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Conscious Leaders with Gret Batchelar

Conscious Leaders with Gret Batchelar

By gret

Conscious Leaders is a series with leaders and their advisors about the ever evolving world of work.
We cover the essence of leadership, and how different management styles have met the challenges of the Pandemic and its mass disruption.
In it, we examine what’s changed in the workplace, new techniques and initiatives designed to support hybrid and remote working. And, of course, we discuss the role wellbeing plays in business, as well as hear first hand from our guests about their own wellbeing practices.
Our guests are authentic, vulnerable and self-aware, while also being inspirational.
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Episode 17 - The Roots of Your Health

Conscious Leaders with Gret BatchelarMar 14, 2023

00:00
50:30
Your Core Story

Your Core Story

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Mills is a leadership coach and mentor. She has been a business owner for the past 14 years owning businesses in travel, retail, wellness and coaching.

She is in the top 2% of a global health and wellness B-corp business and mentors rising stars. Over the past 4 years, she has been coaching leaders to success.

As mum of two girls, she believes in the importance of loving what you do and doing what you love.

Aug 01, 202334:29
Episode 22 - Everyone's a Critic

Episode 22 - Everyone's a Critic

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How we learn to feel good enough, from psychotherapist and award-winning writer Julia Bueno.

 

Like many of our guests, this month’s Conscious Leader, Julia, didn’t set out to be an integrative psychotherapist and author.  

In this episode, she shares her journey, which starts with an early professional career as a solicitor.  

She has extensive experience of working with adults in a variety of settings as well as in private practice - including Higher Education, the Charity sector and NHS Psychotherapy Services.  She is integratively trained, uses CBT and mindfulness ideas along with work at greater psychological depth, with very encouraging results - either short-term or long-term.

Her recent book, Everyone’s a Critic, examines the many different guises of an inner critic
 and by the way, all of us have an inner critic whether we know it or not.  

As ever, this podcast could have gone on for much longer so a follow up may be in order sooner rather than later!!  

If you’re interested in more from Julia or about Julia, head over to her website:

https://www.juliabueno.co.uk/

Happy listening!  

Jul 26, 202351:51
Episode 21 - Summer Strategies with Cook Folk

Episode 21 - Summer Strategies with Cook Folk

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Our very own Conscious Expert, Louisa Chapman- Andrews, Founder of Cook Folk, is back and talking Summer Strategies and Radical Acceptance.   


Louisa has a passion for helping people discover their love of cooking or simply just getting more confident in the kitchen.  What we appreciate most about Louisa’s approach is that it’s super practical, easy to follow and beyond tasty.  


Here you’ll learn some amazing recipes that are perfect as we move into the warmer months. 



TRIBE SUMMER RESET MEAL PLAN


Jun 21, 202301:06:05
Episode 20 - Soil Health

Episode 20 - Soil Health

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Find out why soil health is so vital!


My baby brother, Drew Duckworth, joins as a Conscious Expert.  From the suburbs of NYC to Farm Manager at Millstone Farm in Connecticut, USA, he shares his atypical journey and provides insight on the nature of farming, the ins and outs of Regenerative Farming, why our soil is so important and much more.

We are what we eat so he urges us to get curious, talk to food suppliers, ask questions.  We all have a little part to play in protecting the planet.


Jun 06, 202355:00
Episode 19 - Spirited Futures

Episode 19 - Spirited Futures

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This is not our typical episode of Conscious Leaders, but one that is very relevant when we consider leadership and business of the future. 

This episode features Karen Stenning and Ewan Parton of Spirited Futures, which is a leadership academy for changemakers and trailblazers. 

Karen is the founder of Absolute Alchemy, an events business that hosts and produces events that create change for both the planet and people.  She believes that bringing people together to learn, make connections and have dialogue leads to long lasting change on a large scale.  

She has worked in the entrepreneurial sector since 2017, supporting underrepresented founders build and develop their impact businesses.  She also spotted a need for more female investors in the marketplace and in 2018 started InvestHER (now HERmesa), that built a female-led angel investing network.  Now she is the Vestpod Brighton & Hove pod leader. 

