Wellbeing in Focus - for thriving families, workplaces, and communities: Recent Episodes
Gabriella Campelli-Ignacz
Host Gabriella Campelli-Ignacz interviews experts from around the world in the fields of wellbeing, happiness, and parenthood. We discuss the latest trends, ideas, and strategies that can help individuals, workplaces, and communities thrive.
Although we talk about what we as individuals can do for our own wellbeing, the focus is very much on what communities and workplaces can do to further human wellbeing.
Thanks for joining us, and enjoy!
It was a pleasure to interview Lee Chambers and hear his thoughts on workplace wellbeing. Lee is an award-winning business psychologist, keynote speaker on wellbeing, inclusion, and leadership, and the founder of Essentialise Workplace Wellbeing. As a highly respected Black, disabled entrepreneur, Lee is a champion of inclusive wellbeing. He’s also a supporter of gender equity, and he’s an award-winning male ally and menopause champion. Lee’s first book, the Millennial's Guide to Wellness, is due to be released later this year.
During our conversation Lee talked about the importance of wellbeing at the workplace and the need for it to go beyond fruit bowls and gym passes. He also explained what "wellbeing washing" is and emphasised the need for companies to implement their wellbeing policies in practice.
Lee highlighted that wellbeing and inclusion sit closer together than most people think, and because they work together in a cycle, workplaces need to foster them both together. We also talked about neurodiversity, gender equity and allyship in more detail, which are all causes that Lee is passionate about.
To discover more about Lee's work please visit his website Essentialise Workplace Wellbeing, or get in touch with him on LinkedIn.
Thank you for sharing your thoughts with us Lee!
Listen to this insightful episode and enjoy 🎙
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I thoroughly enjoyed this inspiring conversation with Valerie Cockerell about how parenthood equips us with valuable leadership skills. Valerie is a consultant, keynote speaker, and author of the book “Manage Like a Mother: Leadership Lessons Drawn from a Mother's Playbook”. After a brilliant career at Disney, Valerie is now part of Cockerell Consulting with her husband Dan, where she facilitates workshops and shares her expertise and methodology in leading teams and delivering outstanding customer service.
In her new book, "Manage Like a Mother", Valerie brings a simple to understand and easy-to-implement take on leadership inspired by a mother's playbook. As she explains, there are many similarities between how mothers nurture their children in order to bring out the best in them, and how leaders can do the same with their team members.
Valerie encourages everyone to recognise that maternity leave or a career pause due to having children does not have to be a setback. Women gain valuable soft skills through parenthood, and those skills are transferable to the workplace. She advises parents to get back into the workforce with confidence; and companies to give women returners a chance, because they bring valuable contributions to the table.
To discover more about Valerie's work please visit cockerellconsulting.com or get in touch with her on LinkedIn.
Listen to this insightful episode and enjoy 🎙
Thank you for sharing your thoughts with us Valerie!
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It was great to talk to Matt Pinkett and learn more about the mental health of boys in this podcast episode.
Matt is a leading authority on gender and masculinity in schools, and as a teacher who has worked in a variety of educational settings, he challenges toxic masculinity and calls for schools to do more to help boys’ mental health and wellbeing. Matt is also the best-selling author of ‘Boys Don’t Try? Rethinking Masculinity in Schools’, and his new book, ‘Boys Do Cry: Improving Boys' Mental Health and Wellbeing in Schools’ was released this summer.
During this conversation we're chatting about masculinity and the male suicide crisis, and why it's crucial for boys to see better role models. Matt also tells us about the importance of bromance and loving relationships in boys' lives, and we talk about what schools and parents can do to support the mental health of boys better.
Matt regularly does talks for schools on a variety of topics, so if you'd like to get in touch with him you can email him at matt.pinkett@sky.com or reach out to him on Twitter.
Listen to this insightful episode and enjoy 🎙
Thank you for sharing your thoughts with us Matt!
