A Brilliant Gamble

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This will be the last A Brilliant Gamble podcast for a while. As you may know I run another business specialising in leadership coaching and I speak about the future of leadership.

Recently my Mum became ill and this, combined with running my other business, being a single mum, home educating and keeping on top of our smallholding has meant I’m spread a little too thin.

The archive of past shows will still be here for you and I’m leaving the A Brilliant Gamble Facebook Page and Corporate Escapees Facebook Group open so you can access the resources there AND the incredible insights of the other members.

Plus, of course, the courses to help you make your transition out of corporate life and in to the next chapter are still available, plus all the free resources on the website.

We will continue to offer support to anyone who signs up to these programmes so if you’re planning to make your Brilliant Gamble this year all those resources and courses are still ideal to help you.

I will really miss doing the show. I love meeting the guests and being inspired by their stories. And I love connecting with you through social media and your emails to me. But, as my guest this week illustrates, sometimes you have to acknowledge your own limits.

Silvina Marchisio talks about her year long journey with depression and anxiety. She shares her personal experience of dealing with burnout in a foreign country and how visual thinking and visual metaphors help her share her own thoughts along her journey back to the world.

Today she’s embarking on a new business as a Graphic Facilitator and is helping others suffering burnout to get themselves better, with the help of the lessons she learnt and the beautiful inspiring images she’s producing.

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Do you get that little voice in your head that tells you you aren’t good enough, no one likes you, you don’t fit in….or any number of other delightfully undermining jabs?

My guest today, Leah Steele, is the expert in Imposter Syndrome. A sufferer herself through her years as a lawyer she eventually developed techniques to deal with her demons and is now helping others to do the same.

In our interview we talk about the signals she missed that she was suffering overwhelm and burnout, and how now she is helping others get out of this cycle.

Leah speaks from personal experience and not, as she says, from the mountain top, so there’s lot of practical advice and suggestions to make a difference without having to run away from your real-life responsibilities at work and at home!

You can find out more about Leah’s programmes and read her blog on her website.

Click the link to get your free Escape the Rat Race Checklist from our website, where, in addition to downloading the list, you can get email support from me. There are also a bunch of blogs there to help you as you transition out of corporate life and start doing something you love for a living instead.

Stay in touch with us on Facebook, Twitter and the Corporate Escapees Facebook Group.

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In just under a month, the next wave of Extinction Rebellion protests begin around the UK and elsewhere (w/c 7-Oct). Whether you’ve already been involved or you have other ways of responding to the climate crisis, the question many of us ask is, how can we, as individuals and as owners of small businesses, have any real impact?

That’s why I wanted to speak to today’s guest. Zoe Cohen is a former NHS Trust board member who became a very successful executive coach. Zoe has now pivoted her life to focus as much as she can on activism and peaceful civil disobedience to push for the much needed system change to tackle the existential threat we face from climate and ecological breakdown.

In our interview, Zoe talks about her values and how she stays connected with them; the sacrifices she’s made to stay congruent with those values and how we, as individual citizens and small business owners, can make a difference when in comes to the future of our planet. She also explains why she got arrested and how those of us who don’t want to see the inside of a police cell can still help.

Even if you don’t have a strong sense of ‘calling’ like Zoe, I think you’ll be fascinated to know how she’s combining her two greatest passions: safeguarding the future of our one, shared planetary home with enabling and encouraging people to shine and to take action.

This is a long interview - we cover her transition from corporate life to running her own business to her latest pivot AND we talk about what we can each do to make a difference. I hope you will set aside time to listen to the whole thing and be inspired by Zoe and the work of others like her.

Stay in touch with us on Facebook, Twitter, the Corporate Escapees Facebook Group and of course, the website.

Follow Zoe on LinkedIn and Twitter.

Articles by Zoe Cohen

Where were all the Coaches when the planet warmed by 3 degrees?
How to declare your very own Climate Emergency
An Open Letter to Coaches, the Coaching & Coaching Psychology Professional Bodies and Coach Educators

“Heading for Extinction” with Dr Gail Bradbrook - This is the original ‘Heading for Extinction and what to do about it’ talk from Dr Gail Bradbrook, one of XR’s founder’s from last year. There are now more up to date versions of the talk.

ICF webinar - The first of three webinars for coaches.

IPCC Report - This is a huge 100s of pages thing in full, but there are loads of articles summarising the key messages, etc. Here are two as tasters:

UN Secretary General’s speech in September 2018
There is no safe level of global warming

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It’s September and many of us are thinking “Why does the holiday have to end?”.

Well, maybe it doesn’t. On today’s show I speak to Phil Quinnan who stepped off the hamster wheel, not to start a business, but to take some time to reflect and reconnect with himself and his family in the Italian countryside.

In our interview we talk about how he came to this decision, how he made it possible and the lesson’s he learnt by taking a year out.

Phil has really embraced his local community in Italy, becoming part of the village, learning the language and allowing the Italian lifestyle to change his attitudes.

I’m sure you’ll enjoy this interview and, perhaps, feel ready to take a Brilliant Gamble like this yourself.

If you want more support working out how to escape the rat race, my 12 Ways To Transition course is the thing for you. It helps you work out your specific challenges – financial and time constraints, for instance – and then work around them so you have an exit strategy that perfectly fits your life.

Stay in touch with us on Facebook, Twitter, the Corporate Escapees Facebook Group and of course, the website.

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Catherine is a best selling author, VA and VA trainer.

Virtual Assistance is one of the fastest growing professions today for people leaving the 9-5. VAs are administrators who work by the hour for small businesses. Increasingly they have specialisms - social media management, bookkeeping, design, copywriting - as well organising travel, appointments and taking calls for people like, um, me.

It was a life threatening illness that first got Catherine thinking about how she could earn money outside of the 9-5. Today she earns 4 times what she was earning in her corporate role and has a lifestyle that works much better with her health and personal priorities.

In this interview we talk about how she started her business and how she’s grown it through her focus on constant marketing.

We talk about the VA profession - what kinds of people make the best VAs and what kinds of people do not.

And we talk about the journey she’s been on - how working for herself has changed her life and her health.

A Brilliant Gamble YouTube Channel!

In the show I also mention our new-ish YouTube channel. Subscribe to be notified about new, practical, helpful videos to guide to as you take a Brilliant Gamble of your own!

Stay in touch with us on Facebook, Twitter, the Corporate Escapees Facebook Group and of course, the website.

You can find Catherine online in the following places:

www.delegateva.co.uk

Instagram: @Delegate_VA

Facebook: @DelegateVA

Twitter: @DelegateVA

www.howtobeava.co.uk

Instagram: @howtobea_va

Facebook: @howtobeava

Twitter: @howtobea_va

How to be a Virtual Assistant: Start and run your own successful VA business

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How should you spend your day when you work for yourself?

Of course, there is no such thing as a typical day when you run your own business (which can be a problem for you if you’re used to structure!). But given that your time is largely yours to organise it’s useful to be intentional about what you prioritise.

In today’s show I talk about two concepts to help you organise your time around what’s really important.

I will divide activities in to three categories - big rocks, small rocks and sand.

I also talk about Stephen Covey’s Time Management Matrix.

This episode will help you:

Make time for what moves the dial in your business
Prioritise self-care and creative time
Stop yourself getting distracted by ‘fun tasks’ without neglecting the fun stuff altogether!

You can read my blog about the ‘Flow’ concept discussed in this episode and don’t forget to join Corporate Escapees on Facebook if you haven’t already. There's tonnes of advice and support over there to help you navigate your way through the journey towards doing what you love for a living.

Stay in touch with us on Facebook, Twitter and of course, the website.

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On today’s show I’m talking about failure… but in a good way!

Folks - failure is normal. Most of what happens when you take a Brilliant Gamble is failure. It’s just a part of the process of change. And I want to share with you a different way to think about failure and how to incorporate failure in to your business.

Maybe you don’t like the word failure and you’d rather I called it something else. But I want to take the charge out of the word so that it doesn’t have the power it might have in your own mind.

I’m also sharing a bug fix process (very similar to agile mythology for those of you familiar with that) to help you build failure in to the process rather than create, invent, develop, launch and then fail.

Have I said the word failure enough? Get used to it! It’s not as bad as you think.

Here’s the process I talk about on the show -

Have the idea. It’s pretty raw at this stage, it’s the stuff you think of at 3am, jot down on a scrap of paper and try to forget about until morning.
Refine it JUST ENOUGH to share it for immediate feedback.. Make sure to share it with the right group - a safe place where the feedback has validity.
Take the advice you’re given!! You’ve got to be open to feedback at this stage. If the feedback is contradictory go with your gut/experience to decide what to listen to. Remember, sometimes the stuff that’s hardest to hear is the stuff we need to listen to the most.
Give yourself a tight deadline. Make the deadline public if you have to in order to hold yourself to account.
Do what needs to be done and no more to get your idea/product/website/whatever out there. It’s not going to be perfect. It’s in beta (that's all you committed to when you publicised your deadline) so you’ve given yourself that freedom. If it’s a product offer a beta (to make up for fact it’s not all ready). If it’s your website, make clear this is not the finished product – you’re going to fix the bugs based on feedback from users. DIY it or use a very small team. Don’t waste time and money briefing people and buying in expertise and learn the process yourself so you can do the basics yourself.
Be prepared mentally (and contractually) to scrap it or massively fix it if it doesn’t work for people.
Go live and get ready for feedback!
Refine, tweak, scrap, iterate. Go again!

I mentioned the programme I created this way for my other business, That People Thing. It’s in beta! It’s a presentation skills programme for people who have to speak to audiences as part of their job. You can find it here. Use the discount code TPTBETA2019 to get 50% off.

I believe it’s never too late to live your life on your own terms and do work you love for a living. This is why I have designed a suite of courses to help you get from where you are now to where you deserve to be.

Stay in touch with us on Facebook, Twitter, the Corporate Escapees Facebook Group and of course, the website.

Finally, please leave a review for this show on iTunes as it really helps us get the word out about the show!

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Are you putting off building your website? Is it half done? Have you done it but you’re not happy with it?

Today’s show is here at the rescue!

I’m talking to Matthew Eldridge, Owner and Head Geek at Melt Creative Ltd and this episode is Websites 101!

I don’t want you to have any excuses to stall on your website, so in this interview we go back to basics.

We talk about:

What a website is actually for?
Email lists
Lead magnets
Keywords, phrases, meta data and a lot more techy language
Blogs

And much, much more.

If you’re feeling overwhelmed by how much there is to do to get started with your new venture and leave your current working situation don’t forget to download the Escape The Rat Race Checklist which shows you exactly what you have to do in order to make that dream a reality.

Stay in touch with us on Facebook, Twitter, the Corporate Escapees Facebook Group and of course, the website.

Don't forget to download Matt’s free Content Framework Guide, check out his website and see how he does it all at and the blog, which he calls The Knowledge Centre. has lots of useful content. You can also follow Matt on Twitter.

Please remember to leave a review for this show on iTunes as it helps people find us and take a Brilliant Gamble of their own!

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Creativity is hugely important to developing that sense of balance that so many of us are looking for. And women are particularly bad at this - men spend an average of 4 hours 29 mins a week on sports, hobbies and computer games versus women who spend about 2 hours 29 minutes. What??

And that’s why I wanted to talk to Sandra and Tara from Kick in the Creatives. They have podcast of the same name, a website and a 1000 member Facebook group aimed at helping people incorporate creative challenges in to their lives.

In this interview we talk about creativity in a broad sense - from painting to music to writing and crafts - about how important it is to make time for creativity in your life and how to get started.

If you’ve been putting your own creativity on a back burner I hope today’s show will inspire you to push it further up the list of priorities. And i’d love to know how you get on.

In the Corporate Escapees Facebook Group I will start a thread about my own creative challenge for the month of August and I’d love to know what you’re planning to do and how you progress!

And if you know you’d benefit from support in making your dreams of a different kind of life midlife a reality, head over to our website and check out our flagship A Brilliant Gamble Online programme and stay in touch with us on Facebook and Twitter.

You can follow Tara and Sandra and take part in their creative challenges here:

Website - https://kickinthecreatives.com/

Podcast - https://kickinthecreatives.com/kick-creatives-podcast/

Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/kickinthecreatives/

Youtube - https://www.youtube.com/KickintheCreatives

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What happens when your blog goes viral?

And what about when your blog is something as personal as your experiences of the menopause?

Jennifer Kennedy knows! Her blog is only 18 months old but she has to date, nearly 35,000 readers... and she balances that with a full time job as well.

Like so many of our guests Jennifer didn’t have a grand plan - she just got started, with the help of a friend’s 14 year old who set it up her blog for her.

In this interview we talk about

Blogging and writing in general
Turning your blog in to a book
Being asked to do comedy stand up
The menopause
The importance of social media if you want to be a writer
Holding down a full time job while pursuing your passion outside of work
Taking a career break

Follow Jennifer’s blog and Facebook page.

Join OUR Facebook Group group and also, watch the growing number of helpful videos on our Facebook page.

Stay in touch with us on Instagram, Twitter and of course, our website.

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We often think that we’re working up to a big change, that the hard part is making that change happen. So we spend years planning how we’re going to leave our job with the hope that, once it finally happens, we’ll be living the life of our dreams.

But the more I talk to you guys and reflect on the brilliant gambles I’ve taken, the more I realise that that’s only the start of the journey. What happens in the first 6-24 months of that new life is actually the biggest challenge because we’ve made the physical changes but now we have to evolve as people.

When Edina De Jong-Hodzic became a mum it was a wake up call for her and although she didn’t leave her corporate job immediately a series of events made it clear to her that her future lay outside the corporate 9-5. And THAT’s when the real journey of change begun.

Edina describes herself as a creator, inspirer and mother. In 2017 after 12+ years of corporate career Edina realized she wasn’t fulfilled with the definition of corporate career and decided to resign from her corporate job. She embarked on a journey of entrepreneurship which led to a deep and meaningful journey of self-realization which was initiated through her new role as mother.

During this journey she redefined what success means for her and embraced a new way of holistic living that is centered around authentic connection, growth, simplicity and creating impact. Edina’s company DiversFYI supports both leaders and organisations to create and implement a Sustainable Diversity Strategy (diversity = the sum of uniqueness of each individual) across the entire organisation creating sustainable growth for both people & the business. Her unique holistic approach combines Mind-Body-Heart-Soul methods and tools.

In this interview we talk about:

The journey that Edina has been on
Discovering who she is and what success means for her
Exploring this critical parallel journey that occurs when you really embrace life outside the corporate 9-5.

You can find out more about Edina, follow her blog and connect with her on her website and via LInkedIn.

If the themes in today’s show resonate for you, check out the A Brilliant Gamble Online Programme, specifically designed to help you navigate this parallel journey, getting out of your own way and creating a life that really lives up to the expectations you had for it.

You can find out more about the programme here.

And if you’re not sure if it’s for you, drop me a line and I will help you decide whether you’re ready!

Stay in touch with us on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, the Corporate Escapees Facebook Group and of course, the website.

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You might has seen I did a Facebook Live over on our A Brilliant Gamble Facebook Page, which I then shared in the Corporate Escapees Facebook Group (!) about an experience I had a couple of weeks ago when I had some quite negative feedback to an email I sent.

However, the feedback really woke me up. And while it was uncomfortable I also realised that I had stopped doing the things that make me feel connected with myself through the day.

When life gets busy or you become worried about something or anxious or stressed you often stop doing the things that would actually help.

But when you resume those good habits you can quickly turn things around.

In todays show I talk about:

How I responded to the feedback
What I had stopped doing and the impact it had on me
What morning habits really help us get connected with ourselves
How to stay connected through the day
What we are capable of and how the responses to our behaviours change when we are connected versus when we aren’t
I mention A Brilliant Gamble Online - our flagship development programme designed to support you through change, keep you on track and enjoying the journey as you experience the inevitable bumps in the road.

You can find out more about that programme here and feel free to drop me a line if you’re not sure whether this programme is for you. I will give my honest advice.

Stay in touch with us on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter and of course, the website.

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On this week’s show I’m talking to Rebekah Bostan who responded to my survey on midlife expectations and experiences of work.

Brought up during apartheid in South Africa, making a difference is in her genes. Her mother ran an illegal mixed race school, bringing children from Soweto to learn at a school with white kids and Rebekah learnt that it’s always possible to do something to change things.

Today she combines her corporate career with raising the profile of flexible working, diversity, inclusion and the menopause.

I wanted to talk to her because leaving your job to start your own business isn’t the only option, or might not be an option right now. How can you not only improve your own experiences of work but also change the culture for those who come after?

In this interview we discuss:

The challenge she and so many others are experiencing balancing work with midlife - family, menopause, awakening, personal wants and ambitions
How she’s talking about working flexibly rather than keeping it a secret
The work she’s doing with parent groups and others within her organisation and outside of it
The blog she created to share her ideas about diversity, inclusion, flex and menopause

You can read more about Rebekah’s thoughts and experiences on her blog.

Rebekah is also a member of our Corporate Escapees Facebook Group so if you have questions or experiences to share, do head over and post in that group. We’d love to have you!

Stay in touch with us on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter and of course, the website.

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I had a great discussion over elderflower cordial the other day with fellow business ladies about our relationship with money and, specifically, whether you should ever work for free.

Most people who run their own business today create a lot of free content, they blog, they create free downloads, they write for other publications, they do TV and radio spots, they have a podcast! None of this ever makes us money but it takes a huge amount of time and we bring a lot of our expertise to it. So what differentiates the stuff we do for free from the stuff we should be charging for?

In today’s show I share 3 concepts to help you decide whether you should be charging for what you do or not? Which are the bits that have a cash value and which are the bits that have a value that isn’t financial?

