This is my final guest interview wrapping up Season 3, and I’d encourage you to listen in as I chat with Tim Roberts, a Leadership Coach who takes a no BS approach!   Author of ‘Break the Mould’ about which Tim says ‘it’s worth reading if you want to be a better leader or role model in the workplace’ and in our conversation we explore the often quoted ‘authentic leadership’ phrase - and dig into what it takes to be both true to yourself AND be an effective leader to others.    We hope you’ll enjoy listening to our ‘Really Useful Conversation’ and if you want to know more about Tim, you’ll find his website a great place to start!   Thanks for tuning in and please do share with colleagues who might also benefit.

Barbara Nixon is THE Success and Leadership Coach for ambitious Business Leaders. With a strong background in the commercial world, where she designed hundreds of senior leadership development programmes and was responsible for the Management Development for all 3000 Managers.  She worked for all areas of the business which has given her the broad commercial knowledge that helps her to help her clients today. Whether a newly promoted manager trying to find their feet, an established manager with a sudden realisation of imposter syndrome, or a business owner who is keen to get out of the weeds, side step self doubt & elevate, Barbara is the person to talk to! As a Business Leader it's easy to think you should always feel in control, be super confident, and have all the answers - but this often is not the case and with 27 years experience, Barbara really is a secret weapon to have in your toolkit! She is also one of the incredible speakers at the Actually, she can! conference, a unique opportunity for women in business to embrace a day of personal development and inspiration, so watch this space for more info! But for now, settle in to hear what Barbara has to say that might help you be the confident leader you really want to be - and find out more about her at

In this week's episode I get to chat with Alison Colley, an experienced Solicitor and HR specialist, who is passionate about supporting organisations and individuals with any work problems, and giving clear and unstuffy legal advice. This week we talk about the term reasonable adjustments, and ask when is reasonable actually reasonable enough? Following a recent UK EAT Tribunal Case where the panel suggested an employer dealing with a menopause issue had not acted in a way it considered reasonable, despite adjustments having been made. This takes us on to the wider conversation about situations such as this, and with Alison's advice we cover off some interesting points from a HR and Employment Law perspective. We also recognise the importance of our managers and leaders being trained in more than just following a policy, recognising that they may have to have some quite challenging conversations from time to time. Definitely an episode to tune into!

You understand the importance of really useful conversations at work. You recognise the impact it has on employee engagement, retention and motivation, as well as forming part of your duty of care as am employer. You understand that conversations of this nature if not done well can have legal, financial and moral implications but how do you get others to buy in too?  Whether you are addressing the proactive change to Equality Act 2010 or seeking to implement ISO 45003, you may need to get buy in from others - but how? In this episode we talk exactly about that. Often HR leaders are asked to provide development opportunities but cheaper, in a shorter time scale, without any operational disruption - so whether it is psychosocial safety, organisational resilience, an update in employment law, how do you get your leaders and managers onside? Time to talk - but they need to be prepared to listen!

As UK sickness absence rates are reported to be at a 10 year high and poor mental health being the second biggest reason for workplace absence, it's important that organisations take a more strategic approach to protecting the mental health of their employees. Simply signing up to wellbeing initiatives and appointing mental health first aiders is not the end of it - in fact the Society for Occupational Medicine says there is poor evidence to support that as a solution. So what exactly does need to be happening? How do we make sure we are doing all we can to prevent work-related stress and make sure that the work, workplace or work colleagues are not making matters worse for anyone? In this straight to the point episode we explore the HSE Management Standards and learn more about out duty of care to be proactive and preventative, and stop wasting time, money and effort on flashy firework displays that just don't cut the mustard.

In the most recent CIPD report it shares that sickness absence levels in the UK are currently at a 10 year high, and this is despite the number of organisations who now have appointed Wellbeing Managers and subscribe to various initiatives. Surely if all the employers who talk about the importance of wellbeing are doing these things, consistently and well, we should be seeing sickness absence figures drop? In this week's podcast episode I am exploring why this might indeed be the case and what businesses might need to have on their agenda for 2024 if they want to get, grow and retain staff, and have them rock up regularly, healthy and well, to do their job. Oh and by the way, Happy New Year!

