The Dangerous Women Podcast – Details, episodes & analysis

In this Episode, we are channelling positivity, something we could all do with in such a chaotic world. 
 
Nonie White, former documentary Director, turned Founder, turned ICF ACC Executive Coach and accredited Positive Psychology Practitioner. She is a BAFTA-nominated storyteller who works with the science of flourishing to help ambitious entrepreneurs step into their next level of leadership and impact. Her clients are award-winning founders scaling service, tech, and product-based businesses. And Nonie helps ambitious - dangerous women - lead powerfully, calmly, and sustainably by building unshakeable performance, confidence and leadership from who they are at their best.
 
 She has co-authored the Forbes-featured report, The True Cost of Female Entrepreneurship, the result of interviews with hundreds of women, and that showcases patterns that lead to burnout or breakthrough. What separates those who thrive is not more strategy. It is deeper self-knowledge and stronger internal foundations.
 
In this podcast our host Sophy speaks to Nonie about what drives her, how positive psychology has helped her, and how this evidence-based practice helps the leaders she coaches. They discuss some of the biggest issues facing entrepreneurial women as we ride this period of immense business transition, including:

• Getting to know ourselves better and how that shapes our lives and taking the appropriate action.
• Understanding what makes us thrive. 
• Radically putting ourselves as the centre of our own lives
• If psychology is getting us to 0% (even) then positive psychology is getting us to +5%
• Understanding who we are at our best and not performing a version of ourselves.
• Just knowing our character strengths means we perform 9% better, and if act on then we can perform 18% better.
• Entrepreneurship is one of the most challenging things we can do, and when we are women, which comes with a new set of challenges.
• It is important to experience joy at work, and to know we do not have to be our thoughts. 
• Successful female entrepreneurs rewrite the rules and do things differently. They flourish despite the challenges, and they get better results. These are the Positive Deviants. 
• And there is an emerging blueprint to do things differently (The True Cost of Female Entrepreneurship is linked below)

 Links:

Nonie White LinkedIn
Sophy Norris LinkedIn
The Alligator Pi Agency LinkedIn
Nonie's Website
Nonie's Leadership Test
VIA Institute Character Strengths
The True Cost of Female Entrepreneurship
Martin Seligman
Barbara Fredrickson
Emmie Faust LinkedIn

In this Episode, Sophy talks to a woman who defines the meaning of a portfolio career, a carefully crafted series of roles and services that enable her to share her expertise, support and lift those she works with and lean into the industries she is passionate about.

Monica Chadha's story is one of grabbing opportunities, following instincts, harnessing mentorship and sometimes stepping into the unknown. This is a woman who knows her value and shares it. Today, she is the Chair of a PwC Advisory Board; sits on the Advisory Board for the 30% Club, a Non-Executive Director of the British Film Institute; and a Senior Advisor to Digital Entertainment Group International (DEGI); British Association for Screen Entertainment (BASE); and the International Union of Cinemas (UNIC). She is a member of the British Screen Forum and a voting member of BAFTA. 

Of course, she didn’t begin with such an illustrious portfolio, but she did start making waves early on.  She started her career at Technicolor Distribution in supply chain management and was appointed to the Board of the British Video Association aged 24. She became Production Director of Prism Leisure Corporation PLC aged 25. Since then, she has held several roles including CEO of MyMovies.Net; Non-Executive Director of Obviously Creative; Chair of the British Independent Film Awards Advisory Board; a member of the BAFTA Digital Communications Board; Advisor to Marlow Film Studios; a member of the Bias in AI Research Group at Durham University; and the All-Party Parliamentary Group for AI; and Vice Chair of Queen Mary University of London.

Monica is a faculty member of the Financial Times Board Director Programme and a confidential thinking partner and coach for senior executives. In 2019, she was named as one of the top 50 Women to Watch in the UK Female FTSE Board Report. 