Today, Karen is focussing more of her attention to  Spirited Futures leadership academy for young changemakers.  She is developing a number of retreats in Nature that will engage a tribe of young entrepreneurs and disruptors, who are putting the planet and people at the forefront.  


Ewan is the founder of the S.A.D Initiative which provides interactive workshops and talks to students within the educational system, providing the relative and current information to help learners gain the knowledge and skills that are vital for them to make significant improvements to their own well-being. 

He has worked in the entrepreneurial sector since 2020, working in over 50 schools and colleges over England and Wales. Ewan strives to gain a deeper insight of the human experience so that he can empower and change the lives of people no matter the circumstances or background.

Ewan is currently working with Karen and the Spirited Futures team as a board member, in which they are working to put the planet and its people in a better position than we found it.


This is such a real dialogue between people that care and have a shared vision. 

We discuss: 

  • Spirited Futures programme and vision for the future

  • How you can get involved from funding opportunities, to mentors or being a part of the next cohort

  • The power of the natural world and what it has to teach us

  • Wellbeing practices that help you thrive

  • Your best teacher is yourself

Also, Ewan shares his experience as one of the first cohorts of Spirited Futures and how he’s evolved since then, including his experience living with monks for one month.   Profound to say the least.

 

Tune in to hear this insightful and inspiring conversation with leaders of today and tomorrow!!!  



For more on Karen, Ewan and Spirited Futures check out: 

Spirited Futures website - https://www.spiritedfutures.org/

Instagram - @spirited.futures


Connect with Karen on Linked In HERE

May 25, 202354:23
Episode 18 - Being Human

Episode 18 - Being Human

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This man almost needs no introduction!

Andy Holmes is a pioneer in the wellbeing space and one of the early thinkers of how wellbeing can impact performance
.

He was a professional hockey player, has a degree in physiology and decades of experience heading up capability and leadership in big corporates.  After 12 years at Reckitt he is now in a new role role as Client Partner - Wellbeing & High Performance at Korn Ferry.

There is really no one more capable of talking about the importance of wellbeing at work and in life than Andy
.

In this episode, we talk about:

  • Andy’s new role, what his mission is specifically at Korn Ferry and how he’s going about building a Human P&L
  • The need for simplicity when it comes to an offer
  • The importance in creating FEELINGS over the drive for productivity and performance
  • Andy’s views of best in class leadership
  • His non-negotiables (I share mine too!)
  • Lego - check out Andy’s completed Lego below!
  • Advice for corporates starting their wellbeing journey
  • Tips for for individuals who aren’t feeling their best

Andy has loads of knowledge, backed by data on this subject, proving that a human centric workforce and human P&L is worthwhile for businesses to achieve their goals.

Andy is active on Linked-In with relevant content for all.  


Connect with him HERE 


Apr 04, 202352:40
Episode 17 - The Roots of Your Health

Episode 17 - The Roots of Your Health

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Junius is more than a beautifully packaged range of healthy juices and supplements.  It’s a vehicle to educate the masses on the amazing health benefits of nutrition.   There is more to health than detox and Junius offers a range across 7pillars of health so you can choose what you need in this moment.

As with many of our Conscious Leaders, Maria King, co-founder of Junius and certified Functional Medicine practitioner, believes it starts with awareness.  From there you can choose which of the products is most relevant and also learn the ingredients to support your needs.

In this episode, she shares her journey from the busy financial world to realise the healing power of nutrition.

From there, she was hooked and continued to expand her knowledge of the body and how food can be preventative.

Together with her sister and brother, Junius was founded.  They make award winning cold-pressed juices and supplements with a whole body approach to wellbeing, so you can make sure you hit your health goals, beyond detox and energy, with each delicious sip.

To learn more about the roots to your health and Junius products, check out there website:

https://wearejunius.com/

Mar 14, 202350:30
Episode 16 - Creating A Brand New Story

Episode 16 - Creating A Brand New Story

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Once upon a time there was a company struggling to stand out from the crowd


OK, so I lifted that from this Conscious Leader’s website because it is the perfect intro to this episode.

