WorkJoy Jam with Beth Stallwood

Welcome to the WorkJoy Jam, the podcast where we explore the intersection of joy and work. I'm your host, Beth Stallwood, and in this engaging episode, we dive into "The Power of Play" with the vibrant Em Stroud, a corporate clown coach who's turned joyful play into a business revolution.

As adults, we often find ourselves shackled by societal expectations that suggest play is solely the realm of children. But what if embracing play could unlock creativity, productivity, and genuine connection in the workplace? In this episode, Em and I unpack the practical benefits of integrating fun into our daily routines, redefining play for the adult world, and the transformative effects it can have not just on individuals, but on organisational culture as a whole.

From reimagining meetings with a more active and playful setup to sharing accidental moments of joy through simple acts like out-of-office messages, Em Stroud offers tangible strategies to sprinkle play into our working lives. And, with a reminder that play isn't one-size-fits-all, we'll discuss how finding your unique play style can enrich every aspect of your life.

Whether you're someone who thrives on the thrill or a person who finds a deeper connection in quieter activities, this episode will inspire you to craft moments of delight and encourage a cultural shift towards a more playful business environment.

Stay tuned as we explore the power of play with Em Stroud and challenge the notion that work and joy are mutually exclusive. Join us on the WorkJoy Jam, where we're jamming on the joy of work, and the work of joy!

 Connect with Em 

Instagram @emstroudldn - @clowningaroundpodcast - @laugh.think.play

Welcome to another inspiring episode of the WorkJoy Jam! I'm your host, Beth Stallwood, and today we are diving deep into an episode that's all about understanding our needs and nurturing joy throughout our professional journey.

Joining me is the multifaceted Alice Sheldon, whose career has spanned from schoolteacher, to barrister, to CEO, and whose passion for psychology and neuroscience has fuelled her work in personal development..

In this episode we explore how Alice's career choices were meticulously intertwined with her values and how these decisions led her to a life brimming with joy and purpose—despite the challenges she faced along the way.

Alice will share her profound insights on nonviolent communication and how understanding human needs has reshaped her approach to relationships and conflict resolution. We'll confront the pressing need for emotional education that extends beyond academia into our everyday interactions.

Have you ever encountered a "bridge club moment"? Well, Alice will explain how taking a moment to understand our reactions and needs can not only improve our personal lives but also our professional relationships. And she’ll share a personal anecdote on handling emotions and being uncomfortable in social situations—proving that we all have something to learn when it comes to navigating our emotional worlds.

So, whether you're battling work monsters or weathering storms of emotion, this episode promises to be as enlightening as it is joyful. So tune in and get curious!

Connect with Alice 

Welcome back to the WorkJoy Jam, the podcast that delves deep into the heart of what brings joy and fulfillment at work. I'm your host, Beth Stallwood, and I'm absolutely thrilled for the conversation we have lined up for you today.

Today's episode is a real treat and we will be exploring the intricate dance of diversity and inclusion in the workplace with the insightful Catherine Garrod, founder of Compelling Culture and a true pioneer in creating workplaces where everyone can thrive. With a background of leading inclusion for thousands at Sky, Catherine brings a wealth of experience and a unique perspective on how to foster an inclusive environment where diversity is celebrated, and every voice is heard.

In our conversation, we delve into the importance of broadening our own perspectives – be it through diversifying our social media feeds, seeking out different teams, or updating our bookshelves – and how that shapes empathy, approachability, and effectiveness in decision-making. We'll distinguish between the concepts of diversity and inclusion, recognise the importance of moving past mere diversity numbers to truly inclusive cultures, and learn how to strategically equip both underrepresented and overrepresented groups for collective success.

Catherine shares invaluable insights from her book "Conscious Inclusion: How to Do EDI, One Decision at a Time." We'll discuss the 99 decisions that can transform our workplaces, and how to employ conscious inclusion to make workplaces safer and unlock potential without increasing burdens. We will talk about the importance of integrating diversity and inclusion into every facet of organisational decision-making, from product design to everyday meetings.