The plane crashed into the 14th Street Bridge, killing 78 people. If only the flight crew had been communicating better. Flight AF90 never made it to it's destination on 13th January 1982, and the need for better equipment when dealing with disasters underground meant the rescues from the July 7th bombings in London were hampered. Communication is simply giving information, direction or guidance - one way and in organisations typically top down - but how about if we created a place where the conversations were two-way, where people were heard, where action was taken, where listening to understand and acting appropriately were every day behaviours? Your job might not be to pilot a plane, to rescue from a tragic incident - but how much are you missing out on or losing by failing to engage with people in meaningful, worthwhile, two- way dialogue? Maybe your sickness absence would decrease, your retention increase, your results improve? Tune in to this week's episode, the last one for 2023 and perhaps use the coming weeks to reflect and consider what it might be like for you and your people if conversations were encouraged at every single level in your business.

This week I get to chat with the woman on a mission to rid the world of rubbish managers - and with the launch of her new book, Jo Wright is passionate about the importance of transformational coaching conversations in organisations as the way forward.   Speaker, author, coach and all round fab person with a framework to offer any business who is committed to creating a culture where people and performance thrive, her skill in organisational coaching is definitely worth a look. Find out more about Jo and her book here

Movember is an annual global campaign that encourages men to grow those mustaches and participate in various activities to raise awareness about men’s health issues. This has included addressing issues such as prostate cancer, testicular cancer, mental health challenges, and suicide prevention and is intended as a platform for men to discuss their health openly, seek support, and take proactive steps towards a healthier and happier life. But why do we need to be encouraging this? Why are men often reluctant to access medical help? What do we need to do to change that? What are the Really Useful Conversations that should be happening that are not? Join me for this week's podcast episode to explore this problem further.

Certified coach Dr Jo Baldwin is on a mission to help women aged 40-plus bring oomph and sparkle back into their lives.    Jo empowers women who have lost their ‘mojo’ to rediscover it and reach their full potential.   Her own lived experience of both perimenopause and empty nest syndrome, combined with a 10-year career in obs and gynae medicine, inform her compassionate and holistic coaching style.    In her transformative coaching programmes Jo uses The Women's PowerTypes and is best known for helping self-styled ‘Superwomen’ recover from burnout and to manage their energy levels more sustainably by harnessing the innate energies of the five women’s PowerTypes™   She helps women to be the very best version of themselves and you can have a go at the PowerTypes quiz by clicking here: -  

It's all very well and good to encourage Really Useful Conversations about all manner of topics in the workplace but if we don't have the right culture, then people will not feel comfortable to have conversations at all. Organisational climate needs to feel safe, positive and inclusive, and as a leader, you can make a massive difference. In this solo episode I'm going to share some specific points for leaders to be aware of if they are going to create a climate where Really Useful Conversations are more likely.

For Stress Awareness Day who better to talk to than the Founder of The Happiness Club, the marvellous Jo Howarth. Jo is an advanced hypnotherapist and mindfulness practitioner who helps people look after their mental and emotional health on a daily basis. She works in person with schools, organisations and individuals and offers an online resource that supports your mental wellbeing 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year, so if you are feeling down or stressed or anxious OR you just want to feel better, The Happiness Club is definitely a place to head for.   Jo is also a guest speaker at the Online Pyjama Party this week, to help celebrate the launch of my book "Could it be your hormones love?" so another opportunity to hear more from her then too or find out more at 

If you are a manager or leader, self-awareness and the impact that you have is critical to success. So if I asked you the question "Does the room light up when you enter or when you leave?" - what would YOU say and more importantly, what would your PEOPLE say? As a manager or leader your style and behaviour is the single biggest influence on the performance of your team and can affect levels of motivation, engagement, performance, attendance even staff retention (or not!) So much of what YOU do and how YOU behave will impact that – positively or negatively. This brisk and pacy episode is an opportunity for that all important mirror-moment amongst the busy-ness of business to give you chance to consider “Am I doing all the right things?” and consider whether your intentions are delivering the impact and outcome you desire, or whether there are things that you might choose to do differently. I hope you will find it useful as a reflection and to increase self-awareness, it might even inspire a conversation with your team where you ask them for some feedback too!"