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It was a pleasure to interview Valerie Lynn and learn more about Malaysian postpartum practices in this podcast episode. Valerie is a postnatal care specialist and has been a significant force in introducing after-birth recovery practices from Malaysia, its traditions, techniques, and treatments to women globally.
Valerie has benefited first-hand from Eastern medical modalities while living in Asia for over 20 years. She wrote her first book The New Mommy Plan: Restoring Your Post-Pregnancy Body Naturally, Using Women’s Traditional Wisdom, which resulted from a yearlong research project via the Malaysian Ministry of Health, Traditional Complementary Medicine department. The New Mommy Plan isendorsed by several leading childbirth educational organizations in the U.S. and internationally for postpartum doula and new parent education certification.
Valerie’s cookbook, Healing Meals: Simple Recipes for New Moms, is based on postnatal food science. Both books are the basis for her coaching services and corporate workshop for the public and private sector.
Valerie explains to us why Malaysia is a true global benchmark when it comes to postpartum recovery and how other countries could learn from their practices. She tells us how perinatal mood disorders and postpartum recovery are connected, and that it is no coincidence that Malaysia has the lowest rates of postpartum mood and anxiety disorders at just 3%. Comparing this number to the 25% in the US, it becomes clear that we in Western countries still have a long way to go to achieve proper postpartum support - but the journey is not hopeless. Valerie has the roadmap.
To discover more about Valerie’s work please visit her website ecopostnatalcare.com or get in touch with her on LinkedIn.
Listen to this insightful episode and enjoy! 🎙🤗
Thank you for sharing your thoughts with us Valerie 💞
It was lovely to chat with Elly Taylor about perinatal relationships in this podcast episode. Elly is a relationship counsellor, award winning author of "Becoming Us: The Couple's Guide to Parenthood", keynote speaker, and founder of Becoming Us: a perinatal relationship education and training for care professionals.
We talk about how preparations for birth and parenting are important, but there is currently a gap when it comes to preparing parents for parenthood and the changing relationships with each other and themselves. Elly shares some tips with us how couples can navigate this journey and keep their relationship on track.
Elly explains that parenthood can often cause couples to grow apart; but it doesn't have to be this way. She also gives us some insight into the most common issues couples experience in their relationships, and how they can avoid them.
And there is so much more - listen to the episode and enjoy 🎙🤗
Thank you for sharing your thoughts with us Elly! 💞
In this podcast episode I'm interviewing Emma Jarvis, founder of Dearbump and co-founder of Parent Promise, helping workplaces support parents during pregnancy, parental leave, and early parenthood.
Emma shares with us how her own experience of feeling unsupported and overlooked as a new mum at her workplace made her leave the company and set up her own business instead supporting parents.
Her experience is far from being unique. Statistics show that 77% of mothers experience discrimination at work, 80% of new mums consider leaving their job during maternity leave, and 46% of mums change employers. These shocking numbers highlight the enormity of the issue and the need for workplaces to address it.
With diversity and inclusion being high on the agenda parents expect more help and support from their employers, and rightly so. Emma explains how creating family-friendly policies makes perfect business sense: it helps retain employees and saves the huge costs of having to find and replace talent, not to mention that parents who feel supported and valued by their companies are more engaged and motivated to do their best at work.
To discover more about how workplaces can support parents please visit the Parent Promise website or get in touch with Emma on LinkedIn.
Thank you for sharing your thoughts with us Emma!
In this podcast episode I'm interviewing Dr Jacqueline Kerr, behaviour change scientist, TEDx and Keynote speaker, podcast host, and burnout expert. Jacqueline is not only familiar with burnout as an academic, but she is a burnout survivor herself, who now helps employers and leaders tackle this issue throughout their organisations.
Burnout is a very complex problem with different factors and personality traits involved, and this means there can be no one-size-fits-all solution. As Jacqueline explains, there are six types of burnout profiles and they each require a different approach.