It's an impressive list, daunting even.  But, as you will hear as you listen to this podcast, Monica is anything but daunting. She is fun, mischievous, insightful and generous.  She shares her experiences and wisdom widely, and there is much to learn from her discussions with Sophy.  

Just some of the MANY takeaways include:

• Managing success at a young age, and how people respond to that success, "the most important relationship is the one with yourself." 
• The importance of turning confrontations into conversations. 
• Understanding that what is dangerous for some feels safe for others. 
• Knowing what your values are early on and being able to articulate them. 
• The crucial power of relationships, of holding on to them, and letting go of them and the absolute importance of egalitarianism (aka human flirtations).
• You are the CEO of your own career. Curate your own personal boardroom of advisors, and know the expanse of your network, and who to tap into for different scenarios and advice. 
• Remembering that leadership needs a phenomenal network. 
• Hope is harvesting opportunities and seeing possibilities everywhere. 
• Sometimes we have to manage the difficult stuff, so understanding how is key. 
• Why humour is a superpower. 
• Always be careful what you say yes to and remember to think about what you want your exit to look like.
• Progress is a series of tiny wins built on years of experience. Remember that! 

LINKS:

Monica Chadha LinkedIn

Sophy Norris LinkedIn

The Dangerous Women Collective LinkedIn

The Alligator Pi Agency LinkedIn

In this week's episode, our host Sophy Norris speaks to a woman on the frontline of AI; someone who has deliberately crafted her own career whilst raising a family and battling a few of her own "demons". Claire Roberts is an inclusive AI campaigner and Co-Founder of Full Fathom Five, an AI consulting and training firm dedicated to helping organisations design ethical, people-centred AI strategies and develop confident, inclusive AI leaders.

A founding member of the UKAI Women in AI, Claire is a passionate advocate for women & diversity in technology and AI, most recently speaking at the UKAI parliamentary roundtable on Tackling Misogyny in AI. With over 25 years’ experience leading transformation across FTSE 100 companies, Claire brings a unique perspective on how to embed AI responsibly within complex organisations. Her work focuses on shaping cultures that empower women and underrepresented groups to lead technological change, ensuring that the future of AI is both ethical and equitable.

Alongside a deep dive into ethical AI, gender bias and personal responsibility, we also discuss Claire's own career trajectory, which happened despite not having a degree (her words, not ours), an educational shoulder chip which drove her to "hack" her way upwards, being a working mum and the importance of cognitively balanced teams in fostering innovation.

Specifics include:

• How a lack of something and a chip on a shoulder can become a transformational driving force: the ultimate motivation
• Why being dangerous means never being satisfied
• The power of insatiable curiosity and constant questioning
• The incredible power of realising that you don't need to play by anyone else's rules, and that the game is yours to win
• Why we need to realise that not every day is the day that we will change the world
• How a "disaster zone" career path can reveal new routes, even some back doors, to a successful career
• Leaning into opportunities, even when they seem terrifying
• If you want to innovate, you have to be allowed to break things
• Diverse teams, strong leadership and channelling dangerous thoughts can generate brilliance
• When we are the only, or one of few, women in the room, we need to think about how we introduce more diversity of thought
• We need to talk about AI in a way that works for women
• Using AI responsibly is our next big learning curve; we need to learn to be responsible, hold AI accountable and use it ethically
• Why women must become more interested in AI: for every one woman taking an AI course, there are two to three men, and people with strong AI skills (currently men) are more likely to pull ahead
• Currently, the jobs that AI might replace over-index as female
• AI is ingesting toxic data (24% of data in ChatGPT3 is from Reddit), which naturally skews male
• Our future will require analytical, empathetic thinkers, which is very female-focused, but only if we are prepared
• We need to ask harder questions about AI in the workplace, and question our prompts and outputs (see links for a shared prompt database)
• The AI chain of accountability is highly fragmented and complex; every part needs to be regulated

• Ethical and Responsible AI Use - Prompt Library
• Sarah Porter - LinkedIn
• Cindy Gallop - MakeLoveNotPorn | LinkedIn
• Laura Bates
• Professor Sue Black OBE - LinkedIn
• The Alligator Pi Agency | LinkedIn
• LinkedIn - Sophy Norris
• Full Fathom Five Website
• Full Fathom Five AI | LinkedIn
• LinkedIn - Claire Roberts

Today, our host Sophy Norris is speaking to Georgia Ware, the Co-Founder and CEO of climate tech start-up HotGreenSolutions. Georgia is taking on the world of industrial heat (which contributes a staggering 20% to CO2 emissions) through her impressive blend of entrepreneurialism, innovation, storytelling and gritty determination.