It is said that 62% of divorces are instigated by menopausal women, and 73% of women blamed the breakdown of their relationship on their menopausal symptoms. That’s one reason why my new book “Could it be your hormones love? And other questions not to ask a menopausal woman” is an absolute essential for all MEN who need to better understand what is happening during the perimenopause years! However if you are a menopausal woman, with a divorce or separation adding to your stress levels, it can be so difficult to get the support you might need and this week's guest is someone you may want to get to know. Sarah Woodward is a multi-award winning divorce coach, supporting her clients with the emotional and practical challenges of their breakup so that they can Recover, Rebuild and Reclaim a future they're excited to wake up to where they feel happier and stronger than ever before. It is her mission to empower her clients to believe that there is life after divorce and to embrace this next chapter. She is also a Certified Positive Psychology Coach and Narcissism Trained™️ Coach with additional training to support clients who are in abusive relationships. Hope you find it useful.

As we approach Menopause Awareness Day here in the UK, it is ironic to note THREE recent employment tribunal cases with menopause symptoms at the root. The cost of NOT training managers is obvious, and not only is the compensation and legal costs significant, but also the potential damage to your reputation as a business and an employer. In this week's episode I share details of these cases, along with a very useful and simple list of things that organisations need to be doing to protect their reputation, support and signpost employees and help managers to be the very best they can be. There is also an invitation to a pyjama party in their too and details of a new book launch that every MAN needs to buy!

It can come as a surprise for many previously confident midlife, menopausal women to find themselves doubting, questioning, over-thinking and even shrinking into the shadows.    Perhaps body image isn’t as good as it once was, self talk feels more negative, looking in the mirror leaves us feeling disappointed or even finding clothes no longer fit nor flatter!    Siân Fisher is on a mission to help women feel truly confident about themselves inside and out. As a confidence coach and personal stylist Siân knows that when you feel confident you can achieve anything, and your brilliance shines out like the star you are.    Listen in to our conversation and get ready to shine bright once more!

This month is both World Mental Health Day and Menopause Awareness Month so the perfect time for me to share with you a really useful conversation about a time when both of these issues collided and had me looking for a way out, permanently. I made a promise to the Universe that if I survived, I would use my experience to help others navigate the abyss that I had peered into, and so the work that I do now focuses particularly on menopause, mental health and the increased suicide risk at this time. In this episode I will share a little more about my story and also share with you some exciting news about getting other people involved in conversations about this, so that together we can make sure our women get the help they need - whether you are a manager, mate, partner or husband - this episode is useful for YOU too!

Are you a Good Girl? Are you happy being a Good Girl, if so? This week I am chatting with the always wonderful Michelle Minnikin who specialises in empowering her clients to embrace their power and personal agency.   With over 20 years of experience as an Organisational Psychologist, her coaching approach blends positive psychology, personal development, and her own journey with ADHD, fostering self-acceptance and empowering clients to break free from societal expectations.    Through her upcoming book, "Good Girl Deprogramming," she aims to inspire women to ignite their own rebellions and create a world that embraces authenticity and empowerment for everyone. Settle down and tune in!

Talking today to Sara Hope, whose passion for conversations is as strong as mine, and over the years she has helped leaders to gain clarity, awareness of self, and overcome challenges. She has worked with thousands of leaders across multiple organisations to bring more candour and a human touch to their interactions, be it with clients, customers, colleagues, or their teams. She passionately believes in the importance of growing conversational muscle, as it strengthens employee engagement, reduces time spent on projects, and reinforces connectivity; something we all crave. She is an ideal guest for a Really Useful Conversation and I do hope you will enjoy listening in. You can find out more about her and the work she does at   Guest information Website: Email:    

European research tells us that women of the perimenopausal age are as much as 7 times more likely to have thoughts of suicide than women pre or post menopause. Why is this? In this episode I explain why the fluctuation in hormones during this period of our lives can impact both our mental health and brain health, and how those two factors can lead on to an increase in diagnosis of anxiety, depression and other mental health disorders, as well as the difference between clinical depression and hormonal depression that is currently being investigated in research in the UK. It is important that we are aware that menopause is not all about hot flushes and night sweats and that we are informed and aware of the other impacts that declining hormones can have. Please do share this episode and help me get the word out to as many people as possible? Conversations can change and save lives.