Jacqueline tells us about the importance of solving the root causes of burnout. There is a lot that employers can do, and indeed it is in the interest of workplaces to provide solutions as burnout overlaps with employee engagement, wellbeing, and diversity, equity, and inclusion as well.
Tune in to this insightful episode to learn more and make sure you check out Jacqueline's website drjacquelinekerr.com. You can listen to her podcast Overcoming Working Mom Burnout and watch her TEDx talk How to Stop Burnout Before It Starts.
Thank you for sharing your thoughts with us Jacqueline!
In this episode I'm interviewing Sanjeev Sandhu, happiness and wellbeing trainer, speaker, PhD researcher in positive psychology and wellbeing, and published author.
Sanjeev tells us how during his first career in finance and accounting he noticed that the key difference between people who were fulfilled and unfulfilled was the spark in their eyes, and how he subsequently went on to find his own spark - by changing careers and diving into personal development, happiness and wellbeing.
As an Art of Brilliance trainer, Sanjeev now works with individuals, companies, and schools around the world delivering workshops and talks about all things positive psychology, personal development, happiness, and wellbeing. He tells us why businesses now need to put wellbeing on the agenda more than ever before, why children benefit from wellbeing skills being taught in schools, and why it's time to change the conversation from mental health to mental wealth.
Sanjeev is the co-author of two books: How to Be a Well Being: Unofficial Rules to Live Every Day, a Business Book Awards 2021 Finalist in personal development and wellbeing, and Be You-nique: Find Your X-Factor, a book specifically tailored for teenagers in India.
To discover more about Sanjeev please visit his website sanjeevssandhu.com.
Thank you for sharing your thoughts with us Sanjeev!
In this episode I'm interviewing Ilona Bannister, author of When I Ran Away and Little Prisons. Ilona is a writer, mother, and a New Yorker living in London. She was a dual qualified US attorney and UK solicitor and practiced immigration law in the UK before she started writing fiction.
Ilona tells us about her debut novel When I Ran Away , which was longlisted for the Center for Fiction’s 2021 First Novel Prize. It is a rich, bighearted debut that takes us from working-class Staten Island in the wake of the September 11th attacks to moneyed London a decade later, revealing a story of loss, motherhood, and love.
Our conversation in this podcast focuses on new motherhood and the need to talk openly and honestly about the experiences of mothers. Ilona discusses how mothers and motherhood are devalued in our society, and explores why leaning in is not always working for everyone. She also talks about the uncomfortable topic of maternal rage, and highlights that anger is a perfectly natural response to the unfair situation mothers often find themselves in.
To discover more about Ilona and her work please visit her website ilonabannister.com.
Thank you for sharing your thoughts with us Ilona!
In this episode I'm interviewing Sally Singleton, mindfulness consultant and trainer, and Founder of Mindful Interlude, delivering evidence-based mindfulness courses to individuals and organisations.
Sally tells us about the different aspects of mindfulness, and explains how they all focus on slightly different things. She reassures us that the mind chatter that so many people experience during meditation is completely normal and it doesn't mean we're doing anything wrong.
We also talk about the limitations of mindfulness apps and how they cannot replace the guidance provided by a qualified mindfulness practitioner. Sally works with organisations and coaches, and she also runs a 4-week mindfulness course live online for individuals from time to time. Follow her Instagram page to find out when the next course is, or sign up for her 5 day Mindfulness Habit Starter freebie.
Sally is also teaching mindfulness in primary schools and tells us about how the practice can benefit children.
Thank you for sharing your thoughts with us Sally!
In this episode I'm interviewing Debi Yadegari, Founder and CEO of Villyge, an employer-paid benefit and full service, B2B solution supporting working parents and caregivers. Villyge connects employees and their family members 1:1 with a community of career coaches, parenting experts and healthcare specialists. They also provide management training and work with employers to shape corporate culture and create parent-friendly workplaces that increase productivity, reduce litigation, and encourage retention to expand the talent pool and increase diversity, equity and inclusion.