HotGreen is an industrial heat pump start-up that is outcompeting steam boilers with a green heat solution. She became passionate about industrial heat, and its enormous climate impact while in her previous role as the Head of Growth and Partnerships at Hexxcell, a hybrid-AI software company focused on optimising the maintenance processes for industrial heat transfer equipment.

Georgia and her business partner have just secured £1.2 million in seed funding, which will help the business kick-start its mission of making industrial heat solutions affordable for all, as well as reducing emissions. And hearing her tell her story, and making the seemingly unsexy world of industrial heat, SEXY, it becomes clear just how driven she is, and why investors have invested.

In our conversation, we discuss the world of start-ups, engineering, climate change, what it means to be dangerous, and why operating in a man's world can be a brilliant secret weapon. She shows a new way of doing business and the importance of innovation and new solutions in a rapidly transforming world.

Sophy and Georgia discuss:

• Helping solve climate change solutions, but tackling the affordability of, and emissions created by, industrial heat (which is responsible for more than the emissions created by the transportation industry or the US and India combined!)
• Finding the sexy in the unsexy and the power of crafting a powerful narrative (especially in manufacturing)
• Why the government needs to support climate tech innovation more
• Walking the investment journey as a woman, and the power of being memorable
• Knowing your purpose and how that fuels an unrelenting desire to move forward
• Channelling Taylor Swift and not wasting time wondering: "I'm so sick of running as fast as I can, Wondering if I'd get there quicker if I was a man"
• How her side-hustle (improv comedy) has taught Georgia to get comfortable with small failures and why practical resilience is vital
• Remember that resilience is a muscle; train it!
• Why more women should consider engineering
• Being average can also mean forward momentum (though Georgia's "average" is perhaps a rare breed)
• Being a Founder is being everything: CEO, CRO, CMO, PA and Delivery Person
• Growth is inherently uncomfortable; it is a marathon, not a sprint

• The Dangerous Women Collective | LinkedIn
• The Alligator Pi Agency | LinkedIn
• Sophy Norris - LinkedIn
• LinkedIn Login, Sign in | LinkedIn
• HotGreen Solutions
• Georgia Ware - LinkedIn

In this Episode, our host Sophy Norris speaks to Bobby Davis, who is most definitely a zig, not zag type of woman. Bobby is a coach and a champion of change. She works with individuals and teams to help them get unstuck, breathe a little easier, and step into who they want to be.

She has over 27 years of experience in organisational development, business transformation, and leadership. Her background spans the British Army, non-profits, professional services, and private equity-owned hotel groups. She’s worked within C-suite teams, led major people-focused transformation programmes, and built cultures where coaching and honest conversations drive real change. Bobby isn’t your typical executive coach. She’s a Chief, or even MisChief, Ripple Maker, stirring up just enough disruption to help people and teams shift what’s stuck, see new possibilities, and create lasting change.

Bobby also finds time (don’t all Dangerous Women) to speak on conference platforms and, through her podcast More than a Lumpy Jumper, to share her leadership stories (the good, the bad, and the downright ugly). And she is not done there, Bobby is also a school governor for two primary schools and is a proud member of the Military Wives Choir.