I talk about:

Marketing your business
Calculating value
The concept of visibility, credibility and profitability
What stops us charging our worth
When you shouldn’t charge
Other than money, how we can get something back for our investment of time and expertise

I am opening a thread about this on our Corporate Escapees Facebook Group so head over and join in the conversation.

Stay in touch with us on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter and of course, the website.

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There are two things everyone wants to talk to me about - my trip last year with my daughter and dogs and whether they could do it too AND how to start their own podcast.

This week I’m talking to podcaster and digital nomad, Debbie Arcangeles about both of these!

Debbie makes money from podcasting even though she doesn't have a huge audience and she’s found a business model that allows her to live wherever she likes for as long as she likes.

In this interview we talk about:

How she gets paid to podcast and bust a few myths about that
How to find the right brands for you who might be interested in sponsorship deals, even if you have a small audience
How you can make money and be location independent
The ups and downs of life as a business person
What it means to be a lazy entrepreneur and how you can become one too!

You can find out more about Debbie on her website and learn more about podcasting and digital nomad life. You can follow her adventures on Instagram or contact her direct via email

Please remember to join our Corporate Escapees Facebook group where I share lots of free advice and where you can get support from others on the same journey as you!

Also, stay in touch with us on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, and of course, the website.

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The whole power dynamic changes when you step out of corporate life and in to entrepreneurship. No matter how much influence you had before you left or how much of a wallflower you were, once you’re on the outside you need to be heard and seen.

In this episode I talk to Eleanor Beaton, an award winning Leadership expert for women entrepreneurs. A former journalist at CBC and the Globe and Mail in Canada, she helps women create globally recognised, profitable businesses.

Our conversation is mainly about how to position yourself so that you’re taken seriously, so that your voice is heard and so that you are credible with your future customers and clients.

We discuss:

What it means to be fierce
Positioning yourself
Mistakes we make that undermine our status
Dealing with competitive feelings
Being heard and being confident enough to put yourself out there
The difference between niching and your ‘zone of genuis'
Why you should stop being the one in the room taking notes.

Here are all the link to watch and listen to more Eleanor Beaton (I highly recommend it):

eleanorbeaton.com
LinkedIn
Facebook
Twitter

Don't forget to head over to our website to read the latest blogs and get advice that will help you quit the 9-5 and do something you love for a living.

Stay in touch with A Brilliant Gamble on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter

Also, if you haven't already - why not join my Corporate Escapees Facebook Group?.

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On today’s show it’s all about getting the money in.

There are lots of things to keep yourself busy when you run a business and many of them are important. But unless you set aside time to do the activities that get the money in you’re going to find yourself back in a 9-5 job.

I learnt these lessons the hard way, by nearly going out of business because I was spending my time doing what I enjoyed most and not making sales, closing and keeping prospective clients moving through the funnel.

You can get the money in and still be authentic, still put customers at the heart of what you do and focus on adding value so it’s nothing to be afraid of. But there’s really nothing more important.

I talk about:

The importance of invoicing
Closing sales that are forever open
Thinking about where new business is coming from
Keeping money in the business
Considering the return on investment of any spending

To find out more about my How to Quit Your Job programme and to sign up, click here

You can also download the free Escape the Rat Race Checklist and join our Corporate Escapees Facebook Group.

Stay in touch with us on Instagram, Facebook, Pinterest, Twitter and of course, the website.

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This week's guest is Miisa Mink, Founder and Chief Doer at DrivenWoman – an accountability club for women who want to achieve their goals and dreams - and the creator of Festival Of Doers.

Miisa has worked with hundreds of women who want to change their lives and in our conversation, she not only tells her own story of finding her joy, but shares the number one trait that stops other women from doing the same.

Miisa has an amazing "get up and go" attitude that's infectious. In our conversation we talk about confidence and how you can take action without it. We talk about the importance of creating a dedicated community to support and challenge you and we talk about stepping into your truth and how terrifying that can be.

Miisa’s Festival of Doers is on June 7th in London (2019 if you’re listening in the future) - it's the 3rd event like this and a day of inspiration and positive action. During the Festival of Doers - you’ll learn about living your passion, finding your purpose and creating a meaningful life.

Get your tickets now!

Driven Woman is an accountability club for ambitious women who want to achieve their goals and dreams fast. We help our members define their own success, create positive habits and put plans into action, one small step at a time.

To learn more about my 12 Ways to Transition Programme click here The programme is just £35 and will help you create a transition plan and start making money from your business BEFORE you leave your job. If you’re unsure whether a programme is suitable for you, just drop me a line and I will help you decide.

Stay in touch with us on Instagram, Facebook, Pinterest, Twitter, the Corporate Escapees Facebook Group and of course, the website.

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On this week’s show I’m sharing 10 good reasons to leave your corporate job.

Maybe leaving corporate life isn’t your only option – you could stay within corporate life but change company, change working hours, changing to working remotely, change career but stay within big business... How do you know if escaping the rat race for good is the right option right now?

I’ve identified 10 really good reasons to quit the rat race. How many of them apply to you?

You want to run a business.
You can't see that a change of company would fix the problem
You want or need more flexibility
You have a good business idea
You don’t have a high need for financial predictability/you are risk tolerant
You want to leverage your expertise in the open market (and make more money!)
You want to test yourself, put yourself out of your comfort zone and have new experiences
You’ve been thinking about it for a long time and the idea won’t go away
The company politics, dysfunction, competitiveness are something you don’t want to be part of any more
You want to be the author of your life

On the show I mention a couple of resources to help you if you’ve answered “Yes, that’s me!” to a number of these.

The FREE Escape the Rat Race Checklist is here - It covers 70+ actions and questions to consider in order to get yourself ready for the big escape.

The 12 Ways to Transition programme is here - This programme helps you work out which transition strategy is right for you. It will help you figure out your tolerance to risk, the urgency of your escape, your financial situation and how much time you have to build your new venture and use the answers to those questions to pick the right way to transition out of your current job and in to your business.

You can also join our Corporate Escapees Facebook Group

Stay in touch with us on Instagram, Facebook, Pinterest, Twitter and of course, the website.

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If you’ve got itchy feet there are lots of ways to transition out of your current job in to something you’d love a lot more. But I’m not sure whether the best way to do it is to take a bet!

Today’s guest, Marc Hogan, took a £1 bet that he couldn’t put on a one hour show at the Edinburgh Comedy Festival within 12 months. This was 10 years ago and on today’s show Marc explains how this changed everything for him.

The bet was placed by my former business partner, Jim Lawless, who had taken a similar bet a few years prior to that when an audience member bet him a pound that he couldn’t become a jockey.

Anyway, even if taking a bet isn’t the way you want your new adventure to begin there’s lots in here for you -

The concept of “The Editor” - the voice that gets in your way and tells you that you can’t.
Facing your fears and the importance of, sometimes, having your back against the wall with no other option but to go for it... despite your reservations!
Some of the tricks to becoming a professional speaker and what the life of a pro speaker is actually like
What you’ll need to get started as a speaker (including the importance of your showreel)
The difference between being an internal speaker and an external speaker
The universal lessons learnt from becoming a comedian that would help us all make our dreams a reality

For more information about Marc visit his website, follow him on Twitter and connect with him on LinkedIn.

Don’t forget to download my FREE Escape the Rat Race Checklist too. No matter where you are on your journey this checklist WILL contain tasks and questions to resolve that you won’t have thought about.

Stay in touch with us on Instagram, Facebook, Pinterest, Twitter and of course, the website.

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Not everyone who leaves their corporate job to start their own business does it entirely out of choice. A significant number of people feel self employment is their only option because the conventional workplace doesn’t work for them.

Today’s guest, Ursula Tavender, couldn’t find a job that that suited how she wanted to live her life as a parent—certainly not without making sacrifices she didn't want to make! So she set up her own business, helping change that story for other women.

Now advising government and working with organistaions to create more flexible working arrangements, especially helping managers understand how their attitudes need to change in order to do flex well.

In our interview we talk about how Ursula set up her business, her experiences of trying to get back in to conventional work, and how to make flex work better. In particular we talk about how to get started if you want to work more flexibly either as you transition out of your job entirely, or alongside your part time business, or because that would actually mean you don’t have to leave your job at all!

Find out more about Ursula’s work at the Mumbelievable website, Instagram, Twitter and Facebook.

The report for the Gender Equality and Economic Empowerment office that I contributed to is on Ursula’s website and worth a read.

Resources mentioned:

Werk
Timewise
Flexible Working Factsheet

Stay in touch with us on Instagram, Facebook, Pinterest, Twitter and of course, the website.

Our Facebook group is Corporate Escapees and you can also download the FREE Escape the Rat Race Checklist.

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People leave their corporate jobs for all sorts of reasons. And sometimes the choice is either to go for the ultimate top job of CEO in a large corporation or get off the hamster wheel altogether.

Talita Ferreira was Chief Finance Officer and Chief HR Officer of BMW UK and BMW Financial Services until about 2 years ago. The next step, if she had decided to stay on her career trajectory, would have been CEO. But instead she decided to go it alone.

In our interview we talk about the first third of her career working in finance, her discovery of the power of people and how that discovery changed her life. Today she helps companies create more authentic, inclusive cultures and to help individuals bring more of their true selves to everything they do. Talita shares the lessons she’s learned since leaving her high powered role and how she’s carved a path for herself outside of the corporate world.

We discuss:

Understand who you are
Finding your purpose
Changing your thoughts
Who your target audience is
Lessons learned on the journey to self-employment so far
Attitudes towards money and how those change
Authenticity
Burn out
Leaving a senior role at the height of your success

Talita’s story so far shows us how much this journey changes who you are, how much you learn about yourself that you simply couldn’t have known if you’d have stayed in a job you were comfortable with.

You can find out more about Talita’s work on her website or follow her on Twitter.

If you’re thinking of leaving your job to do something you love for a living, don’t have sleepless nights worrying whether you’ve forgotten to do something important. This checklist covers everything you need to d and questions you need to resolve before you leap. Head over to the website to get your FREE Checklist now.

Stay in touch with us on Instagram, Facebook, Pinterest, Twitter, the Corporate Escapees Facebook Group and of course, the website.

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Your career path isn’t always a straight line. And the job that you do now or are thinking of doing next might not have even existed when you were having your meeting with your career’s adviser all those years ago!

This is one of the reasons we get itchy feet. We see an alternative way of combining our experiences that would enable us to do something for a living that was just not possible a decade or two ago but we’re stuck in the more conventional path that was the norm when we were first planning our adult career.

Tim Tavender runs courses helping people create online courses but he started professional life as a PE teacher. Since then he’s pulled together pieces of experience from all over his personal and professional life to become, first a digital marketer and now an online courses expert – businesses that simply didn’t exist when he was at school. The driver for change was his family and the desire to be more present to his own health and the wellbeing of his wife and kids.

In this interview we talk about:

How to leverage your past experiences to design a new business
Starting with your ideal client when you think about what business to be in
Niching down (finding your starving crowd)
How to turn off your inferiority complex and come up with your own ideas
Valuing your expertise, even if it comes easy to you
How to create online courses that work for You as well as for your clients

You can find out more about Tim on his website, LinkedIn or on his podcast.

As always, you can stay in touch with us on Instagram, Facebook, Pinterest, Twitter the Corporate Escapees group page and of course, the website.

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Nicki is a former Army Officer who spent 17 years developing people in conflict zones around the world and now runs courses to help people develop their resilience. There are so many ups and downs in life and it can sometimes feel like you don’t have the strength to carry on, or even get started.

But within us all is a resilience we don’t normally acknowledge and, if you can tap in to it, you can overcome those slings and arrows that life chucks in your direction (especially when you are trying to do something NEW) and not only survive but thrive as a result.

In this interview we talk about Nicki’s own journey, her army career and her decision to leave after 17 years and set up her own business. AND we talk about this concept of resilience, and how to grow and become stronger as a result of the experiences that happen to us in life OR from experiences we intentionally put ourselves through.

Nick works with groups of individuals and with companies so if you want to grow your own resilience or discover just how resilient you already are, you can follow Nicki and her adventures on Instagram (@resilienceatwork) and check out her programmes, and read her blog on her website

Please also come and join us at Corporate Escapees, our Facebook group, where I share a lot of resources and ideas to help you make your escape plans a reality. It’s a lovely community and we’re looking to grow so head over there today!

Stay in touch with us on Instagram, Facebook, Pinterest, Twitter and of course, the website.

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It’s all very well knowing you don’t want to carry on working and living the way you do right now. But it’s not always clear what you should do instead. If you’re unsure what to do when you escape the rat race one place to start is to think, not about what you want to DO, but what business model would work best for you.

Would a franchise, freelancing, interim work or a portfolio be the right solution for you? Do you want to sell to the public or to companies? Do you see yourself in retail or consulting?

Sometimes it’s easier to start here, because that enables you to narrow the options down. If you have no interest in, say, interim work, that excludes a huge number of fields from your consideration. You’re also probably saying that a longish contract, working with one company on a specific project and then moving to another longish contract with another company isn’t for you. And this is a good thing. When the world is your oyster there’s too much choice. When you can start excluding options you can start making progress.

In this show I share 23 ideas for different business models so that you can start thinking about how you might set yourself up outside of the conventional 9-5.

I talk about my own experiences of some of these models, the pros and cons and how to make them work. As you listen, notice your reactions. Not just your logical reactions but your physical reactions too. Do you get excited by one idea and turned off by another? Sometimes our bodies tell us more about what we want than our logical brain.

I’d love to know which of these models appeals to you and, if you have experience of working in any of these ways, I’d love to hear your pros and cons. Come and join us on our Facebook Group – Corporate Escapees and share your experiences over there.

Also, stay in touch with us on Instagram, Facebook, Pinterest, Twitter and of course, the website.

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Money - It’s the big challenge for anyone who wants to create a better, more balanced life and do something for a living outside of the corporate 9-5. In fact, your feelings about money could be the biggest barrier to you even thinking about doing something else instead.

That’s why I wanted to talk to today’s guest. Andy Hill is a podcaster and author who is passionate about creating an incredible life for his family by being financially intelligent. He and his wife managed to pay off $50,000 of personal debt and their whole mortgage within 5 years and increased their net worth from $50,000 to $750,000 in 8 years.

In this interview we talk about how Andy and his wife sorted out their own debt issues, how he balances a full time job with a busy and successful side hustle AND family life. And how to plan your finances as you start planning your escape from the rat race.

We also talk about:

How to create boundaries between your job, your side hustle and your personal life
How running a business as a side hustle has enhanced his contribution as an employee
The concept of the financial runway
Seeing the early days in your new business as an internship
The pros and cons of training courses versus real life experience
How to earn passive income from your assets while you’re building your business
Having conversations about money with partners, family members and others
Starting your business on a shoestring
Niching down

Do check out his podcast - it’s called Marriage, Kids and Money. His website is where you can find out how to work with him and read more of his blogs and articles.

He mentioned a few useful resources:

Mint
Tiller (Excel and Google Sheets)
Quickbooks
Freshbooks

And of course, if you want support or to discuss any of these topics, head over to our Corporate Escapees Facebook group and stay in touch with us on Instagram, Facebook, Pinterest, Twitter and of course, the website.

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I spend much more of my time marketing myself and getting my name and expertise known in the world than I actually do coaching or speaking to audiences. And this might come as a shock to you if you’re still working a 9-5 or starting to run your own venture.

Putting yourself out there doesn’t come naturally to most of us but it’s a vital part of being in business and, in some ways, it’s never been so complicated. Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Linkedin not to mention blogging, podcasting and, email marketing... where do you start?

That’s why I wanted to talk to Janet Murray. Janet is a former journalist who specialises in helping people grow their audience so they can succeed in business. In her podcast, free content and courses she shows how to position yourself as the go to person and create a following of people who want to buy the thing you do.

In this interview we talk about:

Transitioning out of your current job and how long that can take
Pivoting until you find your niche
Email marketing
Creating a following and creating content as a way to position yourself as an expert
Being able to finish the sentence “He/She is the person you go to if you want...”

You can find out more about Janet on her website where she has tonnes of free resources to download plus her brilliant podcast, The Janet Murray Show.

Stay in touch with us on Instagram, Facebook, Pinterest, Twitter and of course, the website.

Please also join our Facebook group “Corporate Escapees” where you can get help, advice, support and encouragement about taking your own brilliant gamble!

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It’s my first solo show for a while and I was inspired by member of the Corporate Escapees Facebook page to do an episode about making a Worst Case Scenario Plan.

When you stand on the precipice of a big decision all the fears come bubbling to the surface. But they swill around in your brain in a mess of half finished thoughts and cause you to feel paralysed.

Even if, despite these fears, you take action steps, you lose out on the joy of this phase of the journey because you’re so worried about what you’ll do if it all goes wrong.

Which is why I want to explain to you how to make a Worst Case Scenario Plan.

In this way you get those fears out of your head and on to paper and start working through them step by step. Once you know what you’d do in the worst case you’re free to focus on success!

Please join the Corporate Escapees group no matter what stage you’re at in the journey and even if you don’t consider you’ve come from a “corporate” job - any conventional 9-5 type job to any form of freedom, doing what you love for a living, living on your own terms counts!

Stay in touch with us on Instagram, Facebook, Pinterest, Twitter and of course, the website.

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What is slow living? So many of us want to change our lives because we want more space for things we love, as well as a job we love. But life often seems too hectic to find that space, sense of peace or a feeling that we’re really able to enjoy what we have worked so hard to achieve.

When Brooke McAlary realised the stress of her life was causing her anxiety she decided to slow her life right down.

It started with a failed attempt to declutter the garage... but today she’s host of the Slow Home podcast, author of 3 lovely books about slowing down your life and living a dramatically different life to the one she thought she would be living at this point in her life.