And it's not just about the workplace. Catherine's approach transforms relationships and community by recognising commonalities, learning from mistakes - or as she fondly calls them, "whoopsie daisies" - and celebrating progress over perfection. We’ll hear about her monthly newsletter dedicated to the "crown jewels" and "whoopsy daisy" moments in organisational diversity efforts, and her passion for seeing change-makers realise their true impact.

So, whether you're a leader striving to improve your organisation's culture, an individual looking to expand your personal awareness, or simply someone who cherishes WorkJoy, this episode is tailored for you. 

Connect with Catherine

Welcome to another engaging episode of the WorkJoy Jam. I'm your host, Beth Stallwood, and joining me today is Ruth Richards, a communication consultant who has made a significant transition from marketing in the charity sector to helping individuals and teams collaborate more effectively. 

In this episode titled "What's happened to work best friends?", we're delving into the dynamic world of workplace relationships and how they've been impacted by hybrid work and the recent challenges posed by the post-COVID-19 working world. 

Ruth brings her wealth of experience to the conversation, exploring how internal dynamics within organisations can shape our work experiences. We talk about the importance of having a sense of purpose, the overlooked but critical need for training in collaboration skills, and the changing landscape of building human connections.

Throughout our discussion, we'll also touch on Ruth's personal insights and the joy she finds in bouncing ideas off others to create meaningful connections on a micro-level. We'll uncover the challenges faced by employees in forming work best friends in a remote setting and the undeniable importance of brief personal interactions to foster trust and camaraderie, even online.

To top off our episode, Ruth and I will share practical tips for nurturing relationships in this new era of work and how embracing personal responsibility can transform the way we collaborate, even when physically apart. So, connect with us as we deep-dive into what's really going on with our work friendships and what it means for our WorkJoy.

Connect with ruth 

Welcome back to the WorkJoy Jam, the podcast where we explore the joy, challenges, and the unexpected adventures of the modern workplace. I'm your host, Beth Stallwood, and in this episode I’m joined by Lauren Neal - a trailblazer who wears multiple hats as a chartered engineer, project professional, and author. 

With a career that began amidst the Lego bricks of her childhood and propelled her into the male-dominated world of engineering, Lauren has faced and overcome discrimination while forging a path to inclusion in STEM fields.

In this episode, we get an insight into Lauren's journey of defying gender stereotypes, advocating for inclusivity, and finding support in unlikely places. We’ll hear about her transition from a subsea engineer to a project manager, and how organic career growth can arise from refusing to be pigeonholed.

Lauren shares her experience of working in unusual environments, the importance of holding fast to your potential, and why creating supportive workplace cultures is crucial for everyone. We'll uncover the psychology behind open-mindedness, the power of advocating for others, and the ripple effect of joy it brings into the workplace.

She also discusses her book "Valued at Work," intended not just for women in STEM but also for men, aiming to foster understanding and change. 

Grab your drink, settle in, and let’s learn how we can all contribute to making our workplaces spaces of value, recognition, and of course, WorkJoy. Let's get started.

Connect with Lauren

Welcome back to another invigorating episode of the WorkJoy Jam! Today, we are thrilled to have Rachel Philpotts with us - a nutritionist, functional medicine practitioner, and burnout conqueror who took her personal struggle with burnout and turned it into a guidebook for others - "The Burnout Bible." In this episode, we unpack the journey from chronic work stress to rejuvenation and joy.

Together, we'll delve into why humans can't simply shake off stress like our canine friends and the critical role a protein-rich breakfast plays in starting our day off right. We also shine a light on practical resources available on her website, from smoothie guides to burnout quizzes, for listeners to enrich their burnout-prevention toolkit.

