Breaking the Perfection Myth:

Tim Davies on the Power of Innovative Thinking

Ever feel like success means never messing up? Stuck in a dead-end job and dreaming of something more? This episode of the Mindset Mentor Meets Podcast is your wake-up call. Host Angela Cox chats with Tim Davies, the forward-thinking CEO of ivolve Group. Together, they bust the myth of flawlessness and show you the power of embracing your mistakes and innovative thinking.

This episode is your roadmap to redefining success. Whether you're a student, an entrepreneur, or somewhere in between, Angela and Tim will inspire you to ditch the masks and lead with authenticity.  

Get ready to discover how vulnerability can be your superpower, not your weakness. This episode is all about unlocking your true potential and turning your stumbles into stepping stones. Plus, Tim shares his incredible journey – from navigating different careers to leading with a pioneering spirit. Tune in to be inspired to lead with innovative thinking and more.

Here are three reasons why you should listen to the full episode:

1. Discover how embracing failure can be a powerful tool for growth. 
2. Learn how authenticity and vulnerability in leadership can transform your professional relationships and organizational culture.
3. Gain insights into the innovative thinking fostered by embracing DIY projects and other hands-on activities. 

Resources

• Contact Tim Davies on LinkedIn
• Visit ivolve Group
• Coaching with Angela Cox
• Listen to The Mindset Mentor Meets

Episode Highlights

[2:37] Tim's First Proudest Moment: When Failure Became Tim's Greatest Teacher 

• Tim shares that openness about failures and challenges can strengthen personal and professional connections.
• He discusses a specific instance, "Leaders Unplugged," where he openly talked about his failures, leading to an unexpectedly positive response from the audience.
• Tim observed that this openness about failures and vulnerabilities led to an outpouring of gratitude from listeners, who felt more seen and understood.

[12:47] Tim's Second Proudest Moment: Transitioning to CEO and Changing Sectors

• Tim narrates his journey of becoming CEO of ivolve Group and the challenges of entering a new sector with a fresh perspective.
• He emphasizes the importance of being commercially sensible without compromising on quality care.
• Discussing the integration of businesses within Ivolve Group, Tim explains the importance of developing a new team and culture focused on transparency, vulnerability, and error admission to foster psychological safety.
• Tim discusses the impact of organizational trauma and the importance of reassurance, innovative thinking, and calm leadership in times of transition and uncertainty.

[22:15] Tim's Third Proudest Moment: Personal Growth Through a DIY Project

• Tim shares his experience of renovating a static caravan, which served as a metaphor for personal growth and the value of investing effort into a project.
• He describes how hands-on activities, like DIY projects, can be an exercise in innovative thinking and provide a sense of achievement.
• Tim reflects on the importance of such activities for balancing professional responsibilities and personal well-being.

[28:30] Overcoming Perfectionism and the Value of Authentic Leadership

• Tim and Angela delve into the pitfalls of perfectionism, discussing how striving for flawlessness can hinder personal and professional development rather than foster it.
• They touch upon the challenge of public speaking and the realization that perfection in communication is less important than authenticity and connection with the audience.
• Tim advises against overpreparation and stresses the importance of being relatable and human in professional settings.
• We must understand the role of EQ (emotional intelligence) over IQ in leadership success and the continuous journey toward personal and professional growth.

5 Powerful Quotes

[3:03] “I realized that [to] be more open about one's failures, or the challenges that have happened over your career or over your life, rather than being something that you need to hide and push down… if you have the confidence and courage, and it does take some to be a bit more open about is something that actually can connect you to people and takes a lot of anxiety away from you as well.

 

[7:21] “…there was a really fine line between being so overly open, that you actually discredit yourself and being vulnerable enough and human enough or grounded enough to make people feel relatable to you. And that you also are not perfect, and you've [never had been] perfect to get that position.”

 

[9:59] “I do think that you only really learn with it when things are bad. No, of course, you do some learning and some developing when things are all right, and things are going okay. But it's tiny in comparison to when things are tough… or things are going wrong or something's failed, that is where the real development happens.”

 

[28:43] “...perfectionism gets in the way of a lot of things…I think it is to some extent, a strength because you meet people who've got high standards. They put lots of pressure on themselves. They want to deliver things and that's great, but when it tips over, and often it does, I think it really is an inhibitor.”

 

[31:45] “There are some technical roles where actually it's all about IQ…you have to have enough IQ to be competent. Beyond that, more and more and more IQ does not equal more and more and more performance. Yeah. But EQ is what it's about.”

About the Guest

Tim Davies, a healthcare leader with over 20 years of experience, stands at the forefront of modern leadership. He brings a unique blend of emotional intelligence and innovative thinking to complex, regulated environments. 

As CEO of ivolve Group, Tim has redefined leadership within the care sector. He spearheaded transformative changes, including significant rebranding and integrating diverse operations under the ivolve Care and Support banner.  

Tim's passion for digital innovation and human-centric management and his proven track record of success positions him as a thought leader in modern healthcare. Don't miss his insights on embracing failure and leading with authenticity! 

Connect with him on LinkedIn.

Enjoy this Podcast?

Failure is not the end of things. What makes leaders great is their ability to embrace them and be more open to admitting them. If you learned something new from today's The Mindset Mentor Meets episode, hit subscribe and share it with your friends!

Post a review and share it! If you enjoyed tuning into this podcast episode, share your thoughts with us online and tell us your stories of how innovative thinking boosted your business or improved your life. You can also share it to help your family and friends.

Have any questions? You can contact me through LinkedIn, Instagram and Facebook. Thanks for listening! 

For more updates and episodes, visit my website. You can also tune in to Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify, or PodBean. 

To meeting inspiration,

Angela

The Power of Habits and a Positive Mindset: How Tony Humberstone Built a Thriving Business

Being rejected hurts — and even if it happens again and again, it doesn't get any easier. The pain of getting doors slammed to your face, receiving rejection emails to your job applications, or being ignored scars a person. 

But that doesn’t have to be the end of your story.

In this episode of The Mindset Mentor Meets, Angela Cox meets with Vooba Founder and CEO Tony Humberstone to talk about his journey from being a humble door-to-door salesman to building a successful digital marketing agency, all the while maintaining a close relationship with his family.

Having braved multiple rejections and even falling into a health slump, Humberstone shares how he overcame all the obstacles in his life through a positive mindset and building good habits. It might sound cheesy, but this episode details how he applied that in his life and how that changed everything for him.

Change starts from that one positive thought. Passion fuels it, and discipline allows it to go on. Let's dive into Tony Humberstone's story and learn all about his journey toward success.

Here are three reasons why you should listen to the full episode:

1. Learn how a positive mindset can influence your actions and drive you to do better.
2. Understand how combining hard work, discipline, and a positive mindset makes all the difference.
3. Discover how balancing your work with your health and family relationships makes life worth living.