Conversations can change and even save lives. They can inspire, enthuse, educate and motivate and as we launch Season 3, I hope you’ll find a golden nugget within each episode. Whether Confident Conversations or Crucial Conversations or simply a Caring Conversation, they can make or break relationships, improve standards, increase performance and instigate change. What really useful conversations do you need to be having?

What is it they say about the best laid plans of mice and men? Unless it is the Three Blind Mice or the Three Wise Men and I have missed a chapter, it is something to do with however carefully you plan, things can still go wrong, right? And things did, which led me to being AWOL - so no talk of conversations of any kind, useful or otherwise! Give me just 5 minutes of your time and let me explain ....

Mental Health Awareness Week this year is focussing on the theme of anxiety - especially relevant at the moment as the UK population is currently said to be experiencing widespread levels of stress, anxiety and hopelessness in response to financial concerns, according to a new survey commissioned by the Mental Health Foundation. Mental Health Awareness Week runs from 15th to 21st May and various initiatives and campaigns will help us understand that although anxiety is a very natural and normal human emotion, if it becomes prolonged or chronis, or happens very frequently, it can start to seriously impact on our quality of life. In fact here in the UK anxiety is one of the most common mental health problems we can face and in a recent survey a quarter of adults said they felt so anxious that it stopped them from doing the things they want to do some or all of the time, with 60% agreeing that anxiety was an issue for them at least some of the time. Anxiety can be caused by external circumstances such as the cost of living crisis, but can also be caused by an internal shift in the all important hormone balance and in this week's episode I explore both causes and offer some possible solutions.

ACAS received over 200,000 enquiries about workplace bullying incidents in just one year. Many people worry about what to do, how to handle it, what their rights are and how to deal with it if the issue is from a manager or someone in authority.  I know from my 30+ years of experience in industry that this is an issue organisations want to deal with quickly - no employer would want anyone in their organisation to be having a negative experience of this nature, but sometimes the line between banter and bullying gets very thin, and sometimes what started "as a joke" can turn into unwanted behaviour or comments.  Workplace bullying is an example of a psychosocial hazard that we all need to be aware of and working to eliminate, and this episode is intended to offer sound advice to anyone who feels they are being bullied, as well as a reminder to employers of their duty of care not just for physical health and safety but also for protection of mental, emotional and psychological health and safety in the workplace.  This episode follows on from my recent interview with Katie Skelton and I hope you will find it helpful.

If you are a leader responsible for managing a team, and you are keen to do a good job of that, then this week's episode will be useful for you and offer a fantastic mirror moment to consider your own leadership style too. Using the recent news reports of Dominic Raab, our now ex deputy Prime Minister, we can see how one person's perception is definitely not the other person's experience. Mr Raab says he was simply encouraging high standards and being clear with his communication style, whilst a member of the team describes him as "100% a bully" and "He genuinely thinks he is just being a tough taskmaster, but doesn't get that this behaviour is not acceptable in the modern workplace". Was he being a bully or did the team simply not appreciate constructive criticism and being held accountable? Was his intention to simply raise the bar and motivate, yet their experience was "you can have high expectations and not be a bully" What you do and the way that you do it, combined, is what gets results, right? Tune in and take a moment to reflect and consider, what you intend, is that what people are experiencing and are YOU choosing and using the right leadership style to get the job done whilst maintaining effective relationships? Ay there's the Raab!