What I love about this interview is how down to earth Brooke is about what slow living actually is and how you can design a slower life that’s unique to what works for you.

Do check out her website and follow her on Instagram. Also check out Zen Habits.

And maybe try writing your own eulogy and see if it helps you get clarity about your life as much as it helped Brooke.

Stay in touch with us on Instagram, Facebook, Pinterest, Twitter and of course, the website.

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Just because living life on your own terms might feel like a gamble, doesn’t mean you don’t try to minimise the risk!

Todd Nevins is a Digital Nomad who travels full time with his wife and their dog, encouraging other people to do the same. In fact, he’s on a mission to get one million people who are disheartened by their current lifestyle to make the decision to change it.

In this interview we talk about the planning stage, the execution stage and the reality of living and working on the road, bringing only what you can fit in an average sized car and making friends along the way.

If you’ve considered becoming a digital nomad or just turning your back on the 9-5 and doing something you love from the comfort of your own sofa, you’ll love listening to the very practical advice Todd has to share. He’s a hugely energetic and inspirational person who makes it all seem perfectly do-able.

You can find out more about him on the Go Hunt Life Podcast.

Please also join my new Facebook group – Corporate Escapees. it’s for anyone dreaming, planning or already making the leap to do what they love for a living, turn their backs on the corporate 9-5 and live life on their own terms. Come and hang out with me and a bunch of other likeminded people and get support and encouragement to live life your way.

Stay in touch with us on Instagram, Facebook, Pinterest, Twitter and of course, the website.

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I wonder how many of us fall in to a career, and then make a real success at it before we realise that it’s not working for us.

Of course, that creates a whole new problem. What are you going to do next?

Well, that’s the story for my guest today. Dav Piper is now a gardener. But until recently her life was much like many people - the commute, the salary that’s hard to walk away from, a job that didn’t really work for her. She was successful by conventional standards but had fallen in to her career and slowly, like many of us, realised that she didn’t want to carry on.

Of course, the next big problem was - what to do next?

Dav describes a very real dilemma. We don’t all know what we want to do with our lives! It’s all very well to say we want to get out of the corporate rat race and do something we love for a living... but what??

In this interview we talk about how she found out what she wanted to do, and the gentle steps she took to make it happen... steps that anyone could take to make that transition a little less risky.

We discuss:

Money and how your reliable salary can become a trap that keeps you stuck
How to work out what you want to do
The dangers of looking for a big, world transforming purpose in life
Starting a business as a side hustle
How to cut your financial outgoings to reduce your financial risk
Volunteering as a way in to a new career
Starting to charge and how to find business
Having a Saturday job as an adult

You can find out more about Dav on her website, her Facebook page and her blog.

Dav mentioned Fiverr as a place to buy services like logos and websites. Check it out at https://www.fiverr.com/

As I mentioned, I’ve renamed my Facebook Group and it is now called Corporate Escapees. It’s a place to share stories, ask questions and get support whether you’re dreaming of leaving corporate life, already making plans or you’ve already done it. Please join this fledgling community and start posting. As fans of this show your support will really help create a tribe of likeminded people. There is life on the other side of the 9-5!

Stay in touch with us on Instagram, Facebook, Pinterest, Twitter and of course, the website.

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I’ve spoken to writers before on this show. A massive highlight for me was talking to Tom McLaughlin (Episode 85) about how he became a writer and illustrator for kids.

But today’s guest helps people write for a living. FOR A LIVING!

Joanna Penn (www.thecreativepenn.com) left the corporate world a decade ago to write full time. Since then she’s become an an award winning entrepreneur, a hugely successful fiction and non-fiction author, podcaster and teacher of other people who want to write for a living.

In our interview we talk about -

Leaving your job and how to get started BEFORE you leave your job
From selling your time to selling assets
Short term income versus long term sustainable income
Marketing and diversifying your writing business
Publishing options
How writers make money beyond writing books
Outsourcing and organising your time as a professional writer
How to get started

Joanna has a huge amount of free resources on her website as well as her books and courses. I highly recommend you get her advice before you start planning how you’re going to make a career writing.

If you want to absolutely guarantee that you won’t get in your own way as you start planning how you’re going to do what you love for a living, sign up to A Brilliant Gamble Online. Find out more and sign up on the programme homepage.

Stay in touch with us on Instagram, Facebook, Pinterest, Twitter and of course, the website.

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Maxwell Ivey describes himself as the Blind Blogger. Born in to a carnival family, he became blind in his teens but has never let it stop him doing what he wanted to do.

He’s now not only a successful businessman but an inspirational speaker, coach and podcaster, helping people follow their dreams just as he has done. He wasn’t always someone who thought he could do anything. But he’s learnt not only what he’s capable of but that just because you can do a thing doesn’t mean you should!

I wanted to talk to Maxwell because we’ve all got excuses for why we can’t do something - whether it’s our age, our health, our experience, our education (or lack of it), our financial situation, our family’s opinions, our self-critical voice. In our conversation we talk about

The questions you should ask yourself before you take the leap
How to deal with your own limiting ideas.
Making assumptions
Being “real”
Overwhelm when you start thinking about everything there is to do to achieve your goal
Working out what you can do and what you should do
Evolving what you do based on what people are asking you to do
Continually questioning whether you’re doing what you want to be doing
Changing your mind
Weight loss tips
Finding the positive moments in the day
Creating stories in your life from unintentional adventures!

You can find out more about Maxwell including his blogs, books, podcasts and how to work with him on his website.

Also, remember to visit our website to find out more about the Brilliant Gamble Online programme designed to help you get out of your own way and make changes to your life and work. Stay in touch with us on Instagram, Facebook, Pinterest, and Twitter.

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It’s all very well imagining yourself running your own business as a way to escape the rat race. But what’s the reality? What skills will you need beyond the technical skills you’ve been mastering for the last 20 or 30 years? That’s why I wanted to talk to my guest today, Phyllis Smith.

Former founder of the Professional Business Women’s Network she’s an escapee from corporate world herself. She now has her fingers in many pies including as presenter at The Expert Channel.

For me, it’s her skills as a networker that really make her stand out. While this is a skill you benefit from if you work the traditional 9-5 it’s absolutely critical if you expect to make a living doing what you love. People need to know about you!

In this interview, we talk about -

Running your own business when you’re a mum
Thinking like a business person
Being a woman in a man’s world
Time management
Getting the skills you need to run a business
Being the breadwinner
Focusing on quality of life

If you’re thinking of starting a business as a way to escape the rat race you HAVE to listen to this interview. It’s packed with tonnes of tidbits to get you thinking more like a business person than an employee.

Find out more about her on her website or find her on Twitter.

If you’re at a crossroads and you’d like to get out of the rat race and make a living doing what you love, A Brilliant Gamble Online is the programme for you. I take you step-by-step from thinking and planning to making the dream a reality. Find out more on the programme homepage.

Stay in touch with us on Instagram, Facebook, Pinterest, Twitter and of course, the website.

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Can you imagine seeing porn stars having sex in your backyard, or watching a topless waitress breastfeeding a kitten at one of your parent’s parties?

Well, today’s guest lived that life. Romola Hodas was the eldest daughter of Marty (Martin) Hodas, aka “Times Square’s King of Porn,” the man who almost single-handedly built New York City’s pornography and adult entertainment industry from the 1960s to the 1980s.

By the time she was eighteen, she had survived two kidnapping attempts, summering in the Catskills with members of the Colombo crime family, verbal and physical abuse, and a year in reform school. Her childhood was a nightmare of violence, chaos, and severe body shaming.

Against all odds, she not only survived a childhood few people could fathom, but actually thrived, becoming a successful businesswoman who now devotes her life to helping others. In this interview we talk about:

Forgiveness
Letting go
How childhood trauma affects people differently
Overthinking and intellectualising
Anxiety
Drinking in moderation (moderation management)
Listening to your inner voice
Courage
Learning no matter what your age

You can find out more about Romola and order her book at www.romola.com.

Stay in touch with us on Instagram, Facebook, Pinterest, Twitter and of course, the website.

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In 2012. Sunday Burquest was diagnosed with breast cancer. After multiple surgeries, chemotherapy, radiation, and a bout with depression she discovered she was much stronger than she imagined and decided to follow her dream and ended up on the 33rd season of the Emmy award-winning reality tv show Survivor Millennials vs Gen-x.

Sunday describes herself as a Grit Girl and I was very keen to talk to her about how she’s embraced so much change in her life, ignored any suggestion that she shouldn’t do certain things “at her age” and how she continues to challenge herself even after her Survivor experience.

In this conversation we talk about being on Survivor, and what she’s learnt about pushing herself, making change and surviving some pretty gruelling situations. I hope this inspires you whatever change you’re making this year. You’ll love Sunday’s down to earth energy and discovering how to be a Grit Girl (or Boy) too!

We talk about -

Surviving cancer and the depression that followed
Survivor
The qualities of a Grit Girl
How the experience of putting yourself outside your comfort zone changes you
Coping with the judgements of others
Resilience and surviving setbacks
Taking small steps and not giving up on ourselves
How women can support each other

You’ll love this episode if you’re at a crossroads, want to make some bold changes in your life, have made any new year resolutions, want to live more authentically or want to embrace getting older and wiser!

You can find out more about Sunday and Grit Girl on her website or on Instagram. Do check her out!

Talking of which, A Brilliant Gamble Online is a development programme designed specifically to help you make your bold ideas become reality. Based on the tools I used to make The Big Trip and start our Smallholding Adventure and tried and tested by people going through real, practical changes in their lives, this programme helps you stay on track when you want to give up, gives you the tools to enjoy the process of change and understand how to get out of your own way, and encourages you with inspiration and practical ideas. If you’re alone you’ll go home, so get some support and make 2019 the year you change your life for good!

For more information visit the programme homepage and stay in touch with us on Instagram, Facebook, Pinterest, Twitter and of course, the website.

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Welcome to a new season of the A Brilliant Gamble Podcast for 2019! I’m so excited to bring you my conversation with TV presenter and journalist, Andrea McLean, because there couldn’t be a better way to start the year.

Not only is Andrea a huge presence on TV as co-host of Loose Women but she’s also the author of a new book – Confessions of a Menopausal Woman – which tells the story of her own abrupt menopause and what the experience is teaching her (and us). She’s also launched This Girl is On Fire as a place where women can find information, fun and inspiration whatever stage of life they’re at.

In this conversation, we not only talk about The Change, of course, but about how hitting midlife provides a brilliant opportunity to take life by the horns and make some bold decisions about how you want to live and work.

In this episode, we discuss:

Menopause, signs and symptoms
Mid-life crisis and mid-life awakening
Authenticity and discovering who you are
Being brave
What ageing means to us
Our thoughts about success and failure
Our love of dogs (with a special outtake at the end of the show!)

For more information visit the programme homepage and stay in touch with us on Instagram, Facebook, Pinterest, Twitter and of course, the website.

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I'm sure you've often thought about what makes you happy or perhaps wondered where happiness comes from?

Most of us want to feel happy about our lives even if we’re not happy all the time. We want the same from our lives outside of work and the work we do.

Today’s guest is Mike Robbins, thought leader, sought after speaker, and the author of four books including Bring Your Whole Self to Work. In this conversation we talk about how personal development is becoming more acceptable within the work environment, how disappointment and tragedy in Mike’s own life forced him to re-think at a relatively young age about what would really make him happy and fulfilled and how to change the story you tell yourself about yourself.

We also dig in to what it means to be vulnerable. It’s a word that’s used a lot but, even though I talk about it, I had a rather limited idea of what it meant until this conversation with Mike. It’s not just about revealing your soft underbelly. It’s much more empowering than that!

You will enjoy this conversation if you’re interested in:

How to feel good about the life you have today
How to respond to setbacks in your life
How to choose your own path when life throws you a curveball
Bringing your whole self to work
What it really means to be vulnerable
The importance of taking risks and living with uncertainty if you want to achieve something that matters to you

You can find Mike on Twitter, Instagram and his website and grab his books from Amazon.

Stay in touch with us on Instagram, Facebook, Pinterest, Twitter and of course, our website.

Bring Your Whole Self to Work: How Vulnerability Unlocks Creativity, Connection, and Performance

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It seems to me that most change isn’t initiated by us but thrust upon us or dropped in to our path. If you’ve had an interesting life up to this point and want that to continue, you’re probably someone who grabs those unplanned opportunities and runs with them.

Today’s guest is entrepreneur Madeleine Lambert. She runs “Content Refined”, a business based in Canada that helps companies grow their audience. She’s been responsible for massive growth in the business in just 2 years by forcing herself to let go of the reins... helped by the impending birth of her first child.

Having a deadline forced her to put systems in place to make herself unnecessary to the daily running of the operation.

I’m sure we’d all like that!

In this interview we talk about:

Initiating change versus having it fall in your path
Hiring people who are better than you
Being a control freak and breaking the habit
Building family in to your business plan
How we get in our own way
Dealing with online criticism

And much more!

You can find out more about Madeleine and her business on her website, Facebook or Instagram.

Please stay in touch with us on Instagram, Facebook, Pinterest, Twitter and of course, the website.

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I spend much of my time inside big business. As a keynote speaker and coach for leaders I’m very familiar with the ways large organisations operate and the universal challenges that they face against a backdrop of a world changing faster than ever before.

For years I’ve been trying to help those organisations and their leaders to change. Sometimes they do. Sometimes they find it impossible. It’s always painful. Change hurts!

As part of my mission to understand why and how we change and where we might want to focus our attentions in order to create a better blend between work and the rest of life I wanted to talk to today’s guest.

Mark Williams is CMO at People First, an HR consultancy, with a special interest in the future of work. I’m very curious about how the workplace is changing and how we, as the workers, will need to change in order to adapt. In this conversation we talk about coming trends, what human qualities will be required in order to be employable in the future and how fundamentally we need to rethink work and the part business plays in the world in the light of such dramatic changes.

It’s a big topic and one people like Mark, and me, are grappling with. There are no guaranteed answers. But I think you’ll enjoy listening to this conversation and considering what it might mean for you, your colleagues and the next generation.

You can find out more about Mark's work on the People First website or follow him on Twitter.

You can stay in touch with us on Instagram, Facebook, Pinterest, Twitter and of course, the website.

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Do we ever really change? I’ve spent 20 years attempting to help individuals and companies to grow and develop so the concept that people are capable of change sits right at the heart of that. If we don’t ever change, what have I been doing all this time?!

Of course, we do change. Life changes us. We gain new insights, we learn new lessons. And a lot of our development is really about unpicking bad habits of thinking and behaving that we’ve picked up along the way in order to reveal the true “me” rather than actually changing who we are.

Today’s guest is the wonderful Marianne Power. An author and journalist, she’s a self-confessed Self Help Junkie. A few years ago she set herself the task of working through 12 self-help books and doing what they told her to do TO THE LETTER. She’s now written a book about it called Help Me!

I really enjoyed talking to Marianne. She’s funny, thoughtful and has tonnes of experiences having experimented on herself for 16 months. You’ll enjoy hearing more about some of the ideas and practices she focused on, what made a difference (and what didn’t) and what she learnt about change as a result. I highly recommend the book - available at Amazon and you can follow her on Facebook “The Help Me Blog” and her website

We cover -

The Power of Now
The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People
Fuck It!
The journey of change
Whether we change
Lessons Marianne learnt from her experiences
Brené Brown
Marianne’s most useful self-help tools

Key take away from this interview -

We need community. Self-help implies that you do this alone but successful change is never done alone
We need a blend of the woo-woo and the practical
No single approach solves all problems
You don’t always get out of the journey what you expected to get! But you get something!
The journey of change and growth is never over, it just evolves
Do something, get started!

You can stay in touch with us on Instagram, Facebook, Pinterest, Twitter and of course, the website.

Help Me!: One Woman's Quest to Find Out if Self-Help Really Can Change Her Life

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Lee Feldman is a force of nature. Down to earth, humble and funny, he's also a guy who thinks and acts BIG. He was pivotal in revolutionising how major companies used their websites back in the late 1990s, is more recently the founder of THNK Vancouver. His latest project is to create Bicycle Mayors in every major city in the world in order to turn the bike, a 200 year old invention, in to the transportation mode of the future.

I loved talking to Lee - partly because he thinks so differently to many people in the corporate world. Yet, everything he talks about - and the way he sees the challenges and opportunities facing business - are practical and compelling. You don't have to run a small, funky tech company to be inspired by his approach - big business can get it too.

In this interview, we cover everything from his co-creation of Blast Radius, a web developer that played a massive part in changing how we use and understand the power of the web, to two personal tragedies that changed the direction of his life. We talk about THNK, take a peek inside the mind of a thought-leader and inspirational thinker, question a bunch of myths about business, climate change and what kind of leaders the world needs now and explore the power of simple pleasures.

There is so much in this hour with Lee that I'm sure you'll take a lot away from it. You can find out more about THNK at and about the Bicycle Mayor Scheme.

You can stay in touch with us on Instagram, Facebook, Pinterest, Twitter and of course, the website

NEW! Check out our Brilliant Gamble Online programme

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Most of us work with people and it tends to be the people stuff that makes work brilliant and awful. If you’re having problems at work most likely they are people problems. This is why, of course, so many people are looking to change their job or change their company. But what if you take yourself with you when you go?

In this archive show, I talk to Mark Fritz, an incredibly knowledgable leadership expert, keynote speaker and author, about how to take ownership of your job and how to give ownership to others. We talk about work-life balance, finding your professional sweet-spot, how to really take responsibility at work and how to give it to others and what makes meetings so awful. I loved talking with Mark who is full of easy to remember concepts and tips. I'm confident you'll take a lot from it too. Just remember to grab a pen so you can write down all the clever stuff he has to share!

