what end? Together we examined how some ...

"There is a pilot light running in all of us, and to me that pilot light is the artist inside us." Alexander Inchbald

 

Alexander Inchbald and I have an in-depth conversation about creativity and the courage to listen to something larger than ourselves. Alexander equates our inner spark - our "light" - with the artist within, present in all of us, even when dimmed. We explore the roles of d...

"At this particular moment, am I in alignment with, am I in resonance with my values, with what I stand for, with what my heart beats for?" Migena Gjerazi

 

In this special compilation episode, I revisit conversations from Episodes 100 to 200, to bring together moments from conversations to explore how choice isn’t always obvious, but it’s always there. Awareness opens the door. Articulatio...

I didn’t set out to reach 200 episodes—I set out to follow the joy. And in this episode, I reflect on how joy hasn’t come from numbers or milestones, but from the moments in between - from the magic of sitting down and having real, honest conversations.

Over the years, I’ve explored everything from emotional intelligence to leadership transitions, from burnout to belonging, from accounting for our emotions to creating more human wo...

"Playfulness is our natural state of well-being. We are playful when we are well." Chris Marshall

 

Chris Marshall and I explore why playfulness isn’t frivolous or childish but fundamental to how we thrive at work and in life. We discuss how playfulness helps us embrace complexity, navigate uncertainty and show up as our whole, human selves. Chris shares his multi-faceted career journey and...

"... you take people outdoors. They get into a resourceful state, you're able to explore more. You can use nature. I call it wayfinding, just like you use a compass and things like that. You can use the path you're on as a metaphor. And because you're outdoors, you can stay inquisitive longer." Murph 

 

Murph and I explore the incredible benefits of movement, nature and human connection in leadership and decision-making. We discuss...

"You can hear the silence emerging in the room. You can hear the sound of silence. There's a peace that comes with, a harmony that comes from it. It offers an opportunity for more sharing, more cooperation, less competition. So it's very generative." Carissa Bub

 

Carissa Bub and I explore the transformative power of silence in leadership and life. We dive into the paradox of silence - how it can feel awkward or even frightening, y...

"When I realised how much joy there was to be had in life, full stop, in your job and in people paying you to do something you actually enjoy, blew my mind. After 20 years of office work, I was like, wait, wait, I get to have fun and they pay me. I was really surprised by that." Ana Clements

 

Ana Clements and I explore the journey of rediscovering passion, pursuing creativity and embracing reinvention at any stage of life. She sha...

"...because we're all imperfect if we have any kind of power, including even just like having a strong personality, that we can be doing things that we don’t even realise are intimidating or shutting down other people."​ David Lee

 

In this episode, I am joined by Dr. Susanne Evans and David Lee for one of our irregular but always insightful conversations. Today, we dive into the topic of bad behaviour in our workplaces — what it l...

"I was completely transfixed by the idea of these very tiny teapots and these tiny tea cups that were serving small amounts of tea." James Thirlwall

 

James Thirlwall and I explore the connection between tea and creating connection. I venture out of my usual space to record in a delightful and intimate setting: a tiny teahouse in East Oxford. We delve into the world of Japanese tea ceremonies as well as discover how Chinese tea cer...

"Any given moment contains unlimited futures that can become real. The reality that occurs is the one you pay attention to."  [Quoting] Penney Peirce

In this inaugural episode of 2025 I reflect on three recent inspirations — a movie and two exhibitions — that explore themes of creativity, certainty and choice. Drawing connections between the iterative nature of creativity, life’s constant rewrites and the courage to start anew, I s...

In this year-end episode of 'Life Beyond the Numbers,' I explore the theme of going beyond the status quo. The episode features a compilation of interviews and stories from previous episodes focused on creating a more fulfilling work life by emphasising the human side of our work-lives. I share a selection of snippets with insights on topics such as the importance of avoiding short-termism, the value of shifting perspective, the i...

"The actions that we take are the things that are going to get us results, whether we like it or not. And so looking at those results, which business leaders are looking at all the time. We're always looking at those results. Are we meeting our outcomes? Are we meeting our metrics? And if we're not getting those results, well, we're not taking the right actions." Katie McLaughlin

 

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