This year the Stress Management Society are asking us to step beyond simple awareness and take deliberate action to change things. They have been using #ACT to encourage people to act - reminding us that awareness only goes so far and ACTION is where it is at. But what action can you take? Why does it matter? In this week's episode we briefly explore why stress is an issue but more importantly we focus on strategies that we can choose to use to change things for us. Ranging from Steven Covey and his sharpening of the saw to the simple ABCDE model for managing priorities, and of course, not forgetting the importance of Really Useful Confident Conversations, done assertively and respectfully, to make sure we are managing workloads and boundaries. Tune in and then let me know what your commitment for the next 7 days will be?

We are often told that sleep is such an important thing, which sometimes is much easier said than done! If you are feeling stressed, anxious, even menopausal, sleep can be the much desired state that frustratingly we can't seem to achieve. What is it about sleep that makes it so important and how do we get a good quantity and quality of it so that we wake feel refreshed? This week's episode is a Really Useful Conversation with Sleep Expert Frances Taylor, who has been working in the wellbeing arena for over 15 years, and she realised that sleep was the missing piece in the health and wellbeing agenda and embarked on her mission to provide practical sleep support that actually worked. In this episode we talk about what we can do to enable a better night's sleep, along with things to avoid doing that might have the opposite effect and Frances offers a free opportunity for people to Regain Control of Sleep by completing a sleep questionnaire, receive personalised feedback together with practical actions to bring better sleep. You can find it on her website along with other useful information to help you sleep well, today!

April is Stress Awareness Month – and that’s not just younger folk climbing the career ladder, or working parents with childcare demands and lots to juggle BUT stress is also something that can affect us at all times in our working lives. I want to focus specifically on the impact that stress can have on the menopause AND vice versa and am presenting TWO free online webinars this month as my contribution for the call to take ACTION over simple awareness. April has been stress awareness month since 1992 and this year the Stress Management Society are extending an invitation to go beyond talking and are campaigning for taking action and personal responsibility in creating a positive change. They aim to create an opportunity for all of us to consider how we are going to do something to make things better, so please join me for my offer in support of their efforts.

Following the tragic story of the death by suicide of a 56 year old lady which reported how menopause is not routinely considered a contributing factor among women with low mood who need help, this week’s episode is recorded to raise awareness about such risks and encourage everyone, whether employer, HR Manager, mate, partner or spouse, male or female, to better understand the significant impact that menopause can have. As we head into Stress Awareness Month it is a good time to reflect on the stress/estrogen/menopause cycle and understand more about why stress management is so important and what this might mean to a business or employer as well as to women ourselves, and if you want to find out more and deepen your understanding, please visit our website where you will find more opportunities for FREE learning. Hope you find this useful.

In the month of International Women's Day and Mothering Sunday here in the UK, I read some shocking statistics suggesting that women are more at risk of burnout than men, more likely to step down, go part time or leave jobs completely, and are STILL more often the primary carers for families. So it was a real opportunity to speak to Vicky Harrison this week as to why that might be AND more importantly how to overcome it. As a busy Mum herself, a transformational coach helping driven women achieve professional success with confidence, and founder of The Driven Women's Club online community, Vicky is an excellent person to hear from. In her online community of ambitious women who dream big, and are achieving incredible things, but know the challenge of balancing this alongside family and personal commitments you can find out more about her and the work she does, but for now, settle in and listen to our Really Useful Conversation.

If you have been rewriting policies, updating procedures, rolling out communications but STILL not getting the conversations happening that NEED to be happening in your business, this week's podcast episode might help you to understand why. Many clients come to me after they have invested effort and energy into educating and teaching their management population around matters such as managing attendance, tackling poor performance, having sensitive conversations with a bereaved employee about leave, but are frustrated because despite all their best efforts, conversations are still not happening in the way they need to, and HR are still being asked to deal with the difficult stuff rather than the manager feeling confident to do so themselves. Join me for this brisk and pacey episode which may just help you appreciate their reluctance and offer you an answer to your concerns. Really Useful Conversations matter!