Rachel Savage is the Founder of Brand New Story, a brand agency that helps its clients to develop a powerful brand story that both excites its customers and engages the internal team.

Rachel has been writing stories since the mid 1990s when she was Deputy Editor for The Big Issue South West. She also worked as an in-house writer for Orange (UK and Global), the Environment Agency and Ecotricity.

In 2017, when she left her cosy 9-5 to go freelance, two things started to happen.

She struggled to find a suitable tone of voice for her clients, one that embraced all their passion and expertise into the written word – and the desire to create a purpose-led business planted itself firmly in her heart and wouldn’t budge.

After some hardcore soul-searching she discovered brand storytelling – and then she noticed how little thought (or depth) was being put into ‘brand story creation’.

Brand New Story is the result of Rachel directing seven years of her thinking into the creation of brand stories.

She helps leaders and in-house teams to create a powerful new story for their organisation – one that represents its heart and soul – and supports them on their journey as they share it internally and tell it externally.

In this episode, Rachel shares her journey from journalist to spirited leader and founder of Brand New Story.

She talks about:

  • The importance of story telling for businesses and leaders
  • The process she takes her clients on to develop the brand story
  • The difference between traditional branding and marketing to what Brand New Story offers
  • What leadership is and more importantly, spirited leadership
  • The importance of honoring the sacred in business
  • Her wellbeing practices
  • And her simple definition of wellbeing

To find out more about Brand New Story and book your FREE brand story review visit the website:

https://brandnewstoryhq.com/

And connect with Rachel on Linked In HERE

Feb 13, 202344:06
Episode 15 - Time to Detox

Episode 15 - Time to Detox

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Paul Holbrook is the CEO and Founder of Diary Detox.  An unexpected entrepreneur, Paul started his career in the City of London.  Rising through the ranks he kept hearing the same problem that there wasn’t enough time and seeing his team working on things that weren’t necessarily their responsibility.  Diary Detox was conceived to answer the age old problem of lack of time - but it’s real value is linked to leading and managing.

In this episode:

  • Paul shares his story from the City of London to Diary Detox
  • He explains the methodology behind Diary Detox.
  • He walks through the colour coding and what each colour represents.
  • He talks about the value of self-awareness.
  • He explains the essence of leading - in contrast to good leadership.
  • He gives some super simple tips to start Diary Detoxing now. 

For more on this watch his YouTube clip HERE

  • He defines what wellbeing means to him and shares how he stays well.

To find out more about Diary Detox and book a discovery call visit the website:

https://diarydetox.com/

https://youtu.be/J-4vJi3I27I

Jan 25, 202354:35
Episode 14 - Coming back

Episode 14 - Coming back

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This weeks episode is Phillip Ullmann, a Social Entrepreneur and Thought Leader.

Describing himself as "poacher turned game keeper", he build a recruitment empire from ground up with revenues of £1 billion, employing some 125,000 workers at its peak.

Then Phillip had an epiphany, rejecting the godlike power of the markets and profits, to pursue a business life more focused on people and purpose.

In this very honest interview Phillip, describes the nature of that journey, the challenges he had convincing family and friends he was right, and how today he is enjoying new found opportunities to advise business and government there is another way - one that puts family, community and the power of relationships, first.

Dec 05, 202237:48
Episode 13 - Sustainable Choices

Episode 13 - Sustainable Choices

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Tiffanie Darke is a long time friend and seeker, someone who is constantly inquiring, discovering and evolving.  As you’ll hear as she shares her career journey, she is not one to shy away from new opportunities.

Tiffanie is a long time journalist who worked for a number of UK publications including the Observer, The Telegraph, The Express and The Sunday Times.  One of her recognised titles ‘Too Posh to Push’ is a common phrase still used today.

She moved into the fashion world as the Editor of the Sunday Times fashion magazine and later went on to be Editor in Chief of Harrods.

More recently, she studied sustainability at Cambridge and is an expert when it comes to sustainable fashion.