Resources

• Contact Tony Humberstone on LinkedIn
• Visit Vooba 
• Coaching with Angela Cox
• Listen to The Mindset Mentor Meets

Episode Highlights

[03:19] Tony’s First Proudest Moment: His Sales Journey

• Tony started as a service engineer obsessed with sports, but he admits he didn't have a career mindset.
• He landed a job at BT Phonebooks through a friend in his squash club and began his career in sales.
• He didn't get good responses at first, but he kept going until he chanced upon Mortgage Search UK and got his first big sale.
• He eventually moved to London and got a job at a Google Adwords agency called REACH Local, but his passion called him to start his own business.
• He began PPC Stars, which eventually evolved into Vooba over the decades

[13:56] Tony’s Second Proudest Moment: His Journey of Shaping Up

• His busy London lifestyle made it difficult to stay in shape. He wasn't sleeping enough and felt burned out.
• Tony wanted to change, so he challenged himself by entering a half Ironman: a triathlon event involving swimming, biking and a marathon.
• He loved the event and continued doing them, relishing in his proud moment of crossing the finish line each time.
• Being physically active helped him in his business as well.
• Tony is thinking of what he can do to challenge himself even more.

[18:59] Tony’s Third Proudest Moment: His Daughter

• Tony’s proudest achievement is his daughter.
• He and his wife love seeing her develop into a fine young lady.
• He maintains a close relationship with her, and they communicate often.
• Still, Tony hopes to travel more once his daughter leaves the nest.

[22:50] Tony’s Ultimate Secret to Success

• Build up good habits through discipline
• Keep an open and positive mindset regarding rejection. Don’t fear it.
• This mindset helps run a business when many variables are outside your control.

5 Powerful Quotes

[02:13] 'I'm always glass half full and not a glass half empty. I'm a big believer in positive mindset.'

[10:57] ‘We all want to make money, but I still, to this day, get a buzz out of bringing a client on board and then helping them grow. And ultimately: if they grow, we grow, so that drives me to this day.’

[15:54] 'I ended up doing five [triathlons], but the first one I did, I mean, literally, I was crawling over the finish line. It wasn't a particularly amazing time, but it then inspired me to obviously get better at it and work a bit harder.'

[23:37] ‘Just going back to the story about knocking on doors: a lot of people hated it, because you would knock on a lot of doors and get a lot of rejection. But I'd always keep going, thinking this next door might be that golden ticket.’

[25:19] ‘You've just got to be positive all the time.’

About the Guest

Tony Humberstone is the Founder and CEO of Vooba, a digital marketing agency based in rural West Sussex in the UK. Serving for more than 20 years in the advertising industry since the Yellow Pages days, he had extensive experience in sales as a Field Sales Consultant and area Sales Manager, eventually climbing up the ranks to a Business Development Manager. He founded PPC Stars, which specialized in Google Ads. He grew that company into a team of 40 people with over 300 clients and later rebranded as Vooba.

Learn more about Tony and her work on the Vooba website and connect with him on LinkedIn.

Enjoy this Podcast?

Having the right attitude and habits changes everything. It can give you the strength and courage to move forward despite rejection and other obstacles. If you learned something new from today's The Mindset Mentor Meets episode, hit subscribe and share it with your friends!

Post a review and share it! If you enjoyed tuning into this podcast episode, share your thoughts with us online. You can also share it to help your family and friends.

Have any questions? You can contact me through LinkedIn, Instagram and Facebook. Thanks for listening! 

For more updates and episodes, visit my website. You can also tune in to Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify, or PodBean. 

To meeting inspiration,

Angela

 

The Winning Mindset: How to Break Free from Your Limiting Beliefs with Rob Birkhead

The first step is always the hardest, but that first stride you take towards your goals will bring you places. The beginning of your journey will feel like a million miles away from success, and you may feel discouraged. But progress, no matter how small, is still progress. You can only accomplish your goals and visions through action. And if you focus on that first step, it becomes easier to take the next steps and move up to success.

In this episode, Rob Birkhead talks about the winning mindset he developed at 16, working towards acing his GCSEs. He shares how he applied the realisations from that time later on in his life and career. Rob also lets us in on how constantly pushing himself to get better led to his proudest moments in his business and fitness journey. He then shares the three secrets to success that guide his every step.

If you want to learn the winning mindset behind freeing yourself from limiting beliefs and achieving any goal you set for yourself, this episode is for you!

Here are three reasons why you should listen to the full episode:

1. Discover the power of breaking free from your limiting beliefs.
2. Learn why taking a step back can be a big leap forward.
3. Find out the importance of having a plan and vision in reaching goals.

Resources 

• TRINITY Transformation
• Fit Over Forty for Women by Rob Birkhead
• Contact Rob: Website
• Enough by Angela Cox
• Angela’s Episodes on The Fit Over 40 Podcast:
  • Ep 5 – How Angela Cox Lost 8.5 Stone (And Overcame 30+ Years Of Yo-Yo Dieting)
  • Ep 19 – Angela Cox (Round 2)
  • Ep 70 – Award-Winning Life Coach Angela Cox on Getting Unstuck, Conquering Self-Doubt & Fulfilling Our Full Potential
• Coaching with Angela Cox
• Listen to The Mindset Mentor Meets

Episode Highlights 

[03:09] Rob’s First Proudest Moment

• Rob had a lot of limiting beliefs academically until he completed his GCSE. 
• He wanted to buy a car back then. His dad promised him a certain amount of money or penalty payments, depending on his exam results.
• Rob revised for the first time to prepare for the exam. His hard work resulted in seven A*s and five As.
• Beyond being able to buy the car, he realised that there’s a lot more he can do than he thought.
• Working towards achieving the incentive made him realise his potential and the power of structure and planning.

[09:49] Applying His Realisation to His Clients’ Success

• Rob helps clients see that believing they can do it is the biggest thing they can do on their journey.
• We need to question our beliefs because many of these stories are not factual.
• There is a narrative that women over 40 are naturally going to gain weight because of menopause.
• Rob’s programme is trying to change this. He wants these women to know that they can achieve results as long as they keep going and adapt.

[13:42] Rob’s Second Proudest Moment

• His second proudest moment is having their first team get-together in April this year.
• In 2019, he and his partner had to let their whole team go due to tax issues caused by inexperience. They didn’t get paid for 9 months while sorting it out.
• Currently, they have 10 people on the team. 
• They went to an escape room, had lunch, wore matching TRINITY clothing, and did a team photoshoot.
• Rob realised they have grown and come a long way from the tough times they went through.

[17:49] Grow with the Challenges

• Whatever path you take is hard.
• There will always be issues working with a team, but you have to grow with it.
• It’s about constantly pushing yourself to get better.
• Hard work is an element of success, but it’s not enough on its own. Otherwise, you will get burnt out.

[20:10] Rob’s Third Proudest Moment

• The most complicated movement for Olympic weightlifting is the ‘snatch’.
• Rob’s goal when he started CrossFit was to do an 80-kilo bodyweight snatch. But he couldn’t increase the weight from 75 kilos for some time.
• Going through lockdowns sent him back even more. Thus, he went back to basics and refined his technique because he knew that was his issue.
• Weightlifting is not about strength; it’s all about technique.
• After five years, Rob was able to do the 80-kilo snatch this year at their gym’s weightlifting competition. Tune in to the full episode for the complete story!