Neurodiversity Celebration Week is a worldwide initiative that challenges stereotypes and misconceptions about neurological differences, aiming to transform how neurodivergent individuals are perceived and supported while creating more inclusive and equitable cultures that celebrate differences and empower every individual. To mark the Celebration Week, my conversation with James Eves, Captain of Strategy for Work Pirates, Gallup Strengths Coach and recently diagnosed himself with ADHD, explores why we might avoid conversations, how fear around language can be an issue and we conclude that above all, sitting down with someone to have a Really Useful Conversation is probably the answer! We really do need to encourage more Really Useful Conversations you know!

For International Women's Day THIS YEAR and beyond, we are being encouraged to #EmbraceEquity and in this week's podcast I take a quick look at equity versus equality and why this matters, as well as touching on some significant reasons why we need to be pushing for equity in the workplace, and some examples of issues that demonstrate the importance of this. Join me and let me know what you think too?

For the last three decades I have had the opportunity to work across a vast range of industry sectors, from television through to the NHS, from the Fire Service to High Street Retailers and my experience over that time reinforces just how much leadership approach influences climate, some research says it is the SINGLE BIGGEST INFLUENCE – and I have to say, I am inclined to agree! So it makes sense that as we know positive team climate is the biggest driver of psychological safety, we have to track back to look at how leadership behaviours create psychological safety and allow team members to be genuine and authentic, for the good of the team AND the business. In this second part, we look specifically at the essential leadership behaviours for that to happen.

What would you do if someone shouted you down in a meeting in front of colleagues? And then followed you out of the meeting room and leaned into your face? And what if a bunch of senior managers witnessed it and allowed it as "it us just who he is"? Sadly people often get away with bad behaviour, behaviour that is bullying and not acceptable, because they have technical expertise or knowledge that the business needs, so their bad behaviour is ignored or accepted. In today's podcast I get to speak to Katie Skelton from about her experience of workplace bullying and explore how psychosocial safety is critical in organisations who want to get the best out of people. ACAS report that in one year they had over 200,000 calls to their helplines about workplace bullying and together Katie and I chat about this sensitive subject and the issues it can cause. I will also be releasing a follow up episode to this to help employers who are committed to tackling bullying in the workplace, and with advice for employees who might be experiencing it. Bullying doesn't just happen top down, but also bottom up, and we will be exploring examples of that too. I hope you will find this episode helpful in bringing this subject to the table where we can explore it and importantly take steps to tackle it in your own organisation, if it is indeed lurking somewhere within.

Following the report of McDonald's signing up to a commitment to deal with claims of sexual harassment in the workplace, this week we take a look at what needs to be present for people to feel safe to speak out and challenge where appropriate. This question takes us along the route of exploring leadership contributions, creating the right climate and having a strong foundation of psychological safety present. But what exactly is psychological safety? What difference does it make? How does it affect the climate or culture of a business, and indeed, the performance and attitude of the people within the business? Let's take a look together.

I am a BIG fan of open, honest, frank dialogue and so initiatives such as Time to Talk Day - which is the nation’s biggest mental health conversation run by Mind and Rethink Mental Illness – is something I would naturally support. If you are not familiar with Time to Talk Day,  it’s described as a day for friends, families, communities, and workplaces to come together to talk, listen and change lives. However, what if someone chooses YOU to talk to? Sometimes we struggle hearing tough stuff. We worry about saying the “wrong” thing. We just don’t have all the answers! What if we really fluff it up and make matters worse? In this episode I talk about how to be amazing in situations like that and how good old fashioned listening to understand might be all the help that person needs. In fact, even with people like the Samaritans who are professionally trained, are providing an emotional support listening service – such is the power of feeling heard. Grab a brew, pull up a pew and LISTEN to this week’s episode!