Es Debi explains, Villyge is a platform that helps managers to lead with empathy through employees' life events, such as parenting, caregiving, elder care, or divorce, just to mention a few. Managers now need support more than ever, as employees expect their managers and companies to care about them personally and support them through big life events. Villyge can give managers a helping hand so that they can navigate this cultural shift that's happening at the workplace post-pandemic, and create a culture of care so that all employees can thrive.
Debi also tells us about how the 1:1 employee support with Villyge experts works in practice. This is a service that companies that sign up with Villyge pay for, and all employees can access this support free of charge. Being able to receive personalised assistance can make a huge difference, and it can help employees navigate life events while keeping their careers on an upper trajectory.
If you're an employer or HR professional make sure to check out the Villyge website and see how they can help you. Or if you're an employee and would like to have Villyge at your workplace, let your manager or HR department know.
Thank you for sharing your thoughts with us Debi!
In this episode I'm interviewing Steven Kennedy, founder of the PREPARE Foundation and Birthing Dads. Steven is dedicated to helping families thrive from the get go, and aims to prevent perinatal mental health impacts to families by engaging expectant fathers and inspiring greater paternal involvement in maternity care.
Steven tells us about modern birth culture and how the gaps in antenatal education fail to prepare dads. He also highlights how the deep challenges new dads are facing are often overlooked, and contribute significantly to poor mental health outcomes.
Knowing what's normal in childbirth is crucial for being in the room. However, as Steven explains, men are currently not being prepared adequately, they're not being included, and often they're being overlooked. If dads are better prepared, they can support mum better not only in the delivery room, but also during pregnancy and postpartum.
Steven has a wealth of resources for first-time dads to prepare them for birth and beyond, so make sure to check out his websites.
Thank you for sharing your thoughts with us Steven!
In this episode I'm interviewing Naomi Stadlen, existential psychotherapist and best-selling author of three books: What Mothers Do: especially when it looks like nothing, How Mothers Love: and how relationships are born, and What Mothers Learn: without being taught. For over 30 years, Naomi has listened to hundreds of mothers at her weekly discussion meetings, Mothers Talking, and at monthly meetings for La Leche League. As an existential psychotherapist she specialises in seeing mothers and parent-couples. You can find out more about Naomi's work on her website naomistadlen.com.
During our conversation Naomi shares her insights into motherhood and the invaluable work that mothers do. We talk about the perception of motherhood in society, how the situation of mothers has changed over the past decades, and what challenges modern mothers face.
She also gives suggestions how women could be better prepared for the realities of motherhood, and highlights that we need to find new words to accurately describe the experience of mothers and the invisible side of what they do.
Thank you for sharing your thoughts with us Naomi!
In this episode I'm interviewing Pamela Gail Johnson, happiness advocate, speaker, author, and founder of the Society of Happy People. You can find out more about Pamela at her website pamelagailjohnson.com.
Pamela shares with us the story of how she founded the Society of Happy People more than 20 years ago and how attitudes towards happiness have been changing since then.
We talk about her recently published book Practical Happiness: Four Principles to Improve Your Life,and discuss the biggest happiness zappers and what people can do to manage them.
Pamela also works with companies and tells us what they can do to foster more happiness at work.
Thank you for sharing your thoughts with us Pamela!
In this episode I'm interviewing Michael Ray, solo dad, author, public speaker, and advocate for gender equality. You can find out more about him at michaelray.com.au.
Michael tells us about how outdated gender stereotypes hurt fathers and men in general. He highlights that personality traits and behaviour associated with masculinity or femininity are not determined by gender, but by character and values.
Michael also shines a light on how the equality debate often doesn't include fathers and how this should be improved. The bumbling man-child image of fathers is demeaning and patronising, when the truth is that men can be very capable fathers if they're given the opportunity to practice and learn.