[25:54] Stress and Weight Loss for Women Over 40

• Female hormones change as early as 10 years before menopause. The average age of menopause in the UK is 51.
• Overstressing the body around this age can cause chronically elevated cortisol levels. 
• Constant high-stress hormone levels trigger the weight gain triangle, involving leptin, insulin, and thyroid. Listen to the full episode to learn how it works!
• Rob doesn’t recommend CrossFit and intense training for clients because they’re very stressful on the body.
• They focus on LIST or low-impact strength training, which you can efficiently do at home or the gym.

[30:03] Rob’s Three Secrets to Success

• You need to have a vision for where you’re going. Keep moving forward no matter what happens, and try not to put time pressure on yourself.
• Second, get help from people with a track record of your goals.
• Lastly, just be patient. It may take longer than you thought, but it will be worth it.
• If you don’t know what the next best step is, find someone knowledgeable who can help you.
• Tune in to the episode to hear more about Rob’s three secrets to success!

5 Powerful Quotes

[05:47] “If you work hard in a structured way, and you make it enjoyable, and you have a reason to do it — there’s a strong goal — then it can all come together.”

[10:38] “You should question everything you believe because, as you know, it’s all just stories; there [are] usually no facts to it.”

[18:05] “Whatever path you take is hard. It not going well is hard. It also going well is hard.”

[40:29] “It's having that vision and then going, ‘It's there. I don't know how we're going to do it, but we'll get there, and I'll just keep going no matter what.”

[42:19] “If you don't know what the next step is, find someone who knows what the next step is because they will be able to tell you.”

About Rob

Rob Birkhead is the co-founder of TRINITY Transformation and is UK's #1 women's health coach and weight loss expert for working women over 40. Rob's weight loss expertise expands across the domains of nutrition, exercise, and mindset. In the last 6 years, he has transformed the lives of over 6,500 clients across the globe. Rob is also the Amazon bestselling author of Fit Over 40 For Women.

You can learn more about Rob by visiting his website.  

Enjoy this Podcast?

You are more than your limiting beliefs — Rob Birkhead shows how you can live up to your potential by changing your mindset. If you enjoyed today's episode of The Mindset Mentor Meets, hit subscribe and share it with your friends! 

Post a review and share it! If you enjoyed tuning into this podcast episode, share your thoughts with us online. You can also share it to help your family and friends achieve massive outcomes.

Have any questions? You can contact me through LinkedIn, Instagram and Facebook. Thanks for listening! 

For more updates and episodes, visit my website. You can also tune in on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify or Podbean. 

To meeting inspiration,

Angela

 

In this special podcast episode, you will be a fly on the wall in Angela’s coaching room.

 

Angela is working with Rob, an entrepreneur and co-founder.

 

Rob explained how he often feels under threat in situations that involve conflict, and this causes him to shut down. He finds it difficult to speak up and this results in a feeling of weakness. 

 

We use a recent event during which Rob felt he couldn’t speak up as our gateway memory. I asked Rob replay the event and observe himself in the memory. He recalled the feelings and was able to pinpoint how these showed up in his body. Using this visceral feeling we tracked back through other memories until we found a much earlier one which formed the basis for the beliefs he formed about speaking up. 

 

It’s a fascinating episode which allows you to hear the impact that events in the past can have on the here and now.

 

If you would like to do a coaching session with Angela, check out the breakthrough session here 

 

https://angela-cox.co.uk/breakthrough/

 

 

In this special podcast episode you will be a fly on the wall in Angela’s coaching room.   Angela is working with Lesley, a client she has worked with in the past. Lesley came with a very transactional wish, to incorporate journalling into her routine.   We explored why she wants to do the journaling and soon uncovered some deeper blocks. Lesley feels she doesn't deserve the things she has in her life. You’ll hear Lesley open up about a memory from her past in which she was left disappointed and like her happiness was taken away.   Angela and Lesley worked on the memory together so Lesley is able to move forwards without feeling her happiness will be taken away. Lesley realised she doesn't actually want to journal as it's not something that feels congruent with her character. We explored other ways she can connect with her feelings instead.   It’s well worth a listen and there will be some tips and tricks you can take away.   If you would like to do a coaching session with Angela, check out the breakthrough session here https://angela-cox.co.uk/breakthrough/                                

In this special podcast episode you will be a fly on the wall in Angela’s coaching room

Angela is working with Suzanne, a client she has never met before. 

Suzanne has some challenges with self doubt, saying what she really feels, and being her authentic self. Suzanne talks about wearing many masks and acting her way through life.

You’ll hear Suzanne open up about past traumas and together, Angela and Suzanne work on these which provides her with instant freedom.

Angela explores Suzanne’s need to be liked, and they dig under the skin of this, identifying how it manifests and where the root cause lies. Working in a therapeutic way, Angela helps Suzanne neutralise an event in her past that causes her to behave in ways she isn’t fond of.

It’s well worth a listen and there will be some tips and tricks you can take away. 

If you would like to do a coaching session with Angela, check out the breakthrough session here 

 

https://angela-cox.co.uk/breakthrough/

 

The Power of Knowing What You Can and Can’t Control with Martin Gibson

It's nice to think that we can achieve anything we set our minds to, but the truth is, there are a number of things we just can't control. Oftentimes, it's a struggle to let go of things we don’t even have power over. We hold on to them relentlessly in hopes that it will all work out in the end. However, it's essential to accept our limitations and focus on what we can change in order to find success. This will help you reach greater heights with ease.

In this episode, Martin Gibson shares the three proudest moments that shaped him into the superhuman he is today. He talks about navigating his military background and the values he learned from it. Martin then paints us a picture of how he brought these principles into consultancy. He also highlights the importance of creating human-level connections. Finally, he spills the secrets to his approach to achieving success.

If you want to adopt the mindset behind achieving massive outcomes, this episode is for you! 

Here are three reasons why you should listen to the full episode:

1. Find out how you can build resilience when faced with challenging times.
2. Discover the importance of creating human-level connections.
3. Learn an approach to achieving massive outcomes.

Resources 

• Gobeyond Partners
• Webhelp
• Coaching with Angela Cox
• Listen to The Mindset Mentor Meets
• Contact Martin: LinkedIn

Episode Highlights 

[05:32] Martin’s First Proudest Moment

• Martin’s first proudest moment was living through and overcoming some of the most challenging periods in his life.
• He took up a master’s in defence administration (MDA) for two years while working in the Royal Air Force.
• Many changes and challenges with his family and job came about during that period.
• He made it to the other side, finished his MDA and moved on to another job post.
• He's proud of how his family helped him get through that time.

[08:06] Finding Resilience

• Martin’s family worked together as a group. Fitness was also a key factor for him.
• Don’t let everything around you weigh upon you.
• There are things you can and can’t control.
• “Just going with it” is his way of dealing with his career over the years.
• He also built resilience and understanding from his high-pressure military background.