You can find out more about Mark on his website or on Twitter

His app “Reflection Questions” is now available for both iOS and Android

As always, you can stay in touch with us on Instagram, Facebook, Pinterest, Twitter and of course, the website

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On this week's show I'm talking to award winning Women's Advocate and Empowerment Coach, Ali Soleil, about embarking on adventures in your 40s and 50s. Ali is the host of the F Years Podcast and helps women in mid-life to go from fed up to fabulous.

In this conversation we talk about living out of your car, finding the adventure that's waiting for you and letting go. If you're ready to run towards joy, you'll love Ali and her infectious enthusiasm for life. Check out The F Years Podcast for yourself on iTunes!

You can stay in touch with us on Instagram, Facebook, Pinterest, Twitter and of course, the website.

Please check out the new A Brilliant Gamble Online Coaching Programme, a self-paced course of videos and exercises to help you find balance, do work that aligns with your values and live more authentically. And feel free to share this podcast and leave a rating and review as it helps people find us and start taking a Brilliant Gamble of their own!

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Today's show is another archive show – my interview with Bryan Falchuk. Bryan is the author of a wonderful book called "Do A Day" in which he explores why we get stuck in bad habits and how to break those habit... for good!

Whether you're stuck in a rut in your work, with your health and fitness, in your relationship or something else, you will love this interview and Bryan's ideas to get unstuck. You can buy Bryan's book at http://www.doadaybook.com/amazon or http://www.doadaybook.com/amazonuk

You can stay in touch with us on Instagram, Facebook, Pinterest, Twitter and of course, the website.

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There's a lot of talk in business about engagement and employee satisfaction and "leaders" spend a great deal of time (and money on leadership development courses) trying to work out how to get a more "turned on" workforce. Join me this week for a great archive episode! Behaviourist Jez Rose is a is a broadcaster, bee farmer, award-winning author and speaker, with a passion for improving cultures. Quintessentially British, he also has an obsession with tea. In this interview, we speak about Jez's Good Life Project, an innovative research initiative, evidencing the cognitive and emotional impact of nature on human health, wellbeing and behaviour, seeking to understand what nature does to our brain and specifically which activities have the greatest positive impact on us.

But what if 'a turned on workforce' really isn't that complicated? What if the answer doesn't lie in fancy techniques and sophisticated models? Perhaps we just need to feel connected with the natural world.

In this interview, we talk about Jez's research (present and past, carried out over many decades) which shows that when we connect with nature our motivation, our wellbeing and our productivity all improve. Sounds crazy right? But it makes sense when you think about how even an image of nature can change your perspective on life. I hope you enjoy the episode!

If you want more information about Jez's work you can visit his website or the Good Life Project website For the free wildflower seeds we talk about in the episode, click here.

You can follow Jez on Instagram, Twitter and you can also follow the Good Life Project on Instagram. This interview was first broadcast in May 2017.

If you want insights and support as you change your life - A Brilliant Gamble Online is for you! This online programme is self-paced which means you do it as your own speed. Videos and exercises guide you through the thinking and planning stage and then support you as you learn and grow and make stuff happen in your life. You can find out more here.

For an inside look at our next Brilliant Gamble, our smallholding, stay in touch with us on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter as well as the website.

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**We are in! We moved in to the smallholding last week and are starting to get used to being settled after so many months on the road. It’s very strange to put things in a cupboard knowing you won’t have to take it all back out in a matter of days!

Moving house and starting a new lifestyle can be stressful and is certainly busy. Which is why today’s show is about “pressing pause” when things get hectic.**

Many of us find that hard to do. When we’re busy the idea of stopping, taking a breath, checking in on ourselves and foregoing some of the activity isn’t natural. We are used to pushing through, getting it done, painful as it might be. We don’t want to let people down, we don’t want to be slow, we don’t want to admit we can’t do it all (because we can but it requires us to go beyond normal human capabilities).

In this episode I talk about why and how I’m pressing pause... and why you might want to as well.

If you want MORE insights and support as you change your life A Brilliant Gamble Online is for you! This online programme is self-paced which means you do it as your own speed. Videos and exercises guide you through the thinking and planning stage and then support you as you learn and grow and make stuff happen in your life. You can find out more here.

You can also stay in touch with us on Instagram, Facebook, Pinterest, Twitter and of course, the website.

And please join me on my Psychologies Magazine Facebook Live event on 18th Oct at 7pm UK time.

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Some changes are easy to make. There will be adjustments you want to make to your life – big or small – that seem GIGANTIC to other people but, to you, they’re a walk in the park. But other changes...boy! These ones are tough!

I’ve been pondering what makes certain changes harder than others and come up with a theory! In today’s show I talk about two kinds of change – Big Bangs and Daily Bangs – and the different strategies required to make a success of both. Personally I’m far better at Big Bangs. But, as we embark on our next Brilliant Gamble it’s the Daily Bangs that are going to determine whether we make a sustainable change in our life or not.

Confused? Listen to the show and all will be revealed!

A Brilliant Gamble Online is a self-paced online coaching programme takes you step-by-step from designing your ideal life to figuring out how work and everything else will blend into that life.

You'll discover and think about how you want to FEEL about your life and how to make it a reality. Plus, you'll have lifetime access to tonnes of videos and tried and tested exercises that have worked for, not only, my clients but that I use to make changes in my own life. Find out more here.

And you can stay in touch with us on Instagram, Facebook, Pinterest, Twitter and of course, the website.

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When I first became a coach in 2000 I was one of the first wave of coaches in the UK. Generally young, successful women who’d come from the corporate world, we saw coaching as a way to help people move forward in their lives and make conscious choices about how they wanted to live and how they wanted to feel.

Suzy Walker is one of the biggest names to come from that wave of coaches. Now Editor of Psychologies Magazine, she is author of the bestseller “Making the Big Leap” and for many years ran her own highly successful coaching business.

In our interview we talk about changing your name mid-life, returning to a “proper job” having worked for yourself, and our beliefs around money... and we end up making a pact together to change our attitudes towards financial security.

You’ll enjoy this interview if you’re at a crossroads, if you’re interested in working on your intuition and shifting long-standing beliefs, especially about money, if you’re looking for more balance in your life or you’re keen to pare down your life to a more simple way of living.

You can follow Psychologies Magazine on Facebook and find out about all the live videos they broadcast every day including my next one of October 18th!

If you want to work on your own beliefs and assumptions and create a life that’s more meaningful for you - sign up to A Brilliant Gamble Online NOW! This self-paced online coaching programme takes you step-by-step from designing your ideal life to figuring out how work and everything else will blend into that life. You'll discover and think about how you want to FEEL about your life and how to make it a reality. Plus, you'll have lifetime access to tonnes of videos and tried and tested exercises that have worked for, not only, my clients but that I use to make changes in my own life. Find out more here.

And you can stay in touch with us on Instagram, Facebook, Pinterest, Twitter and of course, the website.

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There’s rarely an opportunity to reflect between the end of one project, adventure or experience and the next. So when the opportunity arises we should take it!

What did we learn from our last experience and how can we take that forward to the next one? And what “Unfinished Business” is there – lessons we attempted to learn but failed to really grasp – that need to be at the heart of what’s coming next?

My Unfinished Business from our Big Trip is how I handle stress. So in this week’s show I explore my most recent stressy fit and work out how I am going to improve my reaction to fear so that I can really enjoy the smallholding adventure to come.

If stress is a big feature in your life I hope we can work on this together. I’m sharing my thoughts as I get closer to the truth of stress and what really triggers our responses. And I’d love your thoughts about handling stressful moments, to understand what lies at the heart of stress for you and what I could do in the coming weeks, months and years to have less stress and more joy even when the going gets tough.

You can find the Feelings list I mention on the show here.

You can also find out more about A Brilliant Gamble Online – our new self-paced online coaching programme here .

If you have questions about whether the programme is right for you or want to discuss the options, please drop me a line at blaire@abrilliantgamble.com

You can stay in touch with us on Instagram, Facebook, Pinterest, Twitter and of course, the website.

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6 months ago, almost to the day, we set off on our Big Trip. In a few weeks it comes to an end. But although that particular adventure is drawing to a close, we’re not done with Brilliant Gambles. Quite the reverse. When we return from Ireland, our final destination, we will move in to our new home – a two and a half acre smallholding in Somerset.

The new Brilliant Gamble – growing our own food, rearing our own animals and trying to live more lightly on the planet – kicks off at the same time as our new ONLINE COACHING PROGRAMME! What were we thinking??

At the end of this episode I give you more information about how you can sign up to A Brilliant Gamble Online and get all the support you need to turn your dreams of a more blended life in to a reality.

But before I get in to that I have a wonderful conversation with Libby Syddall who owns the smallholding we’ve been staying at for the last 2 weeks. She gives me a lot of very useful advice and shares her own story of leaving her job to run her smallholding full time, and the lessons she’s learnt along the way. You’ll love this interview if moving to the countryside is a dream of yours OR whatever Brilliant Gamble you’re imagining for yourself or already undertaking.

You can find out more about Libby and her chickens on her Ham Street Hens Facebook page.

You can pre-register or sign up to A Brilliant Gamble Online and you can stay in touch with us on Instagram, Facebook, Pinterest, Twitter and of course, the website

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Every journey has its call to return. Our hero must return to normal life (or life starts feeling normal again) and bring home the lessons he or she has learnt, ready to embark on the next adventure with a new level of awareness and courage.

Well, we are at that point in our Big Trip. One more foreign foray and then we’ll be settling back to life in the UK...but don’t worry. We’re not going all conventional all of a sudden. We’re just starting our next Brilliant Gamble and seeing if we can deepen our learning and apply it to a new adventure. Can we maintain and improve the integration between work, life and self that we’ve found while traveling? How do the practices and habits I’ve been learning apply when we get “back home”? And what new lessons are there to learn from our next journey in to the unknown?

I’m being a bit cryptic because I want to share the plan with you in full in a couple of weeks! But the subject of embarking on a new journey and learning lessons is so at the front of my mind at the moment it seemed a good time to learn a little about The Heroine’s Journey. That’s right! Heroine’s have a journey of their own.

Just as all of us have the Hero within us, we also have the Heroine, and her journey is subtly different. My guest today is Clare Russell who’s an expert in The Heroine’s Journey and talks me through what’s different...with me trying to make sense of our recent experiences through this new lens.

I highly recommend listening to the show and reflecting on The Heroine’s Journey you’re on, have been on or are about to go on.

You can find out more about Clare on her website where you can also sign up to one of the Circles she runs. I’m keen to get along to one of these myself at some point. Just what I need! She’s also written a number of articles going in to more detail about The Heroine’s Journey so you can dig a little deeper in to your own story too.

On Friday 14th September 2018 at 7pm BST you can join me for my first Psychologies Magazine Facebook Live! I will be talking about Brilliant Gambles, the lessons I’ve been learning from our Big Trip and how you can get started on a Brilliant Gamble of your own. Please do join me. You can sign up to the Psychologies Facebook page here. I’d love to see you there!

Thank you for listening and please stay in touch with us on Instagram, Facebook, Pinterest, Twitter and of course, the website

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I’m from a musical family. My dad played drums in a pipe band. My mum directed musical theatre at summer camp. Folk and jazz were the soundtrack of my early life. And I have been in many bands myself over the years. But there have been times when music hasn’t featured as large. Long hours, a young family or just forgetting what impact creativity has on my sense of well-being meant that, for many years, I didn’t perform or even listen to music that much.

Many of us have creative interests and, in an effort to find a more blended, integrated way of living we want to rediscover those passions, to express ourselves in a way that bypasses the intellectual and goes straight to the heart and soul.

Today’s podcast guests have put music right at the centre of their lives. Jana Carpenter and Tim Elsenburg, AKA the band Sweet Billy Pilgrim, have been making music most of their lives, most recently together. They’ve usually had to combine music with “proper jobs” to make ends meet and, like many of us, have struggled to find the right balance between doing what they love and making the money to support their talent.

In today’s interview, we talk about creativity, working in collaboration in a group, getting the blend right between keeping a roof over your head and not neglecting your calling, and reinventing and pivoting even throughout your life.

Do check Sweet Billy Pilgrim out on their website or on Twitter - I know they'd love to hear from you. Why? Have a listen!

And stay in touch with us on Instagram, Facebook, Pinterest, Twitter and of course, the website.

Thank you for listening!

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As you know, I'm spending this year as a digital nomad, travelling around Europe. As we enter our 6th month of, what we like to call, The Big Trip, I’ve started to reflect on what this trip has taught me so far. It has not been an easy lifestyle choice but I had no idea before we started. I did not know just how hard it would be or what would make it tough.

Some of the lessons I've learned are practical and specific to this type of trip. If you spend enough time in a 'foreign land', you see beyond the tourist façade and experience real day-to-day living - which is wonderful. My honest practical advice? Try not to drive back and forth across Europe if you can help it - plan a route that allows you to flow from country to country in a logical way. That is something we NEVER did, by the way. Oh, and buy fewer fairy lights and soft furnishings than you feel you MUST. Trust me on this one.

Some of the lessons have the potential to change not only our lives, but maybe yours.

In this week’s episode, I share the 4 lessons I’ve learned so far about making decisions to change your life. From the start, I’ve looked for ways to better blend the different elements of my life – work, family and self. And, even when this trip ends we won’t give up the search for a better and better blend. But in the light of what I’ve learnt so far, we’ll approach our next Brilliant Gamble a little differently.

I hope you find these insights useful. And I hope they help you avoid some of the pitfalls I’ve fallen into at various stages of our journey (so far)... or at least be prepared and forgiving of yourself when you do!

I’m launching a new online programme in the Autumn – I can't wait to share it with you. Sign up to the ABG newsletter you’ll be the first to know all the details.

If you've enjoyed this episode, please subscribe and share with your network. It means the world to us! You can keep up with us on Twitter, Instagram, Linkedin and, of course, the website. Thank you for listening!

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A Brilliant Gamble is all about betting on the world of work changing and taking the risk of saying NO to the 9-5. Work isn't working as it is, that's for sure. And more and more people, myself included, are asking whether it has to be this way? Can we configure a life where work integrates seamlessly rather than requiring us to make sacrifices to succeed?

It was with this in mind that I spoke to Will and Jessica Sueiro - they travel the world with their children, and a hamster called Sunshine, in an RV and have lived in other countries like locals for more than three years. Will and Jessica left their jobs in Boston to take this adventure and now they help others who want to do the same thing through their business, Worldtowning. Their story is fascinating, honest, funny and inspiring.

I was partly inspired by Will and Jessica when I decided to pack up my daughter, dogs and life and hit the road as a digital nomad in Europe. I'm sure you'll enjoy listening and will be inspired by Will and Jessica too!

To find out more about Worldtowning, please visit their website or find them on Twitter or Instagram. Enjoy the show from the archives and, as always, stay in touch!

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I remember telling the careers advisor at school that I wanted to be a journalist... she laughed and said, "You'd better have something to fall back on!" I've always wondered what on earth would she have said if I’d have told her I wanted to be a full-time author?

How many of us have dreamt of being a professional artiste? Writer, painter, poet, photographer, needle-felter? Such careers are often perceived as unrealistic dreams - perhaps a hobby at best, or something to save to do during retirement when there’s cash in the bank and we’ve earned the right to do something we love every day.

You won’t be surprised that I don’t think you should have to wait until retirement to do something you love. I did become a journalist (despite it being an apparent miracle) and other real people are out there making movies we watch, writing the novels we read and drawing for a living.

One of those 'other people' is the hugely successful Tom McLaughlin. A children’s author and illustrator, Tom was never (as far as I can tell) told that he couldn’t be a writer. And that’s despite being dyslexic. In this week's podcast episode, we talk about what brought Tom to writing and illustration; and how he organises his time to create work-life balance (which, it turns out, is just as much an issue for “creatives” as for anyone else).

If you dream of 'one day being a writer' - or if you already have a writing project in progress - you’ll love listening to Tom talk through his creative process and how he dealt with rejection, doubts and fears that he was wasting his time, before he got his break. And even if you don’t think you have a book in you, you’ll enjoy hearing how Tom sees the world, where he finds inspiration and how he’s turned the potential disadvantage of dyslexia into a superpower.

You can find out more about Tom here or on his Amazon author’s page.

You can stay in touch with us too of course! I’m launching a new online programme in the Autumn – it's all a bit hush-hush at the moment, but if you sign up to the newsletter you’ll be the first to know all the goss! abrilliantgamble.com

If you've enjoyed this episode, please subscribe and share with your network. It means the world to us! You can keep up with us on Instagram, Facebook, Pinterest and Twitter and of course, the website. Thank you for listening!

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When you make a change, especially a big disruptive one, everything that kept you stable and safe is thrown into the air! This can be hugely liberating. What held you back is gone and the future is full of adventure, opportunities and new stories to write.

But it can also be unsettling, disorientating and fear-inducing. That’s when having a strong support network of friends, family, peers and colleagues really comes into its own. This week I speak to Elizabeth Dunne, co-founder of Two Desks Limited, a creative support agency. Elizabeth is also a member of my team and supports me on my own Brilliant Gamble as I spend a year as a digital nomad in Europe.

I’ve spoken before about my team - Elizabeth and I began working together when I needed a website for A Brilliant Gamble. I find her support really helpful on many fronts. For example, she was with me when I had a "Belly of the Whale" moment last week.

Elizabeth believes in holistic support for her clients and comes from a high-flying background as an incredibly talented and successful Executive Assistant with creative flair. She co-founded one of the first Virtual Assistant teams in the UK but recently took her own Brilliant Gamble when, alongside her business partner, she made the move to limit her new business and restrict growth - a concept that's a little strange to outsiders!