For the last 23 years my purpose has been to help people have conversations in the workplace that matter. Whether dealing with a performance issue or supporting a colleague in distress, conversations really do matter and I have found that people are often reluctant to have conversations where there are more “sensitive topics” and so to stay safe, shy away. One such conversation that people often find awkward, due to fear of offending or not using the “right” words, is the topic of neurodiversity and so ignorance prevails as we are frightened to ask questions to learn more. In this episode I am delighted to interview Charlotte Valeur, who is driven to play her part in creating an inclusive society; being diagnosed as autistic at 52, she began advocating around Neurodiversity equality and inclusion, working at the intersection of Government, Industry and the Third Sector, as well as public speaking. She founded the global Institute of Neurodiversity in 2021 and as a woman with an incredible background in the corporate and not for profit world, offers a really useful insight.   To find out more visit

Often when we want to make things better, be that our mental health, our physical health or even our financial health, we look for big shiny, sexy, hairy audacious goals to aim for. In this week's episode I am encouraging you to do yourself a favour and concentrate on the tiny little things, done consistently and well, that will make a longer lasting difference. Often when I run workshops on mental health and talk about, for example, the importance of getting rest and quality sleep, people want me to suggest something more exciting, more extreme, more sexy - when actually sleep is the Swiss Army Knife to so many of our healthy systems! If you are drawn to the excitement of a cold water swim every morning or feel like climbing a mountain is the way to get that real feel good flow, please tune into this episode first and just make sure you are not overlooking the important stuff and perhaps even setting yourself up to fail! All resources referred to can be found at - enjoy!

TRIGGER WARNING: This episode contains discussion around the subject of suicide and suicidal thoughts, please skip this episode if this topic is likely to cause uncomfortable emotions for you. Please DO talk to a professional if suicide is a topic currently on your mind - there is always someone prepared to listen. Samaritans provide an excellent listening service 24/7 and you can contact them on 116 123, in confidence. This week's episode is an in-depth conversation with David Muir who talks openly about his poor mental health and suicidal thoughts. David works in the construction industry, and although not as big as he used to be, he is a big, confident Scottish man working in an industry known to have a greater risk of poor mental health and deaths by suicide amongst the workforce. In this episode he talks very candidly and honestly about his experience of "blue every day" and not just Blue Monday - and what that actually felt like for him. He talks about issues that he has carried with him since childhood and even how as an adult, he found it so very difficult to talk about how he was feeling. Thankfully a conversation with a work colleague was the first step towards dealing with his demons and today David talks openly, and will talk to ANYONE, about his mental and emotional health, in fact he is a big believer that talking about these things is absolutely crucial to survival and he is a big advocate of Really Useful Conversations that matter. If you work in the construction industry too and would like to encourage your business to do more to support mental health in the workplace, to perhaps even be the difference to someone like David, please do get in touch via

In this week's Really Useful Conversations podcast, my own experiences over the Christmas break remind me of a very important part of conversations - the language that we choose and use and the way in which we deliver them. I often joke with people about "not what you do but the way that you do it" when it comes to excellent communication, but this is a really poignant reminder of the power of language. Often we may have conversations or interactions that we move on from, gone from our mind, but maybe not for the other person. Maybe the words we used cause more impact than we realised? Maybe our attitude, state of mind or mood caused us to speak in a way that we might come to regret? Tune in to this week's episode and the opportunity to ponder and reflect and recognise that words can both harm and heal - depending on those you choose to use.

It's the most wonderful time of the year, according to the song that keeps getting played - but actually what if, for you, it really is not? Lots of people are telling me that the Christmas spirit has not caught up with them yet and others are sharing stories of challenging situations that mean this really is NOT the most wonderful time at all. Following a tough year with a cost of living crisis, fuel and energy costs, people striking and struggling to feed their families, this episode is about encouraging Really Useful Conversations at a time when not everyone will be decking the halls or indeed looking forward to festive cheer. Every single one of us has the capacity to make a difference - just by being a decent human being, and I hope this week's brief episode will encourage you to look out for those who might just need a damn good dose of listening to right now!

In this episode we recognise the importance of having conversations that matter, whether with colleagues, clients, suppliers or the boss. So often we are our own worst enemy and fail to speak up and not only does this impact on our career but also our well-being and mental health. Whether exploring perception v reality, transactional analysis or the wonderful Bananarama - there’s an offer here for everyone!