[11:26] Graduating with an MDA

• Martin’s graduation was one of the things that inevitably got photographed into his mind.
• He wore a cap and gown over his military uniform on his graduation day.
• His family was there to celebrate with him.

[12:35] Martin’s Second Proudest Moment

• Martin was deployed in Iraq as a Senior Engineering Officer in a helicopter squadron.
• His second proudest moment was when he overcame an incident with a couple of helicopters.
• That moment was the culmination of all his military training. He was the senior person everyone looked up to at the time for leadership.
• Everything came together as an engineer, officer, leader of men, and a person wanting to achieve an outcome.
• They had to move on quickly after the incident as operations were still underway. In retrospect, Martin feels content with how they handled it.

[18:49] Taking His Military Background into Consultancy

• The key is role modelling in working together to achieve outcomes.
• Consultancy is working alongside clients to bring them to a place where they can do a certain thing themselves.
• Leaving the client not knowing more than they did at the start is a failure.
• Role modelling played a big part for Martin in his role in the military and in the world of consulting.
• We need to be serious in moments that require it, but some moments require light-heartedness.

[23:19] Martin’s Third Proudest Moment

• Martin’s third proudest moment was working together and delivering a massive outcome for a client in the service industry.
• They worked in the catering and restaurant business.
• They worried that the team would not engage in the process, but the opposite happened.
• The whole team was involved, making it easier for ideas and suggestions to come in.
• Tune in to the full episode to hear more about Martin and the team's story!

[26:23] Getting Clients to Understand the Full Journey

• One thing Martin learned in his consulting career is to not assume people know things.
• You have to understand the circumstances of every individual in your team.
• Some people are not doing wrong; they may just not have an understanding of the full situation.
• The full journey is what the customer goes through from the point they think about and receive the service.

[29:04] Creating Human-Level Connections

• Technologies work well when applied correctly.
• It doesn't matter how much you spend on technology if you don’t understand how it works with your process.
• Everything has a human dimension behind it. You will lose out if you don’t understand and build around that.

[31:32] Martin’s Secret to Success

• Martin breaks down what he needs to do to get to the challenge. He goes for opportunities.
• He identifies who he needs to talk to, what he needs to do and learn, and who he can bring in.
• Bringing the right people in is key to moving forward and building outcomes.
• He always finds a path to get to the outcome he wants to achieve.

5 Powerful Quotes

[08:49] “There's things you could control and things you should worry about, and you need to do something about. Other activities, other issues, you don't have control over. And I think, again, people can let those build up on, where you have no — there's nothing you can do about it.”

[19:35] “We aren't in consultancy that is purely about, ‘Well, we’ll come and do it. We know it. We’ll leave you not knowing anything’ — that's a failure for us.”

[21:24] “We absolutely need to be serious, and we can be serious in those moments that require it, but the world had put enough of that.”

[22:35] “We want to have a life and be a person outside of this thing called work.”

[30:09] “Everything has got a human involved in it. And if you don't understand that or bring that to the fore and then build around that, you're going to lose out.”

About Martin

Martin Gibson is the Managing Director of Consulting at Gobeyond Partners, a business management consultant firm part of the Webhelp group. He is a decisive executive with strong management skills and a wealth of wide-ranging experience within the realm of financial services consultancy. Throughout his career, Martin has built a proven track record of impeccable, strong leadership and driving improvements in performance. 

Martin also has experience in operational military service and had worked at the Royal Air Force for 22 years.

You can learn more about Martin by visiting his LinkedIn profile.  

Enjoy this Podcast?

Remember: focus on what you can control — Martin Gibson shows how it can bring improved outcomes. If you enjoyed today's episode of The Mindset Mentor Meets, hit subscribe and share it with your friends! 

Post a review and share it! If you enjoyed tuning into this podcast episode, share your thoughts with us online. You can also share it to help your family and friends achieve massive outcomes.

Have any questions? You can contact me through LinkedIn, Instagram and Facebook. Thanks for listening! 

For more updates and episodes, visit my website. You can also tune in on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify or Podbean. 

To meeting inspiration,

Angela

 

Embrace Change to Foster Growth with Leanne Culloden

Change is scary. When we were young, trying out new things was exciting. But as we grow older, we develop a fear of placing ourselves in unfamiliar situations. Getting out of our comfort zone is daunting. But do you know what is much scarier? It's when your fear stops your growth and progress. Fear kills our potential and hinders us from striving in our career, life, and relationships — but this should not be the case. Instead, we should embrace change.

In this episode, Leanne Culloden shares the three proudest moments that led her onto her current path today. She talks about deciding to embrace change, be independent at a young age and how it shaped her view of the world. She also lays down the most significant milestones in her career and how they honed her leadership skills. Finally, Leanne discusses how she balances handling a massive job and being a mum and wife.

If you want to know how you can embrace change and enable progress in your work and personal life, then this episode is for you! 

Here are three reasons why you should listen to the full episode:

1. Discover why you should embrace change and overcome fear to grow.
2. Find out the most efficient way to choose team members.
3. Learn how you can build trust between your team and your clients.

Resources 

• Coaching with Angela Cox
• Listen to The Mindset Mentor Meets
• Contact Leanne: LinkedIn

Episode Highlights 

[03:10] First Taste of Independence

• Leanne considers her first real taste of independence at 19 as her first proudest moment.
• She and her friend booked a two-week holiday to Majorca and decided to live and work there shortly after.
• Everyone should embrace change and experience taking themselves out of the environments they grew up in.
• Leanne already knew that she didn't want to go to university and would instead get a job and work.
• Her pride comes from making the massive decision to put herself into a different situation at a young age.

[05:52] What She Learned from Being Independent at a Young Age

• She met a lot of amazing people from different parts of the world.
• She was able to learn a lot about human behaviour.
• Learning how to manage money without her parents was a big thing.
• Independence is learning how to live as an adult.
• Taking that courageous step to embrace change led her onto the path she’s presently walking.

[07:20] How It Shaped Her Relationships

• She met many people from all over the world with different personalities and characters.
• While growing up, society conditioned us to show up in a certain way.
• Leanne learned about people’s differences and diversity during that time.
• The experience helped her understand and collaborate with other people on a work and personal level.

[08:56] Why Adults Don’t Embrace Change

• We were bolder in trying out new things when we were younger. But fear develops as we grow older.
• Allowing fear to take over stops you from progressing in many areas of life, especially at work.
• Leanne is a big believer in always trying to push yourself out of your comfort zone.
• Recognise what your fears are, and try to show yourself out there. That's what growth is.

[10:27] The Progression of Her Career at Mitie

• Her second proudest moment is her career at Mitie. She has been working at Mitie for 12 years, starting as a temp and working her way up to a management role.
• She took the opportunity to lead a project around mobilising a contract in the nuclear industry. 
• Leanne took the role for two reasons: (1) she’s a people pleaser, and (2) it was a real opportunity.
• They were awarded the contract and set up a team of 30 people. She takes pride in it because it was the first time she had been in complete control of an end-to-end project.
• The contract is still ongoing nine years after. Leanne takes pride in having the ability to support people in their passion and careers.