So, as you might imagine, we cover a lot in this Episode. where we cover Bobby's move from the military into the corporate world, to starting her own business. What great organisational culture looks like (and does not), and the impact, and starting point, or redundancy. Bobby shares practical and inspirational advice, and tells some pretty compelling stories on the way. Topics we touch on include:

• Matching a personal brand to the expectations of the board, and the power of being our own self, and what we think people expect of us
• Managing hierarchy to climb the corporate ladder as a dangerous woman
• Building a cohort of allies and mentors
• Leaning in, owning, and maximising our femininity and playing to our strengths
• Everything redundancy, from managing the "stigma", to what a good redundancy looks like (and yes, it is possible,) to managing the fears and drivers post-redundancy to make the next step
• The importance of adaptability, especially in a tricky job market
• How self-reflection should become a daily practice, and that the best place to learn is when we are sitting in our own discomfort
• Managing loneliness and the importance of purposeful tribes
• Why being uncorporate does not mean being unprofessional

• The Alligator Pi Agency | LinkedIn
• Sophy Norris - LinkedIn
• More Than a Lumpy Jumper | Podcast on Spotify
• Bobby Davis | Executive & Management Coaching
• Bobby Davis - LinkedIn

Sometimes being dangerous is about longevity. About deeply understanding an industry, the space you fill, and the power you have to transform. Our Episode 2 guest exemplifies this kind of Dangerous Woman. Robin Wiener is President of the Recycled Materials Association (ReMA), where she has worked for over 30 years. She is known as a passionate and visionary leader who advocates for the economic, environmental, and social benefits of recycling

Her organisation represents more than 1,700 companies in the U.S. and around the world that produce high-quality recycled materials, supplying manufacturing industries and helping to make the supply chain more sustainable and resilient. Whether it is the cars we drive in and the bridges we drive over, the wires that bring electricity into our homes and offices, the bottles we drink from, or the boxes that carry consumer goods and food into our households, it is the recycled materials industry that is responsible for so many of the everyday items and infrastructure that we all depend upon. It is impossible to go a day – or even an hour – without using a product made at least in part of recycled materials.

We use these words deliberately because they tell such a strong story. This is not the language of manufacturing, but of the everyday, and Robin has been instrumental in helping the recycling industry tell this new tale.

Indeed, Robin has led -as all dangerous women do – fearlessly from the front to transform the reputation of her industry on more than one occasion. Under her leadership, ReMA has expanded its reach and effectiveness within the United States and globally, fostering a culture of collaboration, safety, compliance and innovation.

Like so many Dangerous Women, Robin shares her knowledge expansively and generously. In this Episode, we discuss:

• Being a woman in a man's world, and embracing the power of being the only woman in the room
• Seeing, calling out, and forgiving ignorance
• Managing imposter syndrome, and regularly evolving ("if you are going through hell, keep going!")
• Transformation as the ultimate recycling; the importance of change and keeping relevant
• Why women are excellent at leading transformation
• The moment you know you are as smart as everyone else in the room, and why we become increasingly fearless as we get older
• The responsibility of role modelling
• The importance of continually asking questions, balanced with recognising when to trust your gut
• Following passions and passing them down the line.

• BIR - Home of BIR
• Home - Recycled Materials Association
• The Alligator Pi Agency | LinkedIn
• Sophy Norris - LinkedIn
• Robin Wiener - Recycled Materials Association (ReMA) | LinkedIn

In this Series 4 opening Episode, our host Sophy Norris speaks to Roxy Pryor, the visionary founder & CEO of Superoom. This rapidly scaling startup sells clinical-grade, organic functional mushrooms focused on boosting wellness and performance.

In 2019, Roxy’s copper IUD led to full-blown copper toxicity, triggering cystic acne, weight gain, panic attacks, depression, and chronic exhaustion. Despite months of doctor visits and endless prescriptions, it was her discovery of functional mushrooms that sparked her true recovery and ultimately Superoom’s mission.

Roxy leads the company with a clear mission: to empower people to proactively manage their health using clinically validated, ultra-potent functional mushroom formulas, sourced from Finland’s pristine forests. Her fusion of scientific knowledge, business acumen, and personal passion sets Superoom apart as a leader in wellness and longevity.