She opened a concept store in Ibiza bringing luxury and sustainability together under one roof.  Agora is all about storytelling with four main chapters:

  • Reduce
  • Recycle
  • Restore
  • Resell

In this episode, she shares her extensive background in journalism, foray into fashion and now sustainability.

We talk about her leadership learnings and also how she stays well.

Check out Tiff’s platform It’s Not Sustainable :

https://tiffaniedarke.substack.com/

And her shop, Agora, can be found on Instagram:

https://www.instagram.com/agora.ibiza/?hl=en

Nov 21, 202201:00:43
Episode 12 - Impact Investing

Episode 12 - Impact Investing

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George Latham has been at the forefront of sustainable and responsible investment since the late 90s.  He is a pioneer when it comes to impact investment.

As the Managing Partner at WHEB Asset Management, George has overall responsibility for the business, and plays an active role in business development and client relationships. He’s also WHEB’S Chief Risk Officer, providing oversight of the investment process and chairs the Investment and Risk Committee.

Prior to WHEB, George led the award-winning SRI (sustainable and responsible investment) team at Henderson Global Investors. During that time, he was awarded ‘A’ and ‘AA’ Citywire ratings, nominated for Investment Week’s Fund Manager of the year and named in Citywire’s top 100 managers in the UK. He was also responsible for designing and launching Threadneedle Asset Management’s sustainable and responsible investment strategy during the late 1990s.

In this episode, we talk about:

  • How his interest in Geography sparked an awareness and passion for the environment and sustainability.
  • How Impact Investment goes far beyond ESG, citing some very simple examples.
  • How to break down sustainability when it comes to your personal life (travel, food, home, work)
  • His own wellbeing practices, noting the conscious awareness that he is not necessarily as well as he could be!

For those business owners and managers, he has some relevant advice regarding BCorps to help evolve your business.

Off camera we got into a conversation about carbon offsetting air travel, which I thought was worth sharing.  To offset in a more appropriate way, dial back to one year (rather than 15 years, which it is currently based on).  To do this, George recommends the Luftansa App.

This is an episode worth listening to for all of George’s insight into the world of investment, running a sustainable business and being more sustainable on a personal level.

For more information on Wheb Asset Management:

https://www.whebgroup.com/

To connect with George directly, you can find him on Linked IN

https://www.linkedin.com/in/george-latham-55826321/

Oct 18, 202242:03
Episode 11 - Sustainability Space

Episode 11 - Sustainability Space

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Julie Hirogoyen is truly a pioneer in the sustainability space, especially when it comes to the built environment.

Julie joined UKGBC as CEO in 2015, and has since been credited with transforming its strategy into a more member-focused, holistic sustainability agenda with a strong focus on impact measurement. At the helm of a fantastic team, Julie and UKGBC have some important achievements to celebrate – including galvanizing industry support for a net zero carbon legislative target in 2019, convening industry consensus around definitions of net zero carbon buildings and circular construction, and influencing government policy at both national and local levels on a range of impact areas including net zero carbon, biodiversity net gain, climate resilience, and waste and resources strategy amongst others. Julie’s own purpose is to support and empower her team to drive effective change, and to act as UKGBC’s spokesperson with the media, members, regulators, and wider stakeholders, as well as forging links with other GBCs across the world.

Julie is a Non Executive Director of Wilmott Dixon Holdings Board and a Trustee of the purpose-driven charity Blueprint for Better Business. A former Commissioner of the London Sustainable Development Commission, she also Chairs the Igloo Footprint Advisory Board, and sits on Grimshaw’s Stewardship Group. She is currently also a member of the Government’s Net Zero Buildings Council. Julie is the recipient of UCEM’s 2021 Property Award and in December 2019 was named one of three best persons of the decade by Property Week.

Julie was previously UK Head of Sustainability and an International Director at JLL, having come into JLL as a result of an acquisition. JLL acquired Upstream, a leading sustainability consultancy which Julie was co-founder and Joint MD of, in 2007. Having led the Upstream team through the integration into JLL, Julie oversaw further development of cutting-edge sustainability services to property investors and occupiers across the UK and EMEA.