[14:05] What to Look for When Handpicking Team Members

• Not everyone is cut out for the roles available in the facilities world.
• They held an open day in the local community and interviewed around 250 people.
• The project required customer-focused security roles. The interview process focused on soft skills.
• Some people may not look like someone fitting for the role at first glance. But asking them probing questions can make you realise they’re perfect for the team.
• Balancing people's strengths is key to creating a great team.

[16:10] Learnings from the Interview Process

• Leanne learned what not to do in an interview situation.
• She also met people with great potential who were in the wrong jobs and gave them an opportunity.
• A good interviewer can uncover the mask the interviewee is wearing.

[18:44] Her Role as a Strategic Account Director

• Her third proudest moment is her role as a Strategic Account Director.
• Leanne works in the security business of Mitie. She provides security services to large customers across the UK.
• Her proudest moment is working through the pandemic while still delivering excellent service.
• They decided to collaborate at every level by setting up different degrees of communication. 
• It means a lot to thank the people involved in a project for their contributions.

[21:55] Building a Great Customer and Team Relationship

• They continue to provide amazing service to their customers.
• Hearing good feedback fills Leanne with pride because it means she’s doing her job well.
• She feels lucky and proud to work with amazing team members.

[23:16] Managing the Transition of On-Site to Work from Home Leadership 

• Leanne got used to being a hands-on leader and getting out there. Their clients were not working on-site and didn’t want them to come there as well. 
• She has an open-door policy and keeps her lines of communication open at all times.
• People can sometimes be in their little bubble, making it hard to see what's outside it.
• Having open trust and visibility is critical in leadership. Leanne's team put video communication in place early on for easy access to one another.
• They also issue a quarterly newsletter that incorporates employee interviews and photographs.

[27:54] Creating Work and Life Balance

• Leanne is a mum and a wife to a husband with an equally massive job. Organising is key to keeping work and life balanced.
• Mum guilt is a real thing.
• She sees it as having different areas of life that are equally important.
• Knowing your priority at the time, having open communication, and not letting guilt consume you is key to creating balance.
• Doing the inner work leads to getting outward results. Leanne has a few non-negotiables in terms of self-care.

[30:51] Leanne’s Secret to Success

• Her secret to success is not having or not believing that you have all the answers.
• You are letting your ego take over when you believe you have all the answers. It leaves no room for growth, learning, and making wrong decisions.
• Always be humble and seek out more in terms of knowledge and learning.
• One big secret of success is understanding the people around you at work.
• Always take help when offered; showing vulnerability is something that resonates with people. 

5 Powerful Quotes

[04:07] “I would absolutely encourage everybody to take themselves out of their environments where they grew up, go to school, hang around with the people that are around them where they grow up, and go and meet new people, go off to a different place.”

[07:33] “I think when we grow up, we're conditioned to believe that we need to behave in a certain way, act in a certain way, speak in a certain way to people, look a certain way to a degree as well."

[09:51] “You have to recognise what your fears are and then really try and show yourself out there. That's what growth is.”

[15:53] “It's about balancing people's strengths to create a great team.”

[30:16] “If you do that inner work — that's the journaling, the personal development, the self-care — you will get the outer results.”

About Leanne

Leanne Culloden is the Strategic Account Director of Mitie, the UK's leading facilities management and professional services company. She handles developing strategic visions and delivering operational excellence. Leanne develops client relationships and strengthens the company's mission as a trusted service partner while serving as a coach and mentor to her team. 

You can know more about Leanne by visiting her LinkedIn profile.  

Enjoy this Podcast?

Change brings fears, but Leanne Culloden shows how it can lead us to growth. If you enjoyed today's episode of The Mindset Mentor Meets, hit subscribe and share it with your friends! Everyone can find success by looking at their origins and building new connections.

Post a review and share it! If you enjoyed tuning into this podcast episode, share your thoughts with us online. You can also share it to help your family and friends, help them embrace change, and show them all that life has to offer.

Have any questions? You can contact me through LinkedIn, Instagram and Facebook. Thanks for listening! 

For more updates and episodes, visit my website. You can also tune in on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify or Podbean. 

To meeting inspiration,

Angela

 

How to Balance Business and Family Life 

Having a growing business is thrilling. It brings you to great heights that you could never imagine. From moving to a larger facility, hiring new staff members, and increasing production capacity — you are gradually witnessing the fruit of your labour come to life. Indeed, it's tempting to preoccupy yourself with a business once you've poured your heart and soul into it. However, what should you do if your family grows just as fast as your company? 

In this episode, Simon Ratcliffe shares how he and his wife balance their family life while being business partners. He also talks about manifestation and how we, as entrepreneurs, can work towards our business goals. Finally, he discusses the importance of learning the growth mindset.  

If you're a budding entrepreneur looking for ways to balance work and personal life, this episode is for you! 

Here are three reasons why you should listen to the full episode:

1. Discover how to balance business and family life
2. Unravel the power of manifestation
3. Learn Simon’s secret to success

Resources 

• Coaching with Angela Cox
• Listen to The Mindset Mentor
• Read Black Box Thinking by Matthew Syed 
• Visit the Kelperland Vet Centre

Episode Highlights 

[03:14] Who Is Simon? 

• Simon belongs to a family of dairy farmers. 
• He runs a veterinary business with his wife, Camilla. 

[04:27] Simon’s First Proudest Moment 

• Simon considers his wedding day as his first proudest moment. 
• It’s a constant challenge to juggle the roles of being a husband, a father, and an entrepreneur. 
• His wife advises him to look after his health and family relationships because he gets engrossed with his business.

[07:12] Running the Business with His Wife 

• Camilla was a successful Biology teacher before joining Simon’s veterinary practice. 
• Running a business means experiencing many frustrating moments. But the couple learned to grow along the way. 
• Currently, they are thinking of changing their business’ managing structure. 

[08:25] Simon, The Veterinarian 

• Since he was young, Simon wanted to be a veterinarian. 
• His love for animals stemmed from growing up on a dairy farm surrounded by animals. 
• It took a while for Simon to realise that he wanted to set up his own business. 

[09:35] Simon, The Entrepreneur 

• Practising a profession and running a business requires different sets of skills. 
• In 2021, his business grew by 20% despite the pandemic. 
• There were winners and losers in the veterinary profession when COVID-19 struck. 
• Hiring staff members and facility renovations were positive challenges for Simon and Camilla during the pandemic.

[10:43] Separating Business and Family

• Simon's family often had their spouses as business partners. 
• His family is still trying to compartmentalise both business and family matters. 
• There’s no magic formula to balancing your role as a spouse and business partner. Couples can learn along the way. 

[12:42] Simon’s Second Proudest Moment

• His second proudest moment is buying his own Land Rover Defender.  
• In retrospect, Simon believes asking his sister to include the Defender in his business’ logo manifested his dream of buying the car. 
• Ever since he became environmentally conscious, Simon felt bad about buying the car. However, he couldn’t let it go. 