Workplaces need to facilitate fathers doing more parenting because, as Michael points out, true equality for women at the workplace cannot happen without true equality for men at home.
Thank you for sharing your thoughts with us Michael!
In this episode I'm interviewing wellbeing strategist and coach Emma Ellis, founder of Redwood Ellis. Emma tells us why companies need to have a wellbeing strategy if they want to attract and retain talent in today's competitive environment, and why it's equally important that this strategy is actually implemented.
She reassures us that wellbeing is really not that complicated, and we can all start by asking some simple questions.
We also discuss some future of work trends such as working from home and how it can backfire, how people are increasingly looking for meaning and purpose in what they do, and how they're seeking a workplace that aligns with their values.
Thank you Emma for sharing your thoughts with us!
In this episode I'm interviewing Antoinette Villamil, director of Many Mothers,an organisation in Santa Fe, New Mexico providing support to all local families with babies, free of charge.
Antoinette tells us how their flagship Maternal Support Program, which provides practical, hands-on support through volunteers and is available at no cost to all local families, works in practice. She also talks to us about their other programs that are available for income-eligible families only.
Through the incredible generosity of Many Mothers, other communities can also follow their example and set up their own support system for local parents. There have been a number of such initiatives already popping up in other places, and Antoinette is happy to share the guides and resources with anyone who wishes to follow suit and further their community's wellbeing by supporting parents and families.
Thank you Antoinette for sharing your thoughts with us!
In this episode we're talking about postpartum care and the work of postpartum doulas with Danielle Bensky. Danielle is a postpartum doula and founder of Mothers Transition, providing postpartum doula services in Helsinki, Finland. She is also part of the NEST doula collective in Finland, working with foreign families in English.
Danielle tells us about what it is exactly that postpartum doulas do, and why their support is invaluable for new mothers. She highlights how this kind of postpartum care used to be universal a very long time ago, and how it is important to bring it back and make it a part of essential pregnancy and mother and baby care.
She also gives tips to those mums who don't have access to postpartum doulas and shares practical advice about what they can do to prepare for a positive postpartum experience.
Thank you for sharing your thoughts with us Danielle!
In this episode we're talking about paternal mental health, or the mental health of fathers with Mark Williams. Mark is a keynote speaker, published author, and international campaigner for fathers' mental health. He founded International Fathers Mental Health Day and and the #HowAreYouDad Campaign to help ensure that all parents and families are supported throughout the perinatal period. You can find out more about Mark on his website markwilliamsfmh.co.uk.
Mark shines a light on this very important area as he shares his own story and how he got involved in fathers' mental health. We learn how post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) affects a lot of fathers witnessing a traumatic birth, and how suicide is the biggest killer of men under 45 in the UK. According to recent research from Canada 1 in 4 fathers suffer from anxiety and depression during the perinatal period, a figure that is a lot higher than the official 1 in 10.
Mark identifies antenatal education, communication on labour wards, and mental health awareness as ways the situation could be improved. As Mark observes, although men are less likely to open up about their feelings initially, they will do so in a safe place. Support groups for dads are ideal for these kinds of conversations, and family and friends can also help encourage men to talk about their emotional wellbeing and ask for help.
Thank you for sharing your thoughts with us Mark!
In this episode we're talking about maternal mental health with Jennifer Norris-Hale. Jennifer is the founder of Mission: Motherhood, a community in Fort Wayne, Indiana for all mothers of all backgrounds experiencing maternal mental health conditions.
Jennifer shares her own story and why she got involved in supporting mothers struggling with mental health issues. She gives valuable tips for mums who are struggling, and for partners or family members who would like to support them.
She explains how Mission: Motherhood supports local mums, and how other communities can follow suit. She also tells us about their most recent initiatives such as Diaper Bank and Pantry Network, and how these are connected to maternal mental health.
Thank you for sharing your thoughts with us Jennifer!