In the show we talk about:

When and what to outsource (and why!) to move your business or plans forward
What to look for when outsourcing to build your business
What work life balance or imbalance looks and why it's different for everyone
My recent foray into the Belly of the Whale and how (and why!) Elizabeth helped me out
Being an adult, what success looks and feels like and how to grow up, put on your Big Girl Pants and get stuff done.

I hope you enjoy this entertaining episode. Elizabeth is an expat American and her vibrant personality and energy coupled with her views on remote working, what creative support looks like and how to be of genuine service to your clients is really refreshing. You can find Elizabeth on Twitter and Instagram to find out more about her and Two Desks.

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Sometimes you need the support of other people, strangers even, to make your dreams a reality. Other people who’ve gone before you, who know the pitfalls and who have sage advice to help you on your way.

That’s how I found Jason Jenkins and the Epic Education podcast. On his show, Jason speaks to families who’ve taken the bold decision to travel together, often full time, each with their own recipe to make it work for them.

It's fascinating that what feels like balance to one family doesn’t feel like balance to another. Every travelling family has their own wants, needs and appetites. I admit I was addicted to An Epic Education before we set off on our adventure, absorbing as much wisdom as I could.

This may not, of course, be your dream. But what I loved about talking to Jason was seeing how he and his family balance all their different wants and needs, something that I’ve been thinking a lot about recently.

How do you ensure you get your needs met and live a life that’s balanced for you whilst still respecting the needs of the other people who matter to you? What does work life balance look life when it has to work for you, your partner, your kids and whoever else is in your heart?

You can find out more about Jason and the Epic Education podcast here and find them on Instagram and Twitter.

If you've enjoyed this episode, please subscribe and share with your network. It means the world to us! You can keep up with us on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter and, of course, on our website.

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Many people talk about leaving their corporate job to start their own business. This idea is very appealing, of course. Imagine it - no boss to tell you what to do. No working hours dictated by the employer. No office politics. No commute. No worries, right?

And, It is great, but when you’ve been brought up with a more conventional idea about what “success” looks like, it can be hard to let go of the security and status that a big corporate job brings.

There's a new generation of people who are turning their back on the “rules” of their upbringing and starting new, passion-led businesses. These amazing over 50 entrepreneurs account for 43% of start-up founders and their numbers are growing.

Today’s guest, Susan Gafsen, is one half of Pep & Lekker, a vegan soup and seeds business making waves in this growth industry. Susan was a high-flying lawyer until various family twists and turns forced her to think for the first time about what she really wanted. Susan’s story will be familiar to many of you. And if you’ve yet to take the leap and really embrace what you want, I hope you’ll be inspired by her story to at least explore what going it alone (or with a friend) might look like.

I really enjoyed hearing how Susan broke with the expectations of her upbringing and how her Brilliant Gamble is really starting to pay off. You can find out more about Susan and Pep & Lekker on their website and please do find them on social media - @PEPandLEKKER.

You can stay in touch with us of course. Sign up for the newsletter and receive a free 3-part Gamble Guide on our website which will help you focus your thoughts and energy towards exploring - or taking - the leap. Please share this podcast with your network - you could help others at a career crossroads who are looking for more work life balance to take a Brilliant Gamble of their own!

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Why is there never enough time!?

I was positive that changing our lifestyle would mean that I'd be able to create more time each day. I mean, what is there to do? You’re renting a house - so there’s no maintenance. You don’t have much stuff - so you aren’t going to spend your time looking for lost things, tidying or shopping. You’re driving from country to country and when you get there - surely you just sit about enjoying the scenery and occasionally answering an email? WRONG!

As long as someone is working, you’re working (or you’re feeling like you should be). In today's 24/7 world, it takes huge mental strength to switch off from work. Whether you’re an entrepreneur, a business person, a leader or a creative, it can be a struggle. Add in working with global colleagues and clients and their respective time zones and it can be a recipe for work life balance disaster. This isn't a problem just in business - keeping up with friends around the globe can be really difficult too.

I don't know about you, but I have a never-ending to do list! I know that being busy is not an indicator of value, of true productivity...but it can feel that way. In my search for better work life balance, I’m willing to try anything, which is why I was so keen to talk to today’s guest, Mike Smutka.

Mike is co-founder and CEO of Buckets.co, an online project management platform that helps you get organised and stay organised. He has entrepreneurship running through his veins dating back to his first start up at the age of 15. By his early 20s, Mike was running a successful online advertising consulting business called RS2 Media with offices in the US, Philippines, India and Argentina. The challenges Mike faced around managing people all over the world as a distributed team generated his passion for solving organisation and collaboration issues; the result of which became Buckets where he has focused his entrepreneurial efforts for the past three years.

You'll learn:

information, inspiration and methods to help with time management and productivity
how to use a time management app to better your work life balance
how you can use the principles behind Kanban to - guess what? Have more time!

This show is ideal for anyone at a career crossroads or looking for better work life balance and are keen to find a way to get organised. It's a must-listen for anyone who feels that there's not enough time to get things done. Visit Buckets.co to find out more about Mike's business - it's free to join and use and they're growing a great online community.

You can stay in touch with us of course. Sign up for the newsletter and recieve a free 3-part Gamble Guide on our website which will help you focus your thoughts and energy towards exploring - or taking - a brilliant gamble of your own. And you can follow our Big Trip on Twitter and Instagram.

Please share this podcast with your network - you could help others at a career crossroads who are looking for more work life balance to take a Brilliant Gamble of their own!

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Do you find it harder and harder to balance having a family with having a job? According to the 2018 Modern Families Index, when UK parents were asked how they felt about their employer in terms of work-life balance, over a third of parents surveyed said they felt resentful, with more fathers than mothers agreeing.

The report was published by Working Families, the UK’s leading Work-Life Balance Organisation. In today’s show, I interview Sarah Jackson OBE, the CEO of Working Families. Sarah has campaigned for a better balance between work and life for over 20 years.

Sarah is incredibly optimistic and I felt really excited talking to her about what might be possible in the future, but it's certainly clear that we have a way to go. It’s down to us as individuals - and leaders - to create a revolution in how we work so that we can happily combine what we do for a job with having a life!

You can read the UK Modern Families Index report and find out more about Working Families on their website. Their mission is to achieve a society that allows real choice in balancing the interdependent demands of family, work and community at different life stages and so enables everyone to realise their full potential.

Please stay in touch with us @brilliantgamble on Twitter and Instagram. And visit our website to find all previous episodes of this show and sign up for the free 3-week 'Gamble Guide' programme filled with insights and advice on work life balance and designing a life you love.

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Making the right career decisions - which company, what salary, how many hours, remote or office based, climb the ladder or do a job that isn't too demanding - and ensuring that it fits with everything else that matters to you in life is COMPLICATED! And it requires SKILLS! Skills you didn't learn at school.

You'll learn:

How do you negotiate a pay rise?
How do you ask about maternity leave at a job interview?
How can you express both that the work is important to you AND so is taking care of your parents/kids/dogs/golf handicap?

Lauren McGoodwin is CEO and Founder of Career Contessa, a US-based recruitment site and a lot, lot more! She is the new face of recruitment - Lauren recognised that a woman's career search is hugely different than a man's. So, she built a service that reflects and embraces those differences.

In this interview, we talk about:

The gender pay gap between women and WOMEN;
how women job search differently; and
the importance of we, as women, having each other's backs.

There are some surprising stats about that towards the end of the interview. Be sure to check out Career Contessa and have a look at their courses and articles for some great tips for getting the career you want. Stay in touch with us on social media (@brilliantgamble) and on our website where you'll find articles, more podcast episodes and details of where we are in the world!

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Do you ever dream of ditching the commute, selling your house and everything in it and spending your life working from the most glamorous and fascinating cities in the world? Well, the ladies behind Eff the Office did just that.

Four years ago Erin and Tannia set off for Barcelona (to see if they liked it!) and they haven't looked back. In this interview we talk about the reality of life as a digital nomad, the preconceptions of others and how to get started if this is your dream too.

You can find tonnes of resources on their YouTube channel and find a community of like-minded people on their Facebook page Follow them on twitter and Instagram as well @EffTheOffice. You can stay in touch with us too on twitter and Instagram (@brilliantgamble) and check out our website for information about our programmes and to get the free 3-part Gamble Guide!

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Richard McCann is an author and keynote speaker. He’s also the son of the first victim of the notorious Yorkshire Ripper, Peter Suttcliff. In 1975 Sutcliffe attacked and killed Richard’s mum - Richard was 5 years old at the time. Eventually Sutcliffe was found guilty of 20 attacks, 13 of those women died.

In this interview Richard talks about his life - the pivotal moments that changed his story... and the moments where he decided to take charge and choose his own path. You can find out more about Richard and his work on his website and you can buy his books at Amazon To stay in touch with us it's @brilliantgamble on Twitter and Instagram and www.abrilliantgamble.com to sign up for the newsletter, read more about our big trip and find all our other contact details! We LOVE to hear from you!

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Remember the advert where the guy turns to his wife and announces "I'm going it alone. Tarquin's with me. Hugo's with me"? (I've made up my own names since I don't recall exactly who was with him but I know it was the 80s and they were very Thatcherite names).

Well, running your own business has never been as popular as now. The internet, the sheer number of people who are doing it (making it feel less risky) and our growing desire to do something that has meaning for us, is driving the entrepreneur revolution. But what's it actually like to work for yourself? These ladies know!

The presenters of Being Boss both run their own creative businesses, they create resources and networks for other people who either want to or are already running their own show and their book "Being Boss" has been doing super well as well!

In this interview with Emily and Kathleen we talk big hair, tarot and, of course, what it's actually like to run your own business. I hope you love it and are inspired by these two fab ladies. You can find out more about them here and order their book here. To stay in touch with me follow us @brilliantgamble on twitter and instagram and sign up for the free 3-part Gamble Guide on our website.

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Over the last few weeks I've been having conversations with the wonderful people who are going to be part of the upcoming pilot for the A Brilliant Gamble Coaching Programme. It's been inspiring to hear what they want to do with their lives and how they want to move forward from this crossroads moment. Some have total clarity about what they want. That vision might evolve, pivot or even be scrapped and re-thought. But right now they can see it, feel it, smell it. Other people are much clearer about what they DON'T want! We can get pretty judgemental on ourselves about focusing on what's not working, what we don't want, what we want to stop doing or being. Surely it's better to be thinking big about the future, than focusing on the flaws of the present moment? Well, this week I have been thinking about how important it can be to focus on what you don't want. And in today's show I share three advantages about doing just that. Please follow us on the social (@brilliantgamble), sign up to the newsletter at www.abrilliantgamble.com so you know when the next cohort for the coaching programme is being recruited, and leave a star rating and comment for us on iTunes! Thank you!

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I am often asked how I manage to run a business, homeschool and travel as a single mum. To be honest it's something I wouldn't think about much except for the fact that people ask me! That's just our life. But what's interesting is how we all use aspects of our situation - our age, our personal circumstances, our work, our education, our financial position - as reasons not to do something. Being a single mum stopped me considering homeschooling for a long time until I realised we could do it...if I made a few changes to my work. I'm not immune to the cultural messages that powerfully tell us what's possible and what isn't! In this podcast I talk about being a single mum on this journey and how to think differently about the cultural messages you're getting so they don't stop you doing what you really want to do! Stay in touch in instagram and twitter (@brilliantgamble) and sign up to the newsletter at www.abrilliantgamble.com to find out about upcoming online programmes and group coaching. And please, please, please recommend this podcast to other people who may be on the cusp of taking a brilliant gamble of their own!

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I'm hearing a lot about "pivoting" at the moment. In a business context it means shifting the focus or emphasis of the company. In life it means taking a left or right turn away from the direction you'd set off in and adjusting course based on what you've learnt so far. Well, we're pivoting our adventure! In today's episode I explain what we're letting go of and what we're embracing as we learn more about what we need. This year is about really living, really enjoying the moment and reconfiguring our lives in ways that, we hope, will change us forever. And our first lesson - You Won't Know Until You Go - is a biggie! I hope you enjoy the show. Follow us on instagram and twitter (@brilliantgamble) and visit www.abrilliantgamble.com to sign up for the FREE 3-part Gamble Guide so you can start leaping in to your own Brilliant Gambles and really living life NOW!

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This last week has been tough for us. While we love our little Yorkshire AirBnB, we have no wifi or phone signal there and have had to rent an office (no windows, no natural light, smells a bit) a few hours a day so I can continue to serve my clients. However, this took a little time to arrange and last week I had to cancel a session and struggled through a couple of phone calls, being cut off every few minutes and losing portions of what people were saying to me. When I reflected on why this affected me so much I realised that serving clients is the number one priority in any business and that my lifestlye choice had meant that, on this occasion, I was unable to deliver on that number one priority. It didn't feel good. In today's show I share my thoughts about business purpose, serving clients and my own struggles to find the right balance between the lifestyle I've chosen and the business I love. Please stay in touch on instagram and twitter (@brilliantgamble) and visit www.abrilliantgamble.com to sign up to my free 3-part Gamble Guide!

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Just because you sell your house, put your worldly belongings in a storage container and travel around Europe in a campervan for a year doesn't mean you feel any different than you did when you lived in a normal house in a normal town. Last week I realised that despite disrupting our lives in a BIG WAY I still felt kinda the same. In order to feel different you have to BE different. You have to include in your life practices and habits that weren't in your life before. You have to choose a different state of being. You have to change from within. Changing the external elements is not enough. Today I talk about this realisation and share some concepts that can help you feel different about yourself and your life, whether or not you're going to shake things up on the outside. Please sign up to our newsletter at www.abrilliantgamble.com, follow us on Instagram and Twitter (@brilliantgamble) and rate and share this show on iTunes! Thanks for all your support!

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I've been revisting one of the set texts from my degree (I read it nearly 30 years ago!) - Max Weber's Protestant Ethic and the Spirit of Capitalism - recently. I do this for you, by the way! I'm becoming increasingly aware of the deeply hardwired beliefs we have about work - work is what makes us valuable human beings, work is Godly, hard, mundane work has the greatest virtue. If skill comes too easily or if you enjoy your work too much it must not have as much value as work which is painful and hard fought for. In this week's podcast I explore the routes of these beliefs and question whether they have as much relevance today as they did in the Industrial Age. I'd love to know what you think too! Stay in touch with us on Instagram and Twitter (@brilliantgamble) and check out the new website www.abrilliantgamble.com!

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Stress! A gift that never stops giving...even when you've disrupted your life with the specific intent of leaving it behind. Today's show is about the 4 triggers or potential triggers for stress and how I'm handling each one. I really want to return from this year long adventure having got a grip on my stress, something which gives me sleepless nights and distracts me from enjoying the moment. Frankly, it's a waste of energy and time...but I seem to be an addict. I hope you find today's episode useful as you navigate the stresses in your own life. And please share your stress-busting strategies on our social media! Instagram @brilliantgamble Twitter @brilliantgamble Or visit our website and sign up for yuor free Gramble Guide at www.abrilliantgamble.com Thank you! Blaire

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In today's podcast I reflect on the lessons I learnt from letting my hair go grey! I didn't realise it at the time but this attempt to become more authentic opened the door to other, bolder decisions and maybe even our big trip! When you're at a crossroads in your life taking really big decisions about what to do next might be a step too far. But a small decision in the right direction emboldens you for a bigger adventure and opens up new opportunities you weren't aware of. I hope you enjoy today's show. Please stay in touch. We are @brilliantgamble on Twitter and Instagram. And you can sign up to the newsletter at www.abrilliantgamble.com and receive my 3-part Gamble Guide! Thank you!

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We are now a week and a half in to our trip and it's already been, um, eventful! Snow, a broken awning and a breakdown in Snowdonia National Park have taught me one lesson already - things are not going to go exactly as planned. This week's show is about this first lesson and the muscle I'm going to be developing as a result this year. We build so many safety nets around ourselves that we often forget how good we are at getting out of scrapes. And because we forget how good we are at getting out of scrapes we don't have the confidence to put ourselves in to situations that might require us using that muscle...and having an adventure along the way. I hope you enjoy the show this week. Remember you can get in touch on instagram, twitter, via the website (www.abrilliantgamble.com) and on the A Brilliant Gamble facebook page! And please leave a review and star rating on iTunes as we really want people to be able to find the show and get the confidence to re-think their work, escape the 9-5 and take Brilliant Gambles of their own!

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Four nights in a campervan in the snow has taught me a lesson already. When you embark on an adventure don't be too attached to how you expected things to be...be ready to roll with what the universe has in store for you! On this week's show I'm talking to award winning Women's Advocate and Empowerment Coach, Ali Soleil, about embarking on adventures in your 40s and 50s. Ali is the host of the F Years Podcast and helps women in mid-life to go from fed up to fabulous. In this conversation we talk about living out of your car, finding the adventure that's waiting for you and letting go. If you're ready to run towards joy, you'll love Ali and her infectious enthusiasm for life. Check out The F Years Podcast for yourself on iTunes! https://itunes.apple.com/gb/podcast/the-f-years-podcast/id1320450539?mt=2 And to stay in touch with us visit www.abrilliantgamble.com, follow us on Instagram and twitter @brilliantgamble and on our A Brilliant Gamble Facebook page! You can see where we are, what we've been up to on our big trip and read my latest blogs. Feel free to share this podcast and leave a rating and review as it helps people find us and start taking a Brilliant Gamble of their own!