[17:20] On Growing the Business

• There are limiting factors in expanding a business.
• Simon wants to maintain a profitable practice while keeping his staff happy. 
• There should be an endpoint to how many clients a company can take.  
• Assessing your core values and business goals is essential to understanding your limits as a growing entrepreneur.

   [21:44] Simon’s Third Proudest Moment

• Simon’s third proudest moment is finding the growth mindset. 
• Listen to the whole episode to hear Simon’s stories of working as an untrained farmer! 
• Having a growth mindset shows that you can learn and improve from your mistakes.
• Doctors must balance maintaining a growth mindset and refraining from committing mistakes when dealing with patients. 

[26:01] The Growth Mindset 

• It’s normal to fail when starting. Things get better through practice. 
• Everyone is capable of learning. 
• The consequences of our mistakes are usually trivial. They appear more severe than they really are because of the stories we make ourselves believe. 
• No one is born with a growth mindset. Everyone must find their own way.

[31:10] The Secret to Success 

• Hard work is necessary to build a successful business. 
• There will always be a few bumps and challenges along the road.  
• It’s a challenge to balance maintaining a happy family life and a flourishing business. 
• Working efficiently gives you more time to focus on things that matter. 

[33:02] Benefits of Efficient Work

• Less time for work.
• More time to spend with family.
• Provides other avenues to explore.

5 Powerful Quotes

[16:00] 'It's interesting to have goals and ambitions and quite tangible things that are doable. And then it's interesting that you can achieve them if they're there, and you want them enough.' 

 

[19:00] ‘There are so many businesses who grow and grow and grow. But then, actually, its directors aren't in any better of a position. It's just they've got a bigger empire. That's adding value to more and more people, but not necessarily to them and their lifestyle.’

[22:17] ‘The whole point about the growth mindset is you learn from your mistakes and mistakes are okay. And that's how life goes.’

[26:15] ‘It's that sticky middle part where we're rubbish at it, where we feel people are looking at us, we're being humiliated, we look stupid, or whatever the story is, that prevents us from being open to learning anything and knowing that we can.’ 

[27:54] ‘But what I see with most people around fixed and growth mindset is, the mistakes that they view as being threatening to their well-being are often so tiny. But they appear to be so huge, and so damaging based on those stories that we tell ourselves.’

About Simon

Simon Ratcliffe is a veterinarian and business owner of Kelperland Vet Centre. His company has provided exceptional care to animals for more than 50 years. 

His main clinical interest is surgery, especially orthopaedics. Simon is also recognised by the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons (RCVS) as an “Advanced Practitioner in General Small Animal Surgery”. Because of his great work for the community, he has been nominated multiple times for the Petplan Vet of the Year awards from 2015 to 2020. 

Outside of work, he is a loving husband to Camilla and a doting father to Elena and Theo. He is also a sportsman who enjoys swimming, surfing, cricket, and golf.

You can know more about Kelperland by visiting their website.     

Enjoy this Podcast?

It’s tough to balance a growing business and a family life, but Simon Ratcliffe shares with us how he did it. If you enjoyed today's episode of The Mindset Mentor Meets, hit subscribe and share it with your friends! Everyone can find success by looking at their origins and building new connections.

Post a review and share it! If you enjoyed tuning into this podcast episode, share your thoughts with us online. You can also share it to help your family and friends discover all the learning experiences that life has to offer.

Have any questions? You can contact me through LinkedIn, Instagram and Facebook. Thanks for listening! 

For more updates and episodes, visit my website. You can also tune in on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify or Podbean. 

To meeting inspiration,

Angela

 

Effective Communication for Business with Juliette Maxam

Communication is something we do every day. It might seem to come to us effortlessly, but what we don’t recognize is that communication is far more complex than we think. Communicating isn’t just simply speaking to someone; it’s being able to deliver your message in a way other people will understand. Effective communication is integral to the success of every person, business, and organization. 

In this episode, Juliette Maxam reflects on her career in the field of communications. She discusses the skills you’ll need to have to be able to communicate effectively. Lastly, she imparts her insights on the secrets to success that will help you strike the perfect work-life balance, allowing you to live a satisfying life.

Listen to this episode to discover how effective communication can bring success and change.

Here are three reasons why you should listen to the full episode:

1. Learn the essential skills for effective communication. 
2. Discover Juliette’s secrets to success.
3. Find out how you can balance your personal life and career.

Resources 

• Greater Anglia
• LADbible
• Essex Climate Action Commission
• Connect with Juliette: LinkedIn

Episode Highlights 

[2:25] Working from Home

• Juliette has been in back to back Zoom meetings since she started working from home.
• With a beautiful view of nature from her study, she misses walking to the office.
• As a journalist, she’s used to asking questions, so being the interviewee makes her nervous.

[4:27] Juliette’s Proudest Moment

• When asked about the three things she was proudest of, she mentioned that her three sons had a bit of a sibling rivalry.
• She’s extremely proud of her three sons. 
• One of the things she’s proudest of is her work at Greater Anglia and the changes she’s brought that benefits the company and customers.

[6:10] How She Brought Change to Greater Anglia

• When she started at Greater Anglia, their PR needed updating.
• Juliette realized the company’s need for effective communication, what they needed to do to achieve it.
• She put together a PR strategy, campaign plans, and new PR channels.
• Companies need their own news channels, so she worked with the marketing team to set up social media channels.
• She introduced new tactics, such as videos — which are useful because they can be repurposed in many ways — and podcasts, increasing their reputation.

[9:58] The Necessities in Effective Communication

• Aim to understand the needs of your customers.
• Use the language of the people you’re communicating with.
• You need to have good instincts and observe the world around you.
• Always be mindful of the person you’re communicating with to understand how you can communicate effectively.
• Anticipate people’s questions.

[14:34] Juliette’s Career

• Juliette is proud of her career.
• She started as a journalist, probably because of her curiosity, and had many exciting experiences before moving to communications.
• To achieve effective communication, you must get access to the people at the top to understand things better.
• She has always loved each job she’s done.

[17:53] Balancing Personal Life and Passion

• She’s not used to not being busy, and having free time feels alien to her despite her husband being supportive and taking care of the children.
• Two of her sons followed her footsteps into journalism and PR.
• She used to take her sons along with her on journalism jobs, and her eldest already did work experience at around 8 years old.
• She’s always wanted children and she’s enjoyed every minute of having them.
• Listen to the full episode to find out why they are a “crumpled household”!

[21:02] Being a Mother

• Being a mother means doing your best and being present for them.
• Juliette thinks she couldn’t be a full-time Mum because she’s been working since she was 13 years old.
• She feels defined by her job to a certain extent.