In this episode, she talks about the role of business and government.  She shares tips for business leaders and individuals when it comes to sustainable built spaces.  She links sustainability to wellbeing and much more.


This is an episode worth listening to!

For more information on the built environment, check out the the UK Green Building Council, as

https://www.ukgbc.org/

And here’s a really cool virtual reality platform showcasing best in class building design globally

https://buildbetternow.co/

Sep 19, 202233:36
Episode 10 - A Natural Life

Episode 10 - A Natural Life

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Jarvis Smith is both a Conscious Expert and truly a Conscious Leader.  

Jarvis wears many different hats - all with the same hairstyle - and all connected to his greater purpose to inspire millions to live consciously and aware of the consequences that affect our planet.  

As a trained shaman, he is incredibly connected to nature and energy and brings this into his work with business leaders to help them understand their own blueprint.  

He is the co-founder of My Green Pod with his wife, Katie.  This is the go-to source for all things sustainable.  They have done all the work to review and approve brands and products so whether you’re simply looking for information or to actually purchase something this is where you need to go.

This conversation is very special and unique.  We touch on Jarvis’s background, the pivotal moments that he experienced and his own calling to do what he’s doing.  

He also shares some frightening, yet true facts about the state of the world and the climate crisis, whilst offering tips on what we can, and need to, do right now.  And, yes, that means NOW!

For more information on Jarvis head to his website:

Jarvissmith.com

And to discover some amazing sustainable brands and goodies, plus learn a ton about sustainability go to: 

Mygreenpod.com

Sep 12, 202234:23
Episode 9 - Leadership’s Role in Creating Culture

Episode 9 - Leadership’s Role in Creating Culture

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Today I’m joined by one of my oldest friends, Liz Moulton, who is a powerhouse in the world of executive search.   Yes, Liz and I have known eachother since we were about 5 years old!!!

Liz is one of those people that was always destined to do great things.  She is someone I’ve always admired and someone that I’ve always known no matter what she focuses on - she will achieve
. And not only that she does it while staying true to herself and maintaining strong relationships and friendships along the way.

To toot her horn, she’s been recognized for her work recruiting women leaders into significant executive roles within the top leagues, teams, technology and media organizations.

In 2018, she was awarded the Sports Business Journal’s Game Changers award for her successful efforts in diversity searches.

In this episode, we talk about:

  • Leadership’s role in creating culture
  • Team specific micro-cultures within the broader organisational culture
  • Burnout and the mental state of leaders and workers
  • What it takes to recruit top talent and keep them
  • The power of vulnerability

And we even got a little guest appearance from Liz’s daughter 
 a true look at the life of a senior leader !

Connect with Liz on Linked In HERE

Aug 16, 202248:58
Episode 8 - Wellbeing at Work and Trusted Teams

Episode 8 - Wellbeing at Work and Trusted Teams

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Few people can claim to be a genuine architect of corporate wellbeing but Jen Fisher, the Chief Wellbeing Officer at Deloitte is one contender.

A Deloitte lifer with a career spanning 20 years, Jen was herself a victim of burnout one day waking up without the will to work.  In this bare-all interview, she honestly reflects on how that moment was a turning point in her career and life.

Mandated to examine the meaning, purpose and work-integration of a wellbeing plan, Jen has set about embedding Wellbeing as strategy and culture at Deloitte for the past seven years.

Something of a visionary and pioneer, Jen sets out how a company can incorporate wellbeing as a mindset with everyday language that engages and empowers.

A firm believer in her own personal programme of sleep, exercise, and digital detoxing, she believes we still need to control tech - not let it control us – an ongoing battle!

By giving employees more of a sense of their purpose as well as permission to allow for greater self-care, an improved perspective and productivity is on offer to all.

Leaders, managers, and employees can all learn more about how care can be more cultural and with it empower their teams to greater trust, purpose, and performance.

Connect with Jen on Instagram or Linked In.