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Welcome to A Brilliant Gamble! This is the 65th episode of this show but the first with our new name. A Brilliant Gamble is all about betting on the the world of work changing and taking the risk of saying No to the 9-5. Work isn't working as it is, that's for sure. And more and more people, myself included, are asking whether it has to be this way? Can we configure a life where work integrates seamlessly rather than requiring us to make sacrifices to succeed? It was with this in mind that I wanted to speak to today's guests. Will and Jessica travel the world with their children, and hamster called Sunshine, in an RV and have been living in other countries like locals for more than 3 years. They left their jobs in Boston to take this adventure and now they help others who want to do the same thing through their business, Worldtowning. Their story is fascinating, honest, funny and inspiring. It's partly because of them that I am taking my daughter and dogs on our big trip, starting later this week (!). I'm sure you'll enjoy listening to them. If you want to know more about Worldtowning you can find them at www.worldtowning.com and on YouTube and Instagram. To stay in touch with US here at A Brilliant Gamble, check out the new website www.abrilliantgamble.com and our instagram and twitter feeds (@brilliantgamble). Looking forward to your feedback, to your star ratings on iTunes and to hearing about your Brilliant Gambles! Blaire x

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Well, yes and no! In two week's time this podcast will be back with a new name to reflect its new focus. And in today's show I explain more about what that's going to be and why it's going to be fabulous! Today I'm also talking about down-days and what to do when you're not feeling so aligned...like when you're packing boxes before leaving all your worldly goods in a storage container and going off for a year and it all hits home. I hope you'll find the new focus of the show inspiring, relevant, practical and motivating. No show next week while we finish the new website and get everything ready for the relaunch. See you on the other side! Please continue to stay in touch on instagram (@punksinsuits), email (blaire@thatpeoplething.com) and on our Punks in Suits Facebook page! Blaire

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It's all very exciting at the moment with our trip just 4 weeks away. But my fascination with leadership and leadership development hasn't gone away! This week I'm off to Switzerland to work with a team there on their leadership and I will continue to do this kind of work even when we're on the road. There's a need for leadership in our world greater than maybe at any time in the past, and a significant leadership vacuum. But how do we help people become better leaders? Is what we are doing today working? Not according to today's guest, Professor Peter Hawkins. Part-time Executive Professor of Leadership at Henley Business School, where he is researching next generation leadership and leadership development, Visiting Professor at the Universities of Bath and Oxford Brookes and founder and Emeritus Chairman of Bath Consultancy Group and Renewal Associates, he is also the author of numerous books and a groundbreaking report called Tomorrow’s Leadership and the Necessary Revolution in Today’s Leadership Development. https://s3-eu-west-1.amazonaws.com/assets.henley.ac.uk/legacyUploads/pdf/exec-ed/Research_Report_-_Tomorrow_s_Leadership_and_the_Necessary_Revolution_in_Today_s_Leadership_Development.pdf If you're in HR this report and today's interview should be required research! But even if you're not there's plenty here about the future world we are going to be living in and how we rethink assumptions and habits of the past. Please stay in touch on Instagram, twitter, facebook and by email (blaire@thatpeoplething.com) with your thoughts and ideas on this subject or anything else related to leadership and integrating your work and your life!

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I think of myself as a yes person! This is what we're all encouraged to be, isn't it? But I've noticed that some easy "yeses" then lead to some hard "nos" later on. If you're bringing about change in your life in order to have more alignment and a more integrated feeling within you'll sometimes have to choose between priority 1 in your life and priority 2. Sounds obvious, but how often have we said something is important to us (kids, self-care, taking a day off) but then neglected that priority for something we've said is less important (work, social media, cleaning the kitchen)? In thisweek's episode I am talking about what happens when you have a tough decision - two almost equal priorities and how to avoid an easy yes and a hard no later on. Stay in touch in Instagram (@punksinsuits), email (blaire@thatpeoplething.com) and on our Punks in Suits facebook page OR our Brilliant Gamble Group. There will be more info about what's happening with this podcast and with the business in the coming weeks so stay tuned!! Thank you!

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Ah, if only change was a lovely straight line where you made a decision that felt right to you and then just took the actions as specified in the Gantt chart. But no, it's a rollercoaster ride of emotions and actions and sometimes the to do list says "today" when they heart says "Can I put this off until tomorrow?". This week's podcast is all about that - when there's a mismatch between your readiness for action and the actions happening. It's a stage I'd pretty much forgotten about, which is why I'm doing this upcoming adventure - to remind me about the subtle aspects of change that you forget about as soon as they pass. Please stay in touch in Instagram (@punksinsuits), our Punks in Suits Facebook page, our Brilliant Gamble Facebook group and email (blaire@thatpeoplething.com)! AND the website is www.thatpeoplething.com Thank you for listening! Blaire

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I've noticed that when someone asks how you are, the answer is often "Busy" or some related variant. When did being busy become the right answer to that question? We live at a time when work dominates life - it defines who we are, our worth, what we think about, what we think matters. And we are all so busy that, even if we enjoy what we do or think it is important, we often make massive sacrifices in order to do that work. In this week's show I look at what you can do to cut back on the busy, including what you'll need to let go of in order to do so without guilt. I'd love to hear your experiences and suggestions too! You can email me blaire@thatpeoplething.com, comment on instagram (@punksinsuits) or on our Punks in Suits Facebook page. And please remember to share this podcast and leave us a comment and star rating on iTunes! It's much appreciated. Blaire

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Everyone’s got an opinion about what you’re doing. Of course, their opinion often doesn’t matter and more often shouldn’t matter but that doesn’t mean you’re always able to shrug it off when people pass comment on your plans. In today’s show I share some of the more common comments I’ve heard whenever I’ve shaken up my life a little (or a lot) and how to respond. Of course there are people who have valuable insights and feedback that you can listen to...you just don’t need to take on board all the comments you’re going to receive. In the show I mention The Work of Byron Katie. You can check out http://thework.com/sites/thework/downloads/worksheets/JudgeYourNeighbor_Worksheet.pdf. I highly recommend this approach if you want to care less (or not at all) about what other people may think of your decisions. To stay in touch with us please follow me on twitter @blairepalmer, Instagram @punksinsuits, on our Punks in Suits Facebook page and visit www.thatpeoplething.com. Please do leave a comment on iTunes too as this helps boost the profile of the podcast AND we love it!! Thanks!

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This is a tough one for me. I've always struggled with the concept of "Financial Abundance". I believe it's true that what you put out there in to the world in your beliefs comes back to you in your reality. But I've always had a hard time believing that will be true for me when it comes to money. I've believed it isn't all about working harder. But, at the same time, I've always worked very hard...just in case! Recently I had a breakthrough and found a way to take money off the table so that I could think more creatively about what we really want as a family, the work I really want to do and how we can be "successful" on our own terms. Finance isn't in my 5 pointed Pentagram model I shared with you last week. And there's a good reason. Money can't be part of your thinking, upfront and central, when you're looking to work in a way that doesn't feel like hard work. You have to find a way to make it a non-issue...even if you, like me, can't quite convince yourself that the universe will provide. That's what I'm talking about in today's podcast. Please stay in touch on Instagram (@punksinsuits), on our Punks in Suits facebook page or direct by emailing me at blaire@thatpeoplething.com And PLEASE leave us a review on iTunes. We really appreciate it!

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I’m so excited about today’s podcast. The ideas I talk about today have been brewing for weeks! I would go so far as to say that I’ve never met anyone working in business or the public sector who feels fully integrated in their work. By which I mean, there’s always quite a lot that they are tolerating about the way they work and the sacrifices they’re making. Often they have come to terms with those sacrifices in some way seeing it as a price they have to pay as part of having a job, especially if it’s a job they feel is important. But is it necessary? More importantly, are the things we tolerate about work and the way we work actually inhibiting our ability to make a difference? Could we construct a way to work that doesn’t require making such sacrifices? And, does there come a time in life where you start saying “I don’t want to make those sacrifices anymore?” In today’s show I explain the term “Unwork” - an term I've coined to describe work where there is little if any distinction between work and non-work in our lives. There’s no reason why you need to channel a special “work-you” and then switch that off as you switch on the “real you” in the rest of your life. In fact, when you stop making the distinction you are able to bring more of yourself to every aspect of life and therefore be of MORE value in your professional contribution than you are able to be today. I also run through the 5 criteria that make up my “Unwork Pentagram” - a down and dirty tool you can use to check-in with how integrated your life, your self and your work are. It should help you spot which areas might benefit from your attention. You probably won’t be surprised if you’ve been feeling out of sync with your work for a while that something is missing. And this tool will help you, in a blunt way, work out why that might be. In future shows we’ll look in more depth at the model and dive in to the 5 criteria, plus I will talk more about unwork, my unwork journey and the stages you’ll go through as you start questioning everything we’ve taken for granted about work in the Industrial Age. I can’t wait!! Sign up to the newsletter to get more inspiration including a 5 part series busting the myths of leadership. You can also read my articles on Medium. And follow Punks in Suits on Instagram (@punksinsuits), our Facebook page and twitter (@blairepalmer). I’ve added a Patreon button to the PodOmatic podcast page too so if you want to support this podcast financially you now can. Thank you so much for your support so far and here’s to an exciting 2018!!

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Happy New Year! Is this the year when you decide enough is enough? You still want to make a difference - you haven't given up on your ambitions. But maybe you can't do it in your current role or in your current organisation. Maybe there's another way that doesn't entail so much sacrifice but does get stuff done! This week I've revived my interview with Sally McCutchion, one of the first I did for this show and one of my favourites. What does it feel like to walk away from the security of a management job in a big company to start your own business, when you don't know what business you want to start? How does it feel when you start breaking unwritten "cultural laws" because of the way you've chosen to work, the philosophy that guides your life and the decisions you make about how you live? In this interview with Sally McCutchion, one of the UK's only Holacracy facilitators, we hear what her experience has been of all of this. Whether you're curious about alternatives to the hierarchical structure or whether you're asking yourself deeper questions about how you live and what's authentic to you, there's lots to inspire you in this interview. To contact me email blaire@thatpeoplething.com or you can follow me on instragram (@punksinsuits) or twitter (@blairepalmer) or join our new facebook page, Punks in Suits. I will be posting information about Sally's upcoming workshop on that page too. I love to read you comments and hear about your experiences so please stay in touch!

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I must admit that I was pretty desperate for the Christmas Holidays. 2017 has been a year of big life changing decisions and no small amount of overwhelm! So it was with that in mind that I thought I would re-share my interview with actress and playwright, Leandra Ashton. This was the first interview I did for the show in 2016 and I still think it was one of the ones that made the biggest difference to me personally. I hope at this time of year, when maybe you have a little time to think and reflect, you will find this as inspiring as I did. Instagram: @punksinsuits Facebook: Search Punks in Suits Web: www.thatpeoplething.com Please remember to give us a star rating and leave a comment on iTunes! Thank you!! Blaire

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There's a theory - a very established one - that people are either "away from" motivated or "towards" motivated. You're either someone who typically moves away from pain or towards a goal or vision. This has always been problematic to me, especially as so many people appear to be "away from" which makes them feel inadequate compared with the aspirational "towards" people. Not only that but you may feel you need A LOT of pain in order to move forward so you create discomfort as a motivation - fear, anger, indignation. It's not a fun way to live but it seems to work. But what if the negatives that happen to us that make us feel so uncomfortable that we have to move away from them aren't what they seem? What if what's really happening is that the Universe is trying to tell us something, something we keep ignoring whilst manifesting the discomfort we're feeling, until we manifest enough discomfort to take action? That's today's podcast! Please stay in touch with us here - @blairepalmer on twitter @punksinsuits on instagram (just recently updated) www.thatpeoplething.com on the web Punks in Suits facebook page... We're everywhere! Thank you! Blaire

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This week's podcast is a topic very close to my heart - education. With a child who is currently home educated I've become more and more interested in how children actually learn and what they learn from different forms of education. Kerry McDonald is my guest and is well positioned to explore education, and how education may need to change to address the future needs of business (and our world!). Kerry is a mom of four unschooled children, a writer for Natural Mother Magazine and a self-directed learning advocate who is a Board member at the non-profit Alliance for Self-Directed Education. She has a Master's degree in education policy from Harvard University and is an education writer for several national media outlets. Her writing has appeared in Forbes, NPR, and Education Next among others. She lives in Cambridge, Massachusetts and writes at Whole Family Learning. You can follow her on Facebook and Twitter (@kerry_edu). The books she mentions in the interview are Now You See It, by Cathy Davidson, and Wounded by School, by Kirsten Olson. Here is the blog link where you can find her book recommendations if you're interested in learning more about home education and self-directed learning - http://www.wholefamilylearning.com/2017/09/letter-to-prospective-homeschooling.html To follow my journey with my daughter Ivy we are @abrilliantgamble on Instagram and we have a Facebook Group called A Brilliant Gamble too. You can find out more about my work with organisations and individuals and how to book me as a speaker at www.thatpeoplething.com and follow me on twitter (@blairepalmer). Please feel free to share this podcast, leave a review on iTunes and stay in touch, especially if you have a particular topic you'd like me to discuss on the show! Thank you!

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A few weeks ago I gave a presentation at Tramshed Tech in Cardiff, one of the new breed of co-working spaces popping up all over the world. These facilities are more than just places to park yourself when you need a desk. They cater for the broader needs of entrepreneurs - the need to connect, to co-create, to partner, to be inspired and have a place they can call home. Iain has had a long and varied career and taken many zig-zags in his professional life, sometimes sacrificing the safety and security of big corporate to indulge his curious, wanderlust side, and other times seeking the opportunities that big business provides. In this wide-ranging interview we talk about co-working, traveling, big business versus start-up and generally how to find a sense of peace with your career choices. You can find out more about Tramshed Tech at www.tramshedtech.co.uk. If you are looking for a desk or have desk space spare, check out www.desksnear.me and if you use this service, let me know how you get on! Finally, to stay in touch with us here at That People Thing - twitter @blairepalmer instagram @abrilliantgamble email blaire@thatpeopething.com web www.thatpeoplething.com (and sign up to the newsletter!) Please share this podcast and please leave us a review on iTunes as it really helps people find us!

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This week I found myself head in hands bawling my eyes out in a hotel lobby with my two business besties. It happens. Change is emotional, not logical, as I'm always saying, But despite the fact I know so much about the process of change, I was takenn by surprise by the huge feelings of overwhelm and confusion I was experiencing about the changes I'm making in my life and work. So I used the opportunity, once we'd mopped up the puddle, to think about that Belly of the Whale stage in change and how to both recognise you're in it...and get out. If you know anyone else who's in this place right now forward them the link to the podcast. It might just help! And please sign up to the newsletter by going to the website www.thatpeoplething.com and filling in the popup that pops up. You'll be the first to know about new classes and programmes you can participate in AND get a summary of the key points of shows that need a few show notes to help you guide your way through the topic. You can also stay in touch with us on - twitter @blaire palmer instagram @abrilliantgamble facebook A Brilliant Gamble Group AND the Punks in Suits page website www.thatpeoplething.com Thank you and have a great week!

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We tend to ignore "tensions" until so many have accumulated that a massive amount of change is required to set things right. Of course, every time you address a tension you risk creating another one so when you undertake a massive overhaul you often unintentionally create a whole lot of new problems that need to be addressed. In today's episode I'm talking about how to identify little tensions and make small tweaks rather than waiting until a major change initiative is required. There are lots of signals that something's not quite right and I identify a few of these today. I'd love to know what tweaks you're making in your life, your organisation or your industry. Stay in touch on twitter (@blairepalmer), email (blaire@thatpeoplething.com) and our Punks in Suits Facebook page. And follow our "brilliant gamble" on Instagram (@abrilliantgamble) and join our A Brilliant Gamble Facebook GROUP! Thanks!

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It's a year (and a bit) since I started this podcast. A year ago my plan was to sell my house and buy a smallholding and, other than that, keep my life pretty much as it was. My business was doing fine, I was enjoying my work and although I had a long term plan to add other "solutions" - like a retreat centre where leaders could come to reflect, have important conversations with each other and help me muck out the sheep - that was a long term ambition, not something I planned to initiate in the coming 12 months. But the thing about change is that it's rarely predictable. If you're open to what's going on around you, the opportunities and the risks, and you tune in to your intuition about what's right for you, you end up changing your goals...or at least taking a different route than you expected to get there. Which is why I'm selling my house...but not buying a smallholding. Instead, I'm joining the increasing number of people who operate as "digital nomads". Disrupting the status quo has meant, for my family, starting to home educate my daughter which has led to a period of "deschooling" - getting school-think out of our system - which has led to me thinking about "deworking" - wondering whether I can break the rules of work but continue to be of value to my clients. Or in fact be of MORE value to them. I don't want to give it all away here. You'll have to listen to the show! I asked my friend and colleague, Ginny Baillie, back to interview me and I tell all to her (and to you!). I hope you'll enjoy the new direction we're taking as a family and in the business and what new insights this will give me to share with you as you disrupt the status quo in your industry, your organisation and your life. Follow us on - Instagram: @abrilliantgamble Facebook group: A Brilliant Gamble Twitter: @blairepalmer Facebook page: Punks in Suits Email: blaire@thatpeoplething.com Web: www.thatpeoplething.com And please share this podcast with anyone who you think may have a little bit of punk underneath their suit!

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Today's show is an interview with Bryan Falchuk. Bryan in the author of a new book called "Do A Day" in which he explores why we get stuck in bad habits and how to break those habit...for good! Whether you're stuck in a rut in your work, with your health and fitness, in your relationship or something else, you will love this interview and Bryan's ideas to get unstuck. You can buy Bryan's book at http://www.doadaybook.com/amazon or http://www.doadaybook.com/amazonuk And please stay inn touch with us! Twitter @blairepalmer Instagram @abrilliantgamble Email blaire@thatpeoplething.com Or just give us a ring! Go to the www.thatpeoplething.com website for more details. Thank you!!!