Join me for a Really Useful Conversation this week with Anna Meller, who, following an early corporate career in HR Anna has spent the past 25 years working as a consultant, researcher and writer. Her specialist focus is on flexible, remote and new ways of working and the future of work. Anna works with employers to create new working cultures and practices that support wellbeing, inclusion and women's progression into senior roles. She is also the UK's leading work-life balance expert and a founder member of the BPS Division of Occupational Psychology's working group on work-life balance. Her second book: Upcycle Your Job: the smart way to balance family life and career was published in 2019. It offers readers an evidence based six step process to identifying the work life balance arrangements that suit them best.

I make no secret of my journey to and from the bottom of the narrow, dark tunnel and have never hidden the work I tried to do around that time to keep myself safe, or forgotten the people that kept me alive - but if I had known then what I know NOW, I reckon my life would have been sooooo much better and easier! I might not even have got to the desperate point of intending to end my life and maybe even physically AND financially would be in a much better place! Hindsight is a wonderful thing ... But how about if you could learn from my experience, avoid that deep. dark hole, help your partner, spouse, mate, team member or colleague be more aware, more informed, more able to avoid the pitfalls that I tumbled into? This week's episode is definitely worth listening to AND visit the website to find out even more, for free! Hindsight is wonderful, but can also be a harsh task master - learn from MY lack of knowledge and don't go there yourself!

If you are looking for ways in which to make sure your business has long-term sustainable success and you recognise the importance of a diverse and inclusive workplace that allows your people to flourish and thrive, then you will want to tune into this week’s podcast. My conversation with Toby Mildon, Diversity and Inclusion Architect, and author of “Inclusive Growth” is all about how he helps his clients to  strategically align diversity and inclusion to organisational growth, change the culture and motivate senior leaders to ‘walk the talk’ for inclusivity, He helps clients to design and implement a sustainable inclusivity infrastructure so that it is not just a HR responsibility, and in our conversation we explore why this matters and the first steps to get you moving in the right direction. You can find out more about Toby and the work that he does around this important topic at and his book “Inclusive Growth” is available from all good book sellers! I hope you will enjoy our conversation and that you will also consider joining me on 22nd May to “Mind the Gap – the difference between Intention and Impact” – full details at Hope to see you there!

Menopause isn’t just hot flushes and night sweats - in fact the majority of women report that the cognitive, emotional and psychological symptoms are often far more debilitating. Anxiety, depression, lingering sadness and even an increased risk of suicidal thoughts.   This is a Really Useful Conversation we need to be having and information that needs to be better known and understood. If you’re a Well-being Champion or First Aider for Mental Health, or an MHFA trained person, this is an episode you really do need to tune into and perhaps consider the add-on learning module too.

In a world where everything moves at pace and where twists and turns are around each corner, organisations who take care of their people and truly value and invest in wellbeing will triumph in this competitive labour market. Whether they are upskilling their managers to have conversations that matter about subjects such as mental health, wellbeing, menopause or investing in appointed persons as Wellbeing Champions or First Aiders for Mental Health, it is easy to understand why such organisations will be more attractive to potential employees and how they will retain talent and expertise from within. This week we have had menopause awareness day here in the UK and it's great to see organisations engaging in this - but will it be "business as usual" next week once the date on the calendar has passed?

Pam Brown works in the very male dominated financial services industry and when menopausal symptoms began she started avoiding meetings, questioning her confidence, declining invitations and felt like sitting in the corner with a bucket on her head, literally crying over spilt milk. She’s since been nominated for Women’s Industry Recognition Awards, climbed Ben Nevis and is in training for a half marathon! Tune in to listen to our very casual but Really Useful Conversation as we do our bit to promote Menopause Awareness Day in the UK this week.      Contact Pam through if you want to find out more about free well-being advice through certain life protection policies too. 

This month is a busy month for me and my business. World Mental Health Day and Menopause Awareness Month are two initiatives designed to keep the conversations going about these two very important topics. The theme for WMHD is around mental health and wellbeing for all as a GLOBAL priority - but before we go global, let's check out our own back yard first and as for the menopause, we need to push past the limited stereotypical view of hot flushes and night sweats and understand more about the debilitating symptoms, be that emotional, psychological or physical that 80% of women will experience. Continuing the conversation is the theme - and I've started so I'll finish! Lots to think about this month!