And tune in to her podcast - WorkWell Podcast

Aug 13, 202241:40
Episode 7 - Defining Wellbeing for Business

Episode 7 - Defining Wellbeing for Business

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Few people have made a more significant impact in bringing the idea of wellbeing to the masses than Jeff Krasno.

Having run Wanderlust since 2008, which now boasts over 60 global wellness events annually, he is perhaps better known as the Founder and CEO of Commune Media.

It was in a tiny box of a yoga studio near the World Trade Centre that he saw — after 9/11 — the power of healing as practice with his then-girlfriend, now wife, Schuyler.  And so, the seed was sown.

Today, Commune - described as "the Masterclass of Wellness" - provides courses from some of the world's leading wellbeing experts covering self-care, healthcare, addictions, and spirituality from big names such as Deepak Chopra, Matthew McConaughey, Wim Hof, and Russell Brand.

In this interview, Jeff defines his views on personal wellbeing – movement, reflection, nutrition, community, and creativity and explains why we must all invest more in ourselves.

He also argues that businesses need a wellbeing definition mapping trust, leadership, and team self-care, and makes a strong case for greater societal wellbeing, roadmap included.

Find out why Commune’s community has grown from grass roots to over 2 million people with a mission to reach a billion, changing the fabric of society for the better.

As a weekly podcaster with a million subscribers, Jeff shares his views on Pandemic fall out, how being more engaged, kinder, and “listening to hear each other” could make a seismic difference as the world goes back to work.

From there, collaboration and creativity can flourish.

Find Jeff on Instagram HERE 

And to learn more about click Commune Membership

Aug 13, 202239:29
Episode 6 - Navigating Burnout

Episode 6 - Navigating Burnout

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Allison Akhnoukh had a successful career in educational management and has worked with numerous start-ups.  Rising to the top, landing her dream job, she realised that was burnt out.

She retrained as an executive coach with the Co-Active Training Institute (CTI) and is now passionate about helping senior professionals navigate their world of work.

This is a wonderful conversation that dives deep into the culture of burnout, what burnout feels like, the role of a coach and wellbeing for senior business leaders.

You can find Allison on Linked In or via her website HERE

Aug 13, 202238:20
Episode 5 - Untapping Potential

Episode 5 - Untapping Potential

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Conscious Leader, Jenni Emery, is more conscious than most and has a true passion for untapping people’s potential.

She started her career as a corporate lawyer and was fortunate enough to work directly with senior executives, where she learned an important lesson about story telling to take people on the journey.  She also discovered her interest in developing people.

She now wears many hats, including Senior People Leader, Coach and Author.  She wrote the book that wasn’t there for her when she was working on the merger of 3 well known law firms; Leading for Organisational Change – Building Purpose, Motivation and Belonging.

She is well versed in how to create culture, manage change, leadership, strategy development and much more.

In this episode she covers the true essense of great leadership, how to create diverse & inclusive cultures, managing change, strategy development and much more.

She is also incredibly open about her own wellbeing and the reason her practices have developped, encouraging the leadership trait of vulnerability.  

If you want to connect with Jenni you can find her on Linked In HERE or on her website JENEMERY.COM 

Aug 12, 202248:40
Episode 4 - Conscious Candidates

Episode 4 - Conscious Candidates

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Lucy Harris has been a headhunter for 25 years and is the Founding Partner of Altrua, an agency built on a passion for working around organisational health and purpose. 

More conscious leader than most, Lucy has been at the cutting edge of c-suite engagement and there are few people better placed to help shine a light on the changing nature of leadership today. 

For Lucy and Altrua, understanding PURPOSE is key to delivering vision and results – always people – not profit – driven.

Aug 12, 202235:08
Episode 3 - Mid-Life Transformation

Episode 3 - Mid-Life Transformation

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Conscious Leader, Eleanor Mills, Founder and Editor in Chief of Noon, is one of transformation and new opportunities in mid-life.