Since launching earlier this summer, the Superoom word is spreading, sales are strong, and the business is going from strength to strength. The power of clinical-grade functional mushrooms is out there.

We discuss a lot in this Episode, from health, passion and purpose, a clear vision, the power of preparedness, and the benefits of functional mushrooms. You will hear:

• How to transform a passion into a business
• Why honing your business narrative helps secure funding (indeed, 9 out of 10 investors in Roxy's case)
• That being vulnerable, raw and authentic is transformative, even when uncomfortable
• Why creating a culture of testing, pivoting, and getting it wrong is the fastest route to getting it right
• Why every step of your career, inside and outside the corporate world, is preparation for the next step, especially when that next step is founding your own business
• That sometimes a step back (in Roxy's case, illness, moving home, having to take a job to put food on the table), fuels your determination to continue forward
• A rapid-fire Q&A on the fundamentals of founding a business
• The importance of outside interests (mental and physical) in bringing balance to home and working life
• Why we should consciously lean into, and pursue, opportunities as they arise (we absolutely make our own luck when it comes to the start-up world)

And of course, so much more!

• The Alligator Pi Agency | LinkedIn
• The Dangerous Women Collective | LinkedIn
• Roxy Pryor - LinkedIn
• Sophy Norris LinkedIn
• Antivirus and Internet Security for Home & Business | ESET
• Superoom | Clinical-Grade Organic Functional Mushroom Liquid Formulas

• The Alligator Pi Agency | LinkedIn
• Sophy Norris LinkedIn
• LinkedIn Login, Sign in | LinkedIn
• Propolis homepage - B2B Marketing

In this “Transformation Together” special, our host Sophy Norris interviews 11 incredible women about what they think about the rapid transformation marketing leaders face today, how we and our teams ride the waves of change, and who leaders turn to help ride that change (spoiler alert: communities like Dangerous Women and Propolis are part of the solution).

Their answers are candid, illuminating, and thought-provoking as we discuss the impact of AI, what transformation feels like, the importance of strong foundations and a clear north star, and the new skills to flex and pivot (a word you will hear a lot) across a daily changing landscape.

I was lucky enough to interview two of our Dangerous Women live at the Leaders Forum event last month (September 2025), and we will open and close our podcast with Shane Redding and Toni Allen. We have then captured the best answers from the other nine interviews to share with you in snippets.

The nine fantastically Dangerous Women are:

1. Corinne Gladstone, Head of Corporate Communications and Public Relations for Aptia

2. Renaye Edwards, co-founder and MD of B2B marketing agency Radish

3. Orla Murphy, marketing leader, ABM specialist and founder of MavenB2B

4. Jennifer Montague, fellow podcast host and Senior GTM Leader for Verdane

5. Maria Montague, CMO of Grant Thornton UK

6. Sophie Marshall, Marketing Alliances and Partner Director at Cloud Direct

7. Maya Price, Global Head, Field Marketing Event Management for SAP

8. Kate Sinclaire, Partner, Business Development and Marketing LCO

9. Julie Berriff, UK marketing ESET (who also sponsors our main podcast!)

It is a mega episode, so it might be worth making a coffee and getting comfortable as you listen to the wisdom and insights from 11 marketing leaders (or break it up into bite-sized chunks!).

Thank you to Propolis and the IET for all your support.

• The Alligator Pi Agency | LinkedIn
• Sophy Norris LinkedIn
• LinkedIn Login, Sign in | LinkedIn
• Propolis homepage - B2B Marketing

In our Series Finale, Sophy Norris speaks to Annie Coleman, an Ambassador for Stanford University’s Center on Longevity, whose mission is to accelerate and implement scientific discoveries, technological advances, behavioural practices, and social norms so that century-long lives are healthy and rewarding. Annie also runs her own business, RealiseLongevity, and is a sought-after speaker and published writer on longevity, the future of work and organisational culture.