Ever wondered how singing and dancing could be the key to relieving stress? Rachel will unravel the science behind how these activities can stimulate the vagus nerve and promote a message of safety and normalcy within our bodies. With stress-reduction tips ranging from the power of communal singing to supplementing with vitamins and magnesium, this episode is packed with strategies to nourish, restore, and reframe our approach to work stresses.

We reflect on the slow burn of burnout, recognising the tell-tale signs, and embracing small, yet impactful, ways to offset stress. Rachel and I will share our personal insights into how lockdown inadvertently helped people reprioritise and resist the siren call of burnout.

Whether you're high-functioning yet running on fumes, or simply searching for that work-life joy synergy, today's episode is a heartfelt session on managing stress, healing burnout, and making joy-infused work a sustainable reality. So, plug in, unwind, and let's explore the journey back to WorkJoy together!

Connect with Rachel 

Welcome to the WorkJoy Jam, the podcast where we weave more joy into your work life. I am your host, Beth Stallwood, and today we have the incredible Claire Winter joining us to dive into a refreshing blend of creativity, walking, and nature. 

Claire Winter is a creativity and writing coach, and award-winning podcaster.  A former journalist turned Nordic walking instructor, Claire sheds light on the simple pleasures of reconnecting with nature and how it reignites our innate creative sparks.

In today's episode, we explore the concept of morning pages and the freedom that comes with expressive writing - no rules, just pure creativity. Claire shares her personal journey from facing burnout to discovering the joy of walking among the trees and how that led her to start Creatrixjourney.com.

As we walk through the woods with Claire (metaphorically - we were both at our desks!), she opens up about the powerful practice of 'spot it, got it,' and how pausing to write post-it poems can enrich our daily routines. Prepare to be inspired by the story of a book idea coming to life in the serenity of the woodland, and discover how a writing circle on Substack provides a space for people to freely express themselves after a solitary walk.

Whether it's walking your dog or encountering a baby deer, Claire and I discuss the profound impact of nature on creativity and mental health. She'll also introduce us to the fascinating world of nordic walking and how it can lead to a clearer mind and boosted creative output.

So unplug, take a breath of fresh air, and let's find joy in the simple act of walking and writing in nature. It's time to get your creative juices flowing, right here on the WorkJoy Jam.

Connect with Claire:

Welcome back to our inaugural episode of Season 8 of the WorkJoy Jam Podcast! 

I’m your host, Beth Stallwood and I am joined by the insightful Kathryn Bishop, who combines teaching at Oxford’s Saïd Business School, with the practical experience of leadership roles in the private, public and voluntary sectors.

As we sit down with Kathryn,  we will be navigating the vast landscape of career success and how to redraw your career map. We talk about redefining what success looks like at various life stages and untangle the perception of board membership. From understanding the Ikigai model to applying the strategic Ansoff matrix to personal career transitions, Kathryn provides a treasure trove of strategies to align your career with your WorkJoy.

With Kathryn's guidance, we’ll explore how networking, shadowing, and even what you decide not to do can open doors to unexpected opportunities. Plus, Kathryn shares practical advice to bring your unique voice to the boardroom and remind you that making a difference isn't about sitting silently—it's about making your contribution count.

So whether you're at a career crossroads, considering a board position, or simply looking to infuse more joy into your work life, this episode is a must-listen. Gear up to craft a "to not do" list, and let's jump into this conversation.

Connect with Kathryn:

Dr Rina Bajaj is a counselling psychologist with loads of experience across many different forms of helping people with what’s going on in their minds. What I particularly loved about this conversation with Rina, is how practical some of her suggestions are – from how we can understand what is going on in our heads, to how we can understand the red and green flags and have a more balanced perspective of what has happened. We talked about where and how we are triggered and our fear responses when we’re trying to step out of our comfort zone.

Sarah Browning is the founder of the Time for Kindness programme and a kindness cheerleader and communicator. Sarah helps organisations, especially in the not-for-profit world, find ways to communicate their kindness stories. I think this subject is so important when we think about work joy; the idea of noticing and sharing acts of kindness when we see them and thinking of the kindest possible way of doing something even when those things might be really, really tough.