[23:41] Working as School Governor

• It's been 18 years that she’s been a school governor at her children’s primary school, which gave them an excellent foundation in life.
• Juliette also learned a lot from that school and wanted to give back to them.
• Media training is about shaping the message and preparing answers for questions.
• Using her skills from being a media spokesperson for the benefit of the children and parents at the school was special.
• Journalists feel equal to everyone and are prepared to ask questions while also empowering the people they’re communicating with.

[31:18] The Secrets to Success

• Be passionate, enthusiastic, and open to learning.
• Don’t think it’s too late to pursue something.
• Be happy and satisfied with what you’re doing.
• Make realistic to-do lists and regulate your workload.
• Prioritization involves knowing what’s important to persevere in and what to be flexible about.

5 Powerful Quotes

[10:18] ‘... it’s about never being sucked in to all of that corporate jargon, you know, never setting yourself off as a little bit different because you work for the railway. And therefore, the people that you’re communicating to need to start using your language, always remembering that you need to use the language of the people you’re communicating to.’

[27:01] ‘It’s about helping them to shape the messaging they're going to use, which is obviously that’s a huge part of my job. And just getting them to think about what answers they can give what the questions might be.’

[29:07] ‘Because when you’re a journalist, you feel on equal level with anybody, you know, you’re prepared to ask questions of anybody, whether it be, you know, the person at the top of an organization or, you know, so-called at the bottom of the organization...’

[35:38] ‘... it’s better to do a few things well than loads and loads and loads of things not particularly very well at all.’

[36:06] ‘... [prioritization] about knowing what's important to persevere with and what you need to be flexible about.’

 

About the Guest 

Juliette Maxam is a professional in the communications field. As Media and Public Relations Manager in Greater Anglia, she has devised PR strategies and successfully runs a busy press office.

She formerly worked as a journalist and media spokesperson. With her vast experience and refined skills in communication, she contributed to Greater Anglia by devising and implementing new communication and PR strategies. Since she started, Greater Anglia has been shortlisted for 4 CIPR awards and a Rail Business Award for Marketing and Communications Excellence. 

If you want to know more about Juliette, you can connect with her via LinkedIn.

Enjoy this Podcast?

As Juliette looks back on her career, she shares her joys and proudest moments, and the skills that brought her to where she is today. If you enjoyed today’s episode of The Mindset Mentor Meets, hit subscribe and share it with your friends! Everyone can find success by looking at their origins and building new connections.

Post a review and share it! If you enjoyed tuning into this podcast episode, share your thoughts through a review. You can also share it to help your family and friends discover how to learn more from their life experiences.

Have any questions? You can contact me through LinkedIn, Instagram and Facebook. Thanks for listening! 

For more updates and episodes, visit my website. You can also tune in on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify or Podbean. 

To meeting inspiration,

Angela

 

Sustainable Success: Turn Obstacles into Learning Experiences with Dave Cooper 

Life’s never going to be a perfectly smooth road. Everyone’s going to face challenges: mental health problems, imposter syndrome, dropping out of school — the list goes on. But it’s not the end. It’s never too late. Every struggle, every obstacle — approach them with curiosity and optimism, and you can transform them from roadblocks into learning experiences. 

In this episode, Dave Cooper shares the proudest moments in his career in education. He also teaches us to have a positive attitude towards education and find a way to learn from every experience. Lastly, he shares his secrets to sustainable success.

Listen to this episode if you want to discover how curiosity and optimism create learning experiences.

Here are three reasons why you should listen to the full episode:

1. Discover Dave’s proudest moments in his educational career. 
2. Learn Dave’s secret to creating sustainable success through learning experiences.
3. Develop a positive mindset towards education and imposter syndrome.

Resources 

• Be original. Be inspired. Be you with the University of Chichester Website.
• Capgemini
• Cellnet
• Connect with Dave: LinkedIn 

Episode Highlights 

[3:19] Dave’s First Proudest Moment

• For both him and his colleagues, seeing their students graduate is a privilege.
• Dave believes that everyone has to experience graduation.
• COVID impeded graduation ceremonies, so they waited and invited all the graduates to come along.

[5:44] Supporting Students

• Students often enter business and management because their parents want them to pursue a degree. However, they are unsure of which direction they want to take.
• This phenomenon is common in young people. They often realise midway through that these courses aren't for them and leave.
• Dave always supports his students' decisions but tries to ensure that they're making them for the right reasons.
• Dave will help a student dissect their choices, almost like a SWOT analysis.
• Mental health concerns have been more prevalent in the last year, so they try to provide support.

[8:50] The Importance of Finding Learning Experiences in Life

• There’s always an opportunity to return to education when you’re ready.
• Mature students bring so much experience into the classroom and even strengthen the relevance of what they teach.
• Experience and knowledge outside the university could bring students to the level of a postgraduate program.

[10:06] Dave’s Second Proudest Moment

• Dave is proud of giving his inaugural lecture as a newly appointed professor in which his children, colleagues, and people from the university and the region were present.
• He still gets nervous before a presentation, but the keys to beating nerves are structure and rehearsal.
• When speaking in front of people, there’s a particular style, and it’s crucial to insert some humour to get people on your side.
• Dave suffers from impostor syndrome every day. But it keeps him at the top of his game and teaches him not to take things for granted.
• In a way, impostor syndrome helps you be humble and honest with yourself.

[15:24] Dave’s Family Life

• He’s proud of his kids, all of whom have an entrepreneurial spirit.
• His eldest has gotten his PhD in computational microbiology. He started his own business in Canada, where he uses advanced computational techniques to treat cancer.
• He talks to his son through social media, but he misses being able to hug him.
• He has twins: his son is a digital nomad and works in civil engineering, and his daughter is an immersive theatre actor.
• Dave is currently engaged.

[19:04] Dave’s Third Proudest Moment

• Dave was Capgemini’s Program Director for their telecommunications sector.
• They were in charge of delivering the billing system for Cellnet before the turn of the millennium; otherwise, it would be chaos.
• They created vignettes of people that have done remarkable things.
• Once they had achieved it, there was a sense of relief and satisfaction followed by a momentary recovery.

[24:17] Dave’s Secret to Success

• Dave talks about sustainable success.
• In sustainable success, it’s essential to maintain curiosity and remain optimistic. Look for learning experiences wherever you can. 
• Hold on to strong values, respect others, and encourage innovation.
• We judge and are judged not by what we say we do but by what we do.

5 Powerful Quotes

[6:26] ‘... if a student is taking that view [that this path isn’t for them], it’s a very positive decision because they’re taking responsibility for their future in their learning. And so we would support them [...] What I would do is make sure that they’re taking the decision for the right reasons.’

[11:56] ‘... what you’ve got to do is practice, you’ve got to rehearse. If you’re giving a presentation to lots of people that you’ve never really engaged with, you just got to prepare.’

[13:04] 'I think people look at it and think it's a negative thing. It doesn't need to be. I think it's about being honest with yourself. Understand why you’re there. But equally, try not to let it impact on your relationships with other people.’

[25:11] 'We judge people, and I expect myself to be judged not by what I say I do, but what I do.'

[25:36] ‘Every leader needs a big box of well done for our teams, a tin of persistence, a bottle of ambition, and a pack of tissues.’