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I'm not the only Palmer to have turned their back on coroprate life to run a business of their own. Ryan Palmer and his friend Dave Pickard are the co-founders of The London Sock Company, an online store started in 2013 based on the observation that although more and more men don't wear ties these days, people do notice your socks. Since them the company has gone from strength to strength with celebrities like Daniel Craig and David Gandy wearing the products. But we're not really talking socks in this interview. In my conversation with Ryan we talk about leaving coroprate life, the secrets to running an online business in the 21st century, loyalty and brand and much more more. Whether you plan to set up on your own or are just wondering why it's hard to keep lively young people like Ryan and Dave in your big business, there's a lot for you in this show. AND there's an offer for all Punks in Suits listeners. With Christmas coming up in makes sense to listen to the very end when I explain how you can get a major discount on London Sock Company products and subscriptions. Stay in touch on twitter (@blairepalmer), Instagram (@abrilliantgamble) or email (blaire@thatpeoplething.com). Thank you!! Blaire

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So excited about today's podcast! I'm talking to Lisa Talbot, Award Winning Personal & Fashion Stylist about how to shake up your professional "look" and reveal more of the real you underneath. No one's saying you have to get a mohawk and wear a safety pin through your nose but business wear is so conservative that it's almost the last taboo. Even people who are outspoken, creative and enthusiastic about shaking things up tend to conform to the uniform. And that might be undermining their credibility as a model for change. Not to mention that hiding who you are every day takes its toll on your enthusiasm and sense of purpose. Lisa is well known for her fun and full of energy personality and passion for helping both women & men feel & look amazing. She firmly believes your wardrobe should work for your personality, lifestyle, body shape & budget. Lisa’s wealth of experience and her natural ability to relate to her audience make her consultations, presentations & interviews exciting, interesting and thought provoking. I'm sure you'll agree! You can find out more about how to work with her at www.lisatalbot.co.uk. To stay in touch with us you can tweet (@blairepalmer), email (blaire@thatpeoplething.com), follow our personal adventures on Instagram (@abrilliantgamble) and our personal Facebook page (@abrilliantgamble). Or just pick up the phone and call. We love that!

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How do you release the Punk inside you? On this podcast we normally talk about the “work you” - how to be a leader in your work, how to bring about change in your organisation. But inevitably re-thinking yourself at work leads to changes in your life outside of work. In this week’s show I share four places where you could look to start to integrate your growing authenticity in work and your desire to be yourself in your wider life. These are highly practical suggestions that will make a difference both inside and outside of your working life. Over the coming months I will return to these ideas with a variety of guests who will help me to explore how your growth as a leader might impact your life choices. Certainly the growth I’ve undergone professionally has brought about massive changes in my personal life too. Please stay in touch via twitter (@blairepalmer), instagram (we have a new name on instagram which is @abrilliantgamble because my account is not only about my work but about our family adventures as homeschoolers, animal lovers, music makers and everything else we get up to) or email blaire@thatpeoplething.com. And if you go to our website www.thatpeoplething.com you can sign up to our newsletter and get a free 5 part series covering the basics of the Punks in Suits concept and irregular news, insights, tips and thought provoking questions.

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A listener has asked me to do a show about Parent-Child Dynamics. So here it is! I see Parent-Child relationships and a Parent-Child culture in many organisations. In so many other ways people are fully formed adults but occasionaly they slip in to either parent or child reactions...which is very understandable since the Industrial Age workplace is designed to reinforce this dynamic. In today's show I talk about how to recongise this in yourself and in others and what to do about it. I'd love to hear your tips too! Stay in touch on twitter (@blairepalmer), Instagram (@blairelyspalmer) and email (blaire@ thatpeoplething.com). And please sign up to the newsletter for show notes on this episode and a free 5-part series covering the fundamentals of the Punks in Suits philosophy! Just go to www.thatpeoplething.com and fill in the pop-up sign up form.

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Behind all of my work with clients is a kind of screensaver - a story or image of the working future we can all look forward to. Bots and AI taking their place alongside human workers, small companies of primarily freelance workers, a possible shortage of jobs and need for a universal living wage, a diverse multi-generational workforce...I could go on. And in this episode I do! This week I share with you some of the elements of my screensaver. And whenever I'm having a conversation with a client, no matter how practical or immediate the topic, at some level I'm also connected with this screensaver, asking myself "How does this scenario relate to the future world I can see in my mind's eye? And what kind of leader can this person be TODAY whilst being congruent with the world of tomorrow?". I'm always thinking about how today's decisions either prepare the ground well for what's coming or prepare the ground badly for what's coming. And the guidance I give today always has that perspective built in. I hope you find today's thoughts interesting. Please stay in touch and share your own ideas on Instagram (@blairelyspalmer), Twitter (@blairepalmer) or email (blaire@thatpeoplething.com. And please, please, please write a review for iTunes as it helps people find us.

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You'd think the tricky bit of having a team would be the people on that team. But in my experience the really tricky relationship is with your boss! I use that term advisedly. I don't mean the relationship you have with a true leader. I do mean the relationship you have with your manager when your manager embodies a "boss" mentality to get you to get stuff done. Not everything I suggest in this podcast is going to work for you. Every situation is unique. But you will notice that I put the responsibility for re-thinking how you approach this relationship on you. That's not because you're the problem! But it is because you are listening to this podcast, it's you I'm able to talk to and it's you who is highly motivated to change something. If you change how you see this relationship at least 50% of the dynamic is changed...and that might be enough. If it isn't you may have to consider a more radical course of action. I hope you enjoy listening and find the ideas provoke some thoughts of your own. Please feel free to share your feedback, stories and tips on twitter (@blairepalmer), instagram (@blairelyspalmer) and email (blaire@thatpeoplething.com). And please leave a review on iTunes as it really, really helps other listeners find us. Maybe your boss will tune in and that will help you! (Picture credit @benhughesart)

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I don't really like the term delegation. Or empowerment. Or any of those other cliches for describing how loosely or tightly managers hold on to work they've distributed to others. But in the current system we have, you may well be in the position of having to divvy up work amongst your team and then make sure they do it. How do you do that in a way that is as close to empowering as you can get and makes the most of the incredible talent you have around you? And why don't people always grasp the opportunity to step up even when they've asked for it? That's today's podcast topic! Feel free to share your thoughts on Twitter (@blairepalmer), Instagram (@blairelyspalmer) or email me (blaire@thatpeoplething.com. And please rate and review this podcast on iTunes as it helps more people find us! Thank you!

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Sounds like an obvious question with an obvious answer, right? But maybe it's worth really thinking about it. Because we pay a huge price for our work in terms of our health, our freedom, our time, our priorities. Yes, work is an enabler for other things. It give us the money to make choices. And we may really enjoy the work itself. But what if the price is too high? How can you find the right place for work in your life alongside everything else that matters to you? In this episode I muse on the purpose of work in our fast changing world. Please do share your thoughts and stories with me on our Punks in Suits Facebook page, via twitter (@blairepalmer), Instagram (@blairelyspalmer) or by email (blaire@thatpeoplething.com). And please review this podcast on iTunes as it helps us move up the ranking and allows more people to find us. Thanks!

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We are back! Series 2 of the Punks in Suits podcast is here. Over the summer I've been reading and making connections between what I've been learning about and leadership. I've had a few a ha moments! Today's topic is Integration, specifically, how integrated the different parts of your life are. If your life is out of whack in one area, e.g. work dominating, no amount of coaching, therapy or meditation will give you a sense of peace. If you want to share your experiences of blending the boundaries between work and the rest of your life or the challenges you are having trying to do that (no one said it was going to be easy), we'd love to hear from you! Twitter: @blairepalmer Instagram: @blairelyspalmer Email: blaire@thatpeoplething.com And please rate this podcast on iTunes as that pushes it up the rankings and we get more people listening! Thank you!

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This week's podcast is all about listening! But before you switch off, thinking we're talking about Active Listening, listen again! In today's show I'm exploring the least common type of listening. I don't want to spoil it for you but it's this kind of listening that's required if you are intending to drive any kind of change, that involves people, through your organisation. I will be taking a break from the podcast for August to rest and come up with a fresh lot of ideas for you. You can still stay in touch via instagram (@blairelyspalmer), twitter (@blairepalmer), email (blaire@thatpeoplething.com) or our Punks in Suits Facebook page. And do sign up for the new newsletter. Just go to www.thatpeoplething.com and scroll to the bottom of any page. I'm back in September. I wish you a fantastic month and look forward to talking to you again in the Autumn!

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One of the most influential books for me of the last couple of years is Frederic Laloux's Reinventing Organisations which reinforced many of the ideas I had been having independently about what is not working any more about big business. I've been wanting to share these ideas with you and found the perfect opportunity when I met Charlie Efford, who shares my enthusiasm for these concepts. In our conversation on this week's podcast we talk about Charlie's professional history and the unusual route he took to the work he does today. Then we go through the main ideas in Reinventing Organisations. And finally we discuss what comes after "Teal". All will be revealed as you listen! Please stay in touch via twitter (@blairepalmer), instagram (@blairelyspalmer) or email (blaire@thatpeoplething.com). And please remember to review the podcast on itunes as it really helps more people know about it! Thank you!!

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I really don't like getting feedback. I don't naturally respond well! So I've had to learn some techniques for receiving it, given that I think it's actually really important to know what people think and how your messages (intended and unintended) are being received. In this week's podcast I talk through some practical ways to react to feedback even when it isn't given in the most skilled manner. I'd love to know how you have learnt to respond better to feedback and what you take on board (versus what you decide not to take on board). Stay in touch via instagram (@blairelyspalmer), twitter (@blairepalmer), email (blaire@thatpeoplething.com) and don't forget to sign up to the newsletter on our website (www.thatpeoplething.com). If you like this podcast please rate it and leave a review as that pushes it up the ranking and means more people get to know about it. Thanks!

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Hi! In this week's episode of the Punks in Suits podcast I share some exciting personal news and the 3 beliefs I've had to let go of in order to make this personal life choice. I often say how important it is to reflect - to think before you make a decision and to question the assumptions that are keeping you stuck but also to think after you make a decision about what you've let go of. Often when you let go of a belief in one scenario you realise taht belief also kept you stuck in a variety of other scenarios. Letting it go means a number of possibilities in your life open up! Fun stuff! I've started a blog called What Do You Do All Day? (http://whatdoyoudoalldayblog.blogspot.co.uk/) about this personal adventure. Feel free to check out post 1! Meanwhile do stay in touch on all the socials - Instagram (@blairelyspalmer) Twitter (@blairepalmer) Facebook Group (Punks in Suits) Email (blaire@thatpeoplething.com) Web (www.thatpeoplething.com) where you will find the newsletter sign up! Or just cut through all that and call me!

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Today's show is a conversation with Emily Thompson and Kathleen Shannon of Being Boss Podcast fame. These two are real leaders - their podcast has become huge partly, I think, due to their down-to-earth yet fiesty and authentic approach to their work and their lives. In their show they help creative entrepreneurs grow their businesses and improve their lives but here they offer a fascinating insight in to how they think and what drives them as creative entrepreneurs themselves. This show is ideal if you run your own company or are thinking of doing so. But it's also important if you work for big business to understand the mindset of people who would probably never work for anyone but themselves. Numbers of business owners are rising, particularly in the over 55 category, and not only does that mean your talent is attracted to such a lifestyle but they could be setting themselves up in competition to you. They don't need your global infrastructure to make a big impact, as Emily and Kathleen show. For more about them go to https://beingboss.club/ And please sign up to the That People Thing newsletter, first issue coming out in the autumn. Just go to www.thatpeoplething.com and scroll to the bottom of any page. Stay in touch via twitter (@blairepalmer), instagram (@blairelyspalmer) and email (blaire@thatpeoplething.com). And please share this podcast. We love when you do and it means more people get to hear how they can reveal more Punk underneath their suit!

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Tom Nixon was one of the founders of NixonMcInnes, Europe's first dedicated social business consultancy, working with a number of big name global brands. He's now an adviser to Founders helping them to grow businesses with purpose that they can be proud of. I interviewed Tom before I had started doing a podcast. I recorded it so I would have it for reference and I thought at the time that I would provide the whole interview as added collateral for anyone who read the book (which I still haven't written!). But I thought it was time to dig it back out and share it with you because it's so good! You don't have to be a founder to get a lot of ideas from listening to Tom. And, if you work in big business, you probably don't get to meet people like Tom very often. He's exactly the breed of next stage leadership thinker that we need to be listening to if big business is going to have any relevance in future. Check him out at www.tomnixon.co.uk and have a look for his latest project, Maptio.com, a mapping tool for self-managing organisations. The site isn't live yet but you can sign up to get updates as the project progresses. To stay in touch with me, or find out how you can work with me and bring more of these ideas and ways of thinking in to your business check out the website at www.thatpeoplething.com or just email me at blaire@thatpeoplething.com. I'd love to hear from you. We also really value your comments and reviews so do go to iTunes and let us know what you think (especially if you liked it!!)

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There are some basic beliefs that I hold which I frequently share with clients. So much so that I wanted to share them with you too! I'm not necessarily "right". But no coach is completely neutral and so it makes sense for a coach to be upfront about the way they see the world. Clients can use this as a jumping off point - I don't agree...so what do I believe? Or they can see the world through the eyes of the coach and notice something different. Or they can simply observe that there is more than one way to see things. There is no right answer. Today I'm talking about why I believe in Being Here Now, why I think most people are NOT idiots and that work doesn't have to be painful. And more! I'd love your thoughts via twitter (@blairepalmer), instagram (@blairelyspalmer) or email (blaire@thatpeoplething.com) and on our Punks in Suits facebook page. Please remember to share this podcast and leave a review. Thank you!

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What can you do when it's everyone else's fault?! It's all very well looking inside for the answers and adjusting your own behaviour and outlook but maybe the problem is other people and their behaviour and outlook, right? In this episode I share a brilliant process called The Work, created by the wonderful Byron Katie. If you want to know more you MUST go to her website and download the Judge Your Neighbour Worksheet and follow her more detailed instructions (www.thework.com). However I wanted to share the way I use this process with clients and with myself. It is, for me, a great way to look at other people (and yourself) in a new way, and give yourself new options as to how to deal with struggles that appear to be outside your influence. I'd love to know how you get on. Please stay in touch via twitter (@blairepalmer), instagram (@blairelyspalmer) and via The Punks in Suits Facebook page. You can find out more about how I work with clients by visiting www.thatpeoplething.com or by giving me a call. The number is on our site. I'd love to hear from you!

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Hi! Big news - I took a nap! And the world didn't crumble. In this week's episode I muse on napping, the science behind taking breaks and the real purpose of reflection. We are so hard wired to work long hours, to fear looking or feeling lazy, to be actively in production that we ignore all the signs that human beings aren't built to operate that way. These thoughts are taking me to some radical conclusions...but more of that in future episodes. For now I'm focusing on breaking the cycle and finding a way to get just as much accomplished without doing so much. Stay in touch on instagram (@blairelyspalmer), twitter (@blairepalmer) and on our Punks in Suits Facebook page!

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This week I'm talking to behaviourist Jez Rose about his new project - The Good Life Project. There's a lot of talk in business about engagement and employee satisfaction and "leaders" spend a great deal of time (and money on leadership development courses) trying to work out how to get a more "turned on" workforce. But what if it really isn't that complicated? What if the answer doesn't lie in fancy techniques and sophisticated models? What if we just need to feel connected with the natural world? In this interview with Jez Rose we talk about his research (and other research carried out over many decades) which shows that when we connect with nature our motivation, our wellbeing and our productivity all improve. Sounds crazy right? But it makes sense when you think about how even an image of nature can change your perspective on life. I hope you enjoy the episode! If you want more information about Jez's work go to www.thegoodlifeproject.info For the free wildflower seeds we talk about in the episode, go to www.freebeeseeds.co.uk You can follow Jez on Instagram @thebehaviourexpert and you can follow the Good Life Project on instagram @thegoodlifeprojectfarm. Stay in touch with me on instagram @blairelyspalmer, twitter @blairepalmer, via our website www.thatpeoplething.com and by commenting wherever you listen to this podcast! Thanks for all your support. It is so appreciated!

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I'm a leadership futurist which means I'm looking for business trends and how they will impact how we need to be to lead. But often the trends seem really BIG. Yes, you like the idea of Agile or Teal or AI but how can you make an impact when these concepts seem to require a massive change at the heart of business? In this episode I talk through some of the trends I've been nattering about lately and then how you, as an individual, can start to make a difference by turning your attention inward. That's where all change begins anyway. AND - Can you find the odd man out in the photo for this week's episode? Look carefully, something or someone is hiding in there... Stay in touch on twitter (@blairepalmer), instagram (@blairelyspalmer) or email (blaire@thatpeoplething.com). Check out our facebook page and visit us at www.thatpeoplething.com

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Author, speaker and Canada's first Coach of the Year, Michael Bungay Stanier, is my guest today on the show. And we're talking Coaching! I always say that leaders listen and that they particularly listen to the stuff they don't want to hear. Well, in this podcast Michael shares a few of the most important questions you can ask so that you can sit back and do some listening. In this way, by adopting a coach-approach, you move in to the role of "creating the space" rather than fixing all the problems. You're able to help others become leaders rather than having to drive everything yourself and you get to be exposed to ideas, perspectives and solutions that are new to you. Best-selling author Michael is so easy to listen to and he's made coaching something that anyone can do...and something anyone who claims to be a leader needs to prioritise. His new book - The Coaching Habit: Say less, ask more and change the way you lead forever - is on Amazon and available through all good book-sellers NOW! Stay in touch on twitter (@blairepalmer) and instagram (@blairelyspalmer) and via our Punks in Suits facebook page. And check out the new look website www.thatpeoplething.com Thanks!