Sam Flynn is a social media trainer and digital wellbeing expert. In this episode, we talk all about the relationship we have with social media and our phones and how easy it is to become lost in the scroll and stuck in these zones. We find ourselves investing our precious time in things that perhaps aren’t making us feel great and contributing to the things we really, really want to be doing!

Felicity Dwyer has been working with organisations and specifically managers, for the last 20 years or so. She is a coach, facilitator and author of Crafting Connection which is out now! In this conversation we talk about different levels of connection – not just the conversations and communications we have with others – but also the connection we have with ourselves, understanding our own values, preferences, styles and the things that are important to us and that are a starting point for being able to connect with others. We also talk about connecting with our bodies and not just getting stuck in our minds.

Catherine Stothart has a varied and long career working with some great organisations and helping them as coach and facilitator. She is also an author and leadership development expert. I really enjoyed chatting with her in this episode around how we get on with people at work and how we can avoid some of the conflict that stops us bringing out the best in ourselves or other people We also talked about motivation – what motivates us and other people and how we ensure a sense of purpose in what we are trying to do each day.

Felicity Cowie is a former journalist and now consultant in the area of communications, helping organisations work effectively with the media to get their messaging right. Throughout her career history, Felicity has worked in high speed and high energy environments likes newsrooms and on newspapers as a journalist, honing her ability to work quickly and accurately. We touched upon the atmosphere in these fast-paced working environments, the challenges, the highs and lows and what some of these organisations can do to better cope with these challenges which can be the cause of work gloom for a lot of people. 

Eleanor Tweddell is a coach, mentor, author of ‘Why losing your job could be the best thing that ever happens to you’ and founder of Another Door where you are encouraged to rethink work and see change as opportunity. During our chat we talk about redundancy and enforced change at work and we discuss how we can use these moments as an opportunity to take ownership, reconnect with ourselves and embrace the change to make us more joyful.

Zoe Hill is the Operations Director of coffee organisation, Paddy Ann Scott’s, and in this episode we talk about her career, some of the challenges she’s been through, both personally and professionally, and how she is now really focused on the culture of the organisation and its people. We talk about how she is getting her work joy right now through some purpose-led activities. 

Ella is the Director of Ellevate Entertainment Ltd, a Thames Valley based entertainment agent that works passionately with event organisers and venues to raise their events to the highest level! Ella is also an NLP Master Practitioner at Head2Health, which supports couples on their journey to fulfilling their dream of having a family. She lives in High Wycombe with her husband, two children and houseful of animals!

Having worked in football for than 15 years, in 2021 Natalie Doyle took the plunge and set up Sport Sister, a company that supports organisations to grow women’s and girls’ participation in sport. Providing consultancy, project management and training services, as well as developing a programme to support grassroots sports clubs, Sport Sister has supported many large organisations including The FA to get more women and girls active.

As chartered surveyor with a background in defect and valuation claims, Marion has first-hand experience of why we make mistakes and what we need to do to support ourselves so we can prevent them. A Fellow member of the RICS and qualified customer experience professional Marion is passionate about empowering people. At Love Surveying she provides the support, coaching and networking surveyors and property professionals need to confidently handle career challenges and navigate the business journey that’s right for them.

Dr Lizzy Bernthal, a resilience specialist, confidence coach, cultural change expert, international speaker and author who designs and delivers globally online and face to face Masterclasses, transformational 121 and group coaching programmes. After 25 years in the Army as a health professional she’s on a mission to remove toxicity in the workplace. This is though supporting female authentic leaders to find the confidence, resilience and awesomeness already within them so that they have their voice in the boardroom as they move from powerful to empowered.