Eleanor’s background as a leading journalist with two decades at The Sunday Times as columnist, interviewer, Editorial Director, and Award-winning Editor Sunday Times Magazine provides a wealth of anecdotes and colour.  She shines a light on countless positives, but also the dark side of senior editor roles that can be all consuming.

Exiting that same building after 23 years, meant new opportunities beckoned and so Noon was born.  She saw too many women floundering in midlife as they were hit by multiple stresses, so the need for a community to help them and inspire them to embrace their next act seemed obvious if daunting.

At Noon, change is noted as difficult; but it is also energising and exciting.  Midlife is an age of opportunity – a time for transformation and reinvention, a time to celebrate.

Tough questions are tackled.  Men and media life, the nature of leadership, editorial pressures, getting world beating scoops, but also leading by example and vision.  It was a roller coaster ride, but when it ended, Eleanor was left wanting.

Noon, by contrast, has offered new purpose and freedom to explore more of the things she values, such as tackling engendered ageism, noting that 50 is a time for women to come into their prime, reaping rewards.  It’s time they are noticed, and so too, their influence, experience – even buying power, which so often is overlooked.

Recent Noon research clearly shows the perspective and agenda of this key demographic highlights that society still has much to notice and address on this unexplored, negative bias.

Aug 12, 202241:02
Episode 2 - Unlocking Potential

Episode 2 - Unlocking Potential

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This episode taps into the mind and mantras of a big name in education, public speaking and corporate advisory work.

Richard Gerver is a mentor, author, TED talker and educator.

Over the past two decades Richard has taken his frontline experience as a headmaster and distilled it into a lifelong quest to understand and define leadership – its nature and how potential can be unleashed and channelled to change people, purpose and performance.

Richard’s expertise and insights have been in demand for decades, working with Deloitte, Visa, Microsoft, Morgan Stanley and Telefonica as well professional footballer and cricketers.

In his interview for Conscious Working, he explains how he turned the failing Grange School into a world-renowned UNESCO success story and as a steppingstone to advising the c-suite.

That experience of unlocking potential in the classroom then migrated to the boardroom where he has helped senior leaders define visions and remain faithful to values.

Richard also touches on how we can best emerge from the Pandemic and recognise that the world of work has changed forever and with it the need to understand new lessons and learnings to exploit the biggest social change in a century.

These will fuel innovation and change if we can only embrace new settings, fearlessly.

He argues that great leadership is first and foremost about serving the needs of the people who work for you. And that systems and structures change nothing; people do.

You’ll hear how best to harness your own potential, that of your teams and the need for wellbeing as a key component to leverage the best people can offer.
As ever, it’s peppered with anecdotes that span worker experiments at Google to couch trips for Olympians.

Never one to shy away from honest discourse, Richard is also frank about his own lockdown far from being trouble free, with dark days of doubt – just like the rest of us.

Aug 12, 202250:24
Episode 1 - Life Inside the C-Suite

Episode 1 - Life Inside the C-Suite

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Our series kicks off with special friend, Becky Falkingham, CEO of The Alexander Partnership, a leading advisory firm that has been coaching C-suites across countless corporates in different sectors for decades.

Becky shines a light on life inside the c-suite, guiding CEOs through those very tough decision-making processes, often under extreme pressures. She covers the key characteristics to being a better leader, listing compassion, vulnerability, and an ability to listen as essential.

You’ll also hear details on how leaders coped during Covid and how new management styles were quickly adopted to navigate the tidal wave of change.

Whether it was financial survival (airlines), order overload (retail) or commuter meltdown (railways), crises also triggered deeper team connections, fresh loyalties, and renewed board-level engagement.

Often in the face of adversity, survival instincts allowed for a better approaches, sharper communications, faster decisions, and creativity where nothing was off the table.

It’s now a question of how to bottle that so learnings are not lost.

The question still unanswered is how #hybrid will work longer term, and with workers holding more cards, whether companies will offer complete flexibility as a way to compete.

Within that wellbeing, as a cultural play with focus on mental health health has also taken its place at exec tables – as a differentiator and a relevant metric for collective mood, morale, and performance.

Jul 28, 202240:05