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We're so used to working the way we work - specific hours, sitting behind a desk, holding meetings in a meeting room, having lunch at lunchtime etc. etc - that we don't really questions whether that's the only way. This week, while visiting a client's lovely offices, I wondered why we treat work so differently to home. Why do we make our homes so relaxing, such an expression of ourselves but don't notice that our workplaces are bland, formal, highly structured and not necessarily conducive to thinking or conversation? If our primary contribution to our company is to do a lot of activity then this might make sense. But increasingly our contribution is down to the quality of our thinking and our relationships. Why don't we think more about this when designing workplaces and designing the format of our work - when, where and how we work? In this week's podcast I muse on some data that calls in to question how we currently work and whether it's really working for us and offer some thoughts that hopefully will spark your thinking. Stay in touch and please share this podcast! Twitter @blairepalmer Instagram @blairelyspalmer Email blaire@thatpeoplething.com Web www.thatpeoplething.com

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Lee is a force of nature. Down to earth, humble and funny, he's also a guy who thinks and acts BIG. He was pivotal in revolutionizing how major companies used their websites back in the late 1990s, is more recently the founder of THNK Vancouver, and his latest project is to create Bicycle Mayors in every major city in the world in order to turn the bike, a 200 year old invention, in to the transportation mode of the future. I loved talking to Lee partly because he thinks so differently to much of the corporate world. Yet everything he talks about and the way he sees the challenges and opportunities facing business are practical and compelling. You don't have to run a small, funky tech company to be inspired by his approach - big business can get it too. We cover everything from his co-creation of Blast Radius, a web developer that played a massive part in changing how we use and understand the power of the web, to two personal tragedies that changed the direction of his life. We talk about THNK, take a peek inside the mind of a thought-leader and inspirational thinker, question a bunch of myths about business, climate change and what kind of leaders the world needs now and explore the power of simple pleasures. There is so much in this hour with Lee that I'm sure you'll take a lot away from it. You can find out more about THNK at www.thnk.org and about Cycle Space at www.cyclespace.nl Stay in touch with me via twitter (@blairepalmer), instagram (@blairelyspalmer) and email (blaire@thatpeoplething.com). And check out the new look website where you can find all the podcasts, plus articles and information about working with That People Thing. www.thatpeoplething.com

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Certain behaviour just drives you nuts, doesn't it? When things don't go the way you want, when people don't behave the way you expect them to, when life doesn't go as planned it causes stress and frustration. But when we fight reality we aren't able to resolve "what is" and instead we use all of our energy trying to make things how we want them or expect them to be. In this episode I talk about the battle with reality and how to notice and expose it so that you can disrupt the true reality. That's leadership. Check out our new look website at www.thatpeoplething.com and stay in touch on twitter (@blairepalmer), instagram (@blairelyspalmer) and email (blaire@thatpeoplething.com)!

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Hi folks! People sometimes come up to me after a presentation and say they could never speak like that. Well, if they knew a few simple tips - things that I've learnt along the way that make the difference and that can easily be copied - they would be able to do it too. To prove it, I'm sharing some of the little things I do before and during a presentation that help me with nerves and that help me construct a presentation that works from the stage. I'd love to hear your tips too. So contact me via Twitter (@blairepalmer), Instagram (@blairelyspalmer) or email (blaire@thatpeoplething.com) and let me know what you do to make a great presentation!

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This week I'm speaking at the inaugural Agile Working Event in London. I'm anticipating a lot of talk about technology, processes and systems all of which are important to support an agile culture. But the culture bit comes first. Companies that expect agility to result from policies and technology without looking at the cultural mores of their workplace will find the same issues they have today, only magnified, when they attempt to be more agile. And whose job is it to create the culture? Leaders start. They can't do it alone, but someone has to start and by definition the people who start are the leaders. That's what's today's episode is all about. Please share your experiences with me on twitter (@blairepalmer), instagram (@blairelyspalmer) or by email (blaire@thatpeoplething.com)

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Wherever I go, senior people tell me they wish their people would step up and take ownership of their job. So in this week's episode I talk to Mark Fritz who is all about ownership! I his keynote speeches and workshops he explores how to create a sense of ownership amongst your people and what that requires of leaders. I loved talking with Mark who is full of easy to remember concepts and tips. I'm confident you'll take a lot from it too. Stay in touch with me on twitter (@blairepalmer), instagram (@blairelyspalmer) and email (blaire@thatpeoplething.com).

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I'm delighted to introduce you to real-life punk, Joel Vos. Psychologist,Vos, AKA the Punk Professor, talks to me about Meaning, Mental Health and Punk. He's hugely knowledgeable and I love his academic but also very practical approach to the topic. I hope you enjoy seeing the world through his eyes for half an hour today. Twitter: @blairepalmer Instagram: @blairelyspalmer Email: blaire@thatpeoplething.com

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Should I do this? Shouldn't I be doing better than this? Shouldn't they listen to me? Shouldn't I have done something differently? This episode is all about shoulds and shouldn'ts. We look at 4 different kinds of shoulds and how to deal with them. From a leadership perspective, shoulds give you the impression that you don't have a choice, that you are duty bound to behave a certain way or that "that's just life". But shoulds are beliefs and assumptions. And true leaders don't simply accept beliefs and assumptions without first questioning them. I hope you find this week's podcast thought-provoking. Please stay in touch via twitter (@blairepalmer), instagram (@blairelyspalmer) and email (blaire@thatpeoplething.com). And please feel free to share this podcast!!

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I'm so excited to introduce you to my guest this week. Yehudi is a fascinating guy, a team coach and org design specialist who asks some pretty big questions in his work, questions we would all do well to ask. In my solo shows I tend to focus on the inner work, but in my interview shows it's normally about these big questions - putting assumptions under the microscope and asking ourselves "What if there's nothing to these assumptions except conventional wisdom?". I'm sure you'll enjoy listening to Yehudi and I talk about education, organisational change, organisational design and what the business of the future will look like. Stay in touch on twitter @blairepalmer, instagram @blairelyspalmer or email blaire@thatpeoplething.com

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Earlier this year I shared my view that there really isn't such a thing as "leadership development". But this doesn't mean you can't grow in to leadership or grow as a leader. The best leaders are endlessly curious and endlessly evolving. In this episode I share a few ways you can grow and evolve without anyone trying to teach you to lead. For me the only leadership development is inner work and big questions. But what does that actually look like? That's what I'm talking about today. I'd love your thoughts. Twitter: @blairepalmer Instagram: @blairelyspalmer Email: blaire@thatpeoplething.com

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Over the last few years I've made predictions about what's going to be in the agenda in the year ahead. This year it's taken me a few weeks because the start of the year was dominated by other stories. But now I'm sharing my 4 themes for the year. These aren't new concepts by any means but if you're not thinking about them this year, and I mean really thinking about them, then you're way too late. Without giving too much away, how deeply are you considering agile, diversity, digital transformation and the relevance of global social unrest? Chances are all 4 of these topics are on the agenda. But what about the leadership implications? Are you really considering your responsibility as a leader when it comes to something like Agile Working? How far have you taken that thinking? Taken individually these concepts are just technical changes - new policies, processes and systems. They don't mean much. But taken together and seen through the lens of a radically changing world, they are all telling us something about how organisations of the future need to look, and what you need to start changing now to be relevant by then. Hope you enjoy! Twitter: @blairepalmer Instagram: @blairelyspalmer Email: blaire@thatpeoplething.com

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I've been writing about, and consequently thinking about, feelings all week. The chapter of the new book, Punks in Suits, about Trust looks at the part emotions play in business and how important our ability to bring feelings in to the conversation is. One reason for this is that, very fast, computers are increasingly able to do things that have previously only been done by people. At some point these jobs will all be done by 'bots. Anything a bot can do - anything that is based on pure logic, data analysis, facts and process will be able to be done by a bot. What does that mean for humans and the workplace? Well, it means that if you say that you are able to leave emotion at the door and make decisions purely on scientific fact, you're basically saying that a bot can do your job. The truth is that, certainly for the foreseeable future, bots won't be able to empathise, sense, read between the lines or connect and therefore we'd better get good at doing that ourselves. Those might be the only jobs humans will be doing! And that ability to empathise, sense, read between the lines and connect is what makes humans great problem solvers, innovators and creatives - just the skills your business needs. If leaders are unable to connect with their emotions then maybe bots can do our jobs too! Instagram: @blairelyspalmer Twitter: @blairepalmer Email: blaire@thatpeoplething.com

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In this episode of the Punks in Suits podcast I reflect on the concept of Trust, in the light of the publication of the 2017 Edelman Trust Barometer (an annual, global survey of levels of trust in the 4 major institutions of goverment, media, business and NGOs) and the first week of President Trump. Trust is in crisis. 67% of Trump voters describe themselves as "fearful". The pace of innovation, globalisation, corruption and erosion of social values are cited as some of the main reasons people feel distrust. And all attention for fixing this is turned on government and the media. But business shares some responsiblity for creating the mess and therefore some of the responsibility to clear it up. How people feel about their work (if they even have work), and the behaviour of senior leaders, CEOs and Boards affects how trusting they are generally. Business cannot simply promote innovation and disregard the impact this has on those that get left behind. Business cannot simply treat people like disposable cogs in a wheel and then claim it's not their business when people feel social values are eroding. I have also written a short piece about this on LinkedIn if you follow me there. Please feel free to share this podcast, comment, review and start a conversation. What is the part business plays in repairing the state of trust? Twitter: @blairepalmer Instagram: @blairelyspalmer Email: blaire@thatpeoplething.com

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This week I'm talking to the co-founder of Happy Start Up, a business school with a difference. Happiness - not the smiley-all-time kind but deep-sense-of-fulfilment kind - lies at the heart of their business philosophy. What if business could meet your personal needs, be an expression of your values and, by the way, do good in the world (even in some small way)? Laurence talks to me about the Happy Start Up Canvas - a 7 part, one-page business plan template that helps budding entrepreneurs think through the foundations of their business idea. However, after 17 years in business I found it useful to test my business model against these 7 areas too. What would your answers be if you ran your function, role, or company through the same template? If you run your own company, or are thinking of starting, you'll get lots of food for thought from Laurence. But if you work for an established, big business, I think you'll enjoy this insight in to the mind of the funky, start-uppy world that the disrupters come from. To share your views tweet (@blairepalmer), instagram (@blairelyspalmer) or email (blaire@thatpeoplething.com). And please share this podcast and comment on iTunes! We're growing and we want more and more people to hear these ideas!

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Do we need to re-think what we mean by "influence"? Often "influencing techniques" are tricks we use to get people to take us seriously, to do what we say, to get people to do what we want them to do. But what if influence really begins far before you actually have to change anyone's mind? What if it starts with you, your ability to connect with others and YOUR ability to change YOUR mind? That's what we're talking about in this episode. And we'd love your thoughts - twitter: @blairepalmer, instagram: @blairelyspalmer, email: blaire@thatpeoplething.com

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Welcome back to the first episode of 2017! In this show I talk about leadership not as a profession (like being a lawyer or doctor) but more as a way of being, more like being a citizen or a friend. When we attempt to professionailse leadership we end up with complex, theoretical approaches and the need to "teach" people how to do it. It becomes an academic endeavour. But if we see it as a way of being, learning to be a great leader is more like learning to be a great member of society. It is self-directed and self-determined. I'd love to know what you think of this idea! Also, if you are curious about how work might look in future we have a special promotional code that gives you access to a special price for tickets to the first "Agile Working Event" conference in London on March 29th, 2017. Listen to the show more for information. Please stay in touch via twitter (@blairepalmer), instagram (@blairelyspalmer) or email (blaire@thatpeoplething.com). We love hearing from you!

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In this, the final episode of the Punks in Suits podcast for 2016, I share the 10 books, podcasts and concepts that have inspired me the most during 2016. You may even get a few gift ideas from it! I'm back on 9th Janurary 2017 but meantime do stay in touch on instagram (@blairelyspalmer), twitter (@blairepalmer) and on the Punks in Suits Facebook page. Have a wonderful festive season and a happy New Year!

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What does it feel like to walk away from the security of a management job in a big company to start your own business, when you don't know what business you want to start? How does it feel when you start breaking unwritten "cultural laws" because of the way you've chosen to work, the philosophy that guides your life and the decisions you make about how you live? In this interview with Sally McCutchion, one of the UK's only Holacracy facilitators, we hear what her experience has been of all of this. Whether you're curious about alternatives to the hierarchical structure or whether you're asking yourself deeper questions about how you live and what's authentic to you, there's lots to inspire you in this interview. To contact me email blaire@thatpeoplething or you can follow me on instragram (@blairelyspalmer) or twitter (@blairepalmer) or join our new faceboo page, Punks in Suits. I'd love to read you comments and hear about your experiences.

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I'm not saying that self-management is the future but it certainly represents an alternative to many of the baked-in issues of the hierarchical organisational structure. In this episode of The Punks in Suits podcast I talk to Alexander Maier, a Managing Director with Saint Gobain who is guiding his organisation towards self-management...putting himself out of the job in the process. He talks about what self-management looks like, some of the questions he and his colleagues are faced with and the personal journey that brought him to this point. A fascinating insight in to the mind of a forward-looking MD that raises lots of interesting questions about how we create organisations that allow people and their ideas to thrive.

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We are all so busy, right? There's never enough time to do everything. But what if 90% of what we spend our time on isn't making much of a difference? What if we could be spending our time on activity that really moved the dial, that really made an impact in terms of the purpose of our organisation and in terms of what we value in our lives? While this episode doesn't attempt to entirely address that challenge with one simple tool, I do introduce a tool I've developed recently to help me decide what to focus on. You can adapt it to your needs so easily. The upshot is, though, that leadership isn't about making the best of what you've got but about making tough decisions...often about what NOT to do. Please comment and review this podcast, share it with friends and come and see me on instagram (@blairelyspalmer) or talk to me on twitter (@blairepalmer). Thank you and enjoy!

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I'm often asked why people won't step up and take ownership even when the bosses in the organisation tell them they're empowered. But people can only be empowered to the same extent that you are willing to give away your power. In this episode I talk about standing in different positions in the organisation to see the world a different way, and inviting people in your company to stand where you stand and see what you see. Please contact me on social media with your experiences of leadership and your thoughts about the practices I am talking about. Instagram @blairelyspalmer, twitter @blairepalmer or email blaire@thatpeoplething.com

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I'm delighted that actress, producer and playwright Leandra Ashton was able to talk to me this week. Leandra has always been someone I've admired for her calm, centred approach to life, her massive creativity and her down-to-earth nature alongside her very great talent. In this episode we talk about the moment that Leandra realised she needed to slow her life right, right down and what the past few months have been like as she's explored what true balance actually looks like. This episode is perfect if you, like me, are often fueled by adrenaline, bring huge energy to your work and life and rarely take the opportunity to recover. Leandra speaks about her re-discovery of yoga and about her new philosophy. And she reminds us of something it's easy to forget in this hectic world - the tortoise won the race.

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In this week's Punks in Suits, I start by talking a bit about how the book is coming along (it's tough!) and what it's about. While writing I've changed my mind about the purpose of Purpose. So in this podcast I reveal my current thinking - the relevance of identifying your needs and getting them met, identifying your values and making changes to live in alignment with those, and whether you, as a leader, need to have a purpose. Please remember to share, rate and review the podcast. It's still new and we are trying to get the message out to anyone who wants to think afresh about what leadership really entails. And follow me on Instagram (@blairelyspalmer) and twitter (@blairepalmer). I love getting feedback and ideas for the show plus hearing about your experiences!

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In Episode 3 of the Punks in Suits Podcast we talk Assumptions! Assumptions will get in the way of your true authenticity, they will limit your creativity, they will cloud your best, intuitive decision-making and make it tough for you to bring about change. Given that leaders look at what is (which you can't do when your judgement is clouded) and what could be (which you can't do when your judgement is clouded) and disrupt the status quo to bring about change (which you can't do when your judgement is clouded) discovering what's clouding your judgement is pretty important! Today, with a bit of help from Albert Einstein, I will be talking about how to discover the biases and baggage you bring to your thinking, your conversations and your listening and how to bust them wide open. Please connect with me on Instagram @blairelyspalmer, twitter @blairepalmer or email blaire@thatpeoplething.com to keep the conversation going! (And listen right to the end for the outtakes!)

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In Episode 2 of the Punks in Suits Podcast I talk about leadership as something temporary, where you sometimes lead and sometimes make way for others to lead, I bust a few myths about the myriad qualities people assume you need in order to qualify as a leader and encourage you to let the mask drop. What does that mean? Well, it's all the gloss and polish, this very narrow part of ourselves that we allow to show up at work. Doing that requires real bravery. But what if, instead of hiding your weaknesses, your mistakes were prime opportunities for personal growth and for making connections with the people around you? This episode is a solo show, just me and you having a bit of thinking time together. Let me know what you think! Please comment, rate, review, subscribe and share this podcast!I'm @blairepalmer on twitter and @blairelyspalmer on Instagram. I look forward to hearing from you!

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In Episode 1 of the Punks in Suits Podcast I introduce myself and some of the themes of the podcast to come. The world is changing and we're not in the Industrial Age anymore. That means how we see leadership has to change too. But most models of leadership are based on Industrial Age approaches to managing people as if they are poorly functioning machines, and they simply don''t work any more. In this podcast I share what's changing, why it matters and what shifts in perspectives you can make to really make a difference in your organisation whether you're a member of the Board or an individual contributor without a team. In Episode 1 we cover my inspirations and why I do the work I do, the part that ego plays in leadership and the price leaders pay for that, the need to create gangs of leaders rather than trying to be the lone hero and why on earth this show is called Punks in Suits. Please comment, rate, review and share this podcast! I'm @blairelyspalmer on Instagram and @blairepalmer on twitter. I look forward to hearing from you!

A Brilliant Gamble: Recent Episodes

Blaire Palmer