Priya Velusami is founder of Pri Pri, a collection of upcycled accessories and kidswear using pre loved vintage saris. The concept was born out of Priya's early memories of sewing with her sari clad grandmother, who also taught her the importance of zero waste. All Pri Pri designs are now handmade by a charity in India that helps to upskill and empower underprivileged women with training in tailoring. Priya loves being able to revive beautiful colourful textiles, designing pieces for those that love colour, style and sustainability.

Dr Gary Crotaz, PhD is something of an expert in career change, having trained as a doctor, worked in science, strategy consulting and senior corporate leadership, and travelled the world as a professional ballroom dancer. These days he’s an executive and mindset coach and has coached clients in more than 15 countries, specialising in activating their unique talents and strengths to achieve ambitious personal and professional goals. The IDEA Mindset is his tried-and-tested blueprint for designing your dream career, developed from what Gary learned on his own fascinating journey to career fulfilment. Gary lives in the UK with his wife, Mildred, and their fluffy dogs, Mochi and Beansprout.

Donna Reeves is a communications and engagement leader with a 15+ year track record of designing and implementing change communication and engagement strategies in small, medium and large businesses. These experiences include working closely with leaders in family-run businesses and an international, multicultural, multilingual FTSE 50. Donna doesn’t believe that anyone comes to work to do a bad job, but often businesses don’t make it easy to do a great one. She is passionate about connecting the dots between purpose, strategy and the day-to-day reality for colleagues. She spent 16 years at Kingfisher Plc, a global business with 80,000 employees in nine countries; followed by smaller, family-run and venture capital-backed organisations as a consultant. In 2018 she joined Fenwick, a family run, 140-year-old retail business, to support them through their first company-wide transformation and loved it so much she stayed for four years to help embed change and set up an internal comms function.

Carla Miller is a leadership coach who works with women in management and leadership roles to develop their careers and their confidence. Hundreds of female leaders have taken part in her Influence & Impact programme from companies including GSK, BT, Channel 4, Muller and Deloitte, as well as national charities, the NHS and the Civil Service. Carla’s own leadership experience includes raising £20 million for good causes and leading the fundraising at Samaritans and many other national charities; she was CEO of Tiny Tickers and then Managing Director of Charity People, a leading charity recruitment consultancy alongside founding her own coaching business. Her work is inspired by the challenges she had to overcome to succeed and she is on a mission to empower 10,000 women in their careers. She has featured in national media such The Guardian and Psychologies magazine and regularly chairs conference panels on leadership. She hosts a chart-topping podcast - Influence & Impact for female leaders - and is the author of The Influence Gap: A handbook for women leaders which will be published in September 2022.

In this practical session, Beth tests out Laughter Yoga with expert Valentina - best watched rather than listened to! 

In this episode Beth and guest Dany talk about how to work with your emotions, without judging them. 

S4 Ep6 Dany Griffiths - Follow What Feels Right

In this episode Beth's guest Helen talks about their journey from employee to freelancer and how creating your own working world can build more joy in your life. 

4 Ep5 Helen Hill - Falling Off the Ladder

In this episode Beth is joined by digital wellbeing expert Alex and they discuss how to look after yourself in the digital world. 

S4 Ep4 Alex La Via - Selling Happiness

In this episode Beth meets successful serial entrepreneur Alison Cooper and they talk about seizing opportunities and building joyful businesses. 

S4 Ep3 Alison Cooper - Scaling Businesses 

In this episode Beth chats with sustainability expert Danielle about how focusing attention on the big things and working on the small things can build more sustainable (and joyful) businesses.  

S4 Ep2 Danielle Thompson - Sustainability - Think Big, Start Small

In this episode Beth chats with England Rugby player Shaunagh about her fascinating and varied career and how she approaches her working life.  

S4 Ep1 Shaunagh Brown - Say YES to the Challenge 

In this final episode of season three, Beth talks to Scott Morrison about his career and how to get the Boom! in your working life. 

Scott's Website: https://www.unleashtheboom.com/ 

In this episode, Beth talks with Nick Howard-Lanes AKA Man About Style about how supporting men with their style is actually all about supporting mental health.