In this Episode, we unpack what longevity means and the reality of ageism in a population living longer and more actively than ever before. This brings with it huge challenges, but also incredible opportunities (indeed, a $15 trillion one). Some of the areas we discuss include:

• The 100-year lifespan, and living a third of our lives post-60
• Women can take career breaks and get back on it
• Why we should stop thinking about generational differences, and focus more on stages of life
• The power of intergenerational project teams, as this is where the magic happens
• The importance of reverse mentoring and the need for a new kind of leadership
• Why women are never the right age, and are more affected by ageism
• Why COVID was a 'she-session' and not a recession
• Taking responsibility for our financial future
• Women don't need to be invisible
• Reframing ageing
• Why not having a longevity strategy means you don't have a growth strategy
• The (massive) missed marketing opportunity of ignoring women over 55
• Why we need to retire the word retirement
• The power of physical and mental challenges in building long-term resilience
• Sharing what leaders need to hear, and not what they want to hear
• Find out who "didn't just break the glass ceiling but wore the crown"

And a huge thank you to ESET for sponsoring Series 3, you have made it so much easier to bring more Dangerous Women into our cohort. ESET provides Next-Gen Digital Security for Home and Business.

Links:

Annie Coleman | Sophy Norris

The Stanford Centre on Longevity

RealiseLongevity

The Alligator Pi Agency

Sponsor:

ESET

Items mentioned in this Episode:

Cognitive Diversity in Asset Management (a report)

Women of Influence 2024 Study

Stanford Center on Longevity New Map of Life

Charles Handy and Second Curve of Careers

Fidelidade Insurance Company Head of Longevity

In this Episode our host Sophy Norris and guest Annalise Coady, President Europe GCI Health, dive deep into the heart of agency life, exploring the nuances of female leadership and tackling one of the hottest topics of our time, the rise of artificial intelligence. Annalise brings over 20 years of experience in global marketing communications, where her expertise in data, AI, and technology helps clients navigate the complex healthcare environment we face today.

But this isn’t just about the stats and strategies. We’re here to celebrate Annalise's passion for making scientific data accessible and engaging for everyone. With a career spanning the UK, USA, UAE, Canada, and beyond, she’s not only been a trailblazer in major organisations like Microsoft and Fleishman-Hillard, but she’s also built strong teams, showcasing her superpower of leadership.

Annalise’s blend of strategic vision and financial savvy has driven exceptional growth for many of the organisations she has worked for. Her human, authentic approach and her impeccable timing in capturing the zeitgeist make her a powerful voice in an ever-evolving industry.

So, whether you’re looking to become a more effective leader, interested in the future of healthcare and technology, or want to be inspired by a woman who’s making waves in her field, this episode is one you won't want to miss.

Get ready for a jam-packed conversation filled with insights, laughter, and some powerful takeaways that can help you stay a step ahead in your own journey, including:

• Why we should refuse to settle for the status quo
• The power of pragmatic disruption
• Why agencies are the best training ground
• Role-modelling (emulating and being) will help forge careers
• Consciously creating teams and working hard to integrate blended teams
• What drives the most value for clients, and why being ahead of the curve underpins this
• Being strategy-focused and achievement-oriented
• If you move at pace, remember to bring people with you (because we also need people obsessed with detail)
• Understanding the power of AI in enabling, but also the premium value of 'human only'
• Knowing fear but mitigating risk
• Being ready to navigate "the room"
• Critical nature of financial literacy in senior leadership "forecasts are my suckyblanket"
• Forging relationships, because you will win more business over a drink than you will responding to an RFP
• "Always assume best intent"

This series of The Dangerous Women Podcast is sponsored by ESET, providing Next-Gen Digital Security for Home and Business. We thank you so much for making our show possible,

Links:

Annalise Coady | Sophy Norris

GCI Health

The Alligator Pi Agency

Sponsor:

ESET

Items mentioned in this Episode:

Cognitive Diversity in Asset Management (a report)

The Rest Is Entertainment Podcast

The Authority Gap, Mary-Anne Seighart