About the Guest 

Dave Cooper is the Professor of Management and Economic Development and the Head of Business School at the University of Chichester. As Head of Department, he is responsible for developing, monitoring, and implementing new courses and programmes.

He has a degree in Mechanical Engineering and a PhD in Computer Integrated Manufacturing. He formerly worked in the Aerospace industry and Capgemini. Joining the University of Chichester in 2003, he won several EU-funded research programmes. Dave is also a Chartered Engineer, a Member of the Institute of Mechanical Engineers, and a Fellow of the Higher Education Academy.

If you want to know more about Dave, you can connect with him via LinkedIn.

Enjoy this Podcast?

Dave walks us through his career in education and emphasises the importance of curiosity and optimism in his journey. If you enjoyed today's episode of The Mindset Mentor Meets, hit subscribe and share it with your friends! Everyone can find success by looking at their origins and building new connections.

Post a review and share it! If you enjoyed tuning into this podcast episode, share your thoughts with us online. You can also share it to help your family and friends discover all the learning experiences that life has to offer.

Have any questions? You can contact me through LinkedIn, Instagram and Facebook. Thanks for listening! 

For more updates and episodes, visit my website. You can also tune in on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify or Podbean. 

To meeting inspiration,

Angela

 

Following Your Life Path with Charlie Wagstaff

Life is full of ups and downs. Sometimes, you might even feel that the whole world is against you. But everything happens for a reason and you have the power to create your destiny.

In this episode, Charlie Wagstaff discusses his life journey and its golden nuggets. If you think being the second choice and not fitting in isn’t good, he’s about to change your mind. He shares his insights and realizations from his family and career. Lastly, he talks about believing in yourself and making an impact on the world.

If you want to find out how you can grab hold of your destiny, this episode is for you! 

Here are three reasons why you should listen to the full episode:

1. Find out why being the second choice is a good thing.
2. Learn how to understand other people’s perspectives.
3. Discover out how to control your destiny. 

Resources 

• Coaching with Angela Cox
• Listen to The Mindset Mentor
• Connect with Charlie Wagstaff: LinkedIn 
• Criticaleye

Episode Highlights 

[02:22] A Peek into Charlie’s Shed 

• Everyone needs a space to work due to COVID and his was a potting shed.
• Charlie likes being there because there’s a lot of light and he can see clearly in it. The shed serves as an escape.

[04:32] Being the Second Choice

• Rather than shaking his pom-poms, Charlie feels more comfortable talking about how he acquired or built up his proudest moments.
• One of his pom-poms is he’s been the second choice on numerous occasions.
• Being the second choice made him realize not being liked by everyone is okay as long as he does the right thing.
• Listen to the full episode to find out the many times Charlie was the second choice — and how amazing those experiences turned out!

[10:49] Believing in Yourself  

• As long as you believe in what you’re doing, everything will work out fine.

• Some things are just meant to happen.
• These things happen for a reason. They probably made you tougher and more resilient–making you believe you fought for it whether you have or not.  

[13:14] Was Charlie Second Choice With His Wife?

• Charlie said he would ask her if he was her second choice.
• They waited to marry because they wanted to find the right person.
• His parents’ divorce impacted him and his brother differently. Despite their differences, Charlie and his brother love each other greatly.

[14:22] Understanding Others 

• Get out of your comfort zone; there’s always something out there you can relate to. 
• Finding something to relate to gives comfort, which makes you feel safe to explore.
• Charlie has always loved other people’s perspectives because it replenishes him; on the other hand, parochialism disadvantages people.
• While watching Happy Valley, he’s reminded that people’s perspectives are based on their individual experiences.

[16:11] Knowing Your Limits 

• Understanding other people’s perspectives is a coping tactic.
• Observing yourself and other people allows you to learn so much and empowers you.
• But it’s also important to buck certain things off and remember that there’s only so much you can do to help others. 

[17:19] Controlling Your Destiny

• You can control destiny.
• Working in the corporate world, Charlie learned a lot but he also worked with lots of bullies. He didn’t know how to deal with them.
• To create your own path, determine what path that is and take control.
• The corporate world is tough but he learned a lot on transitioning and backing yourself.

[18:53] Fostering Self-Belief and Forging Ahead

• Sit back and reflect.
• His family has a history of doing their own thing — some things were successful while others didn’t quite work out.
• If you hit a wall, there’s always a way around it.
• His family is a sanctuary for him, and family can be found in different places.

[24:21] Charlie’s Family

• Because of his father’s absence, he didn’t think he wanted children.
• While his brother was unable to accept their father, Charlie needed to accept him to move to the next stage of his life.
• Children need autonomy to allow them to develop in their own way.

[27:13] Making an Impact

• He wants to leave the world a better place than when he came in. 
• Sustainability, understanding consumerism, and taking ownership are some of the things that concern him.
• Everyone is capable of making an impact on the world.

[29:48] Charlie’s Life Journey

• It’s been wonderful building something with his colleagues. 
• There might be frustrations. But they believe in what they’re doing and doing it slowly because the world can’t be changed overnight.
• He feels grateful to have the opportunity to work with and learn from amazing people.

[31:27] Defining Success

• Being different doesn’t make you a victim, it makes you unique.
• People often want to fit in that they don’t realize their uniqueness sets them apart and should be celebrated.

5 Powerful Quotes

[05:39] “... you can’t be liked by everyone. And that’s okay. It’s a real sort of moment of realization that as long as you do the right thing, and it feels sits well with you, that’s important.”

[14:34] “It’s okay because there’s always something there that you’ll find that you can relate to. And if you can find something you can relate to, then it gives you that comfort. If you’ve got that bedrock, that comfort, then you can explore from there. You can navigate from there.” 

[18:01] “... if you were going to create your own path, you need to determine what that is and take control.”

[21:29] “If you watch water flow down a stream, it hits a stone then navigates around it. And you just got to do that in life. There’s always a way around it.”

[31:38] “Being different does not make you a victim, it makes you unique.”

About Charlie

Charlie Wagstaff is MD and a co-founder of Criticaleye. With his diverse industry background, he has a unique understanding of the challenges and leadership issues that plague today’s global senior executives.

 

Before founding Criticaleye in 2002, he was based in Harare, Zimbabwe and oversaw 16 commodity businesses employing more than 30,000 employees. Charlie has also worked in local government in the UK in an industrial relations capacity during periods of major employment legislation upheaval.

If you want to know more about Charlie, you can connect with him via LinkedIn.

Enjoy this Podcast?

It’s tough to navigate and journey through life, and Charlie Wagstaff shares how he did it and what he learned so you can find something valuable in his story, too. If you enjoyed today's episode of The Mindset Mentor Meets, hit subscribe and share it with your friends! Everyone can find success by looking at their origins and building new connections.

Post a review and share it! If you enjoyed tuning into this podcast episode, share your thoughts with us online. You can also share it to help your family and friends discover all the learning experiences that life has to offer.

Have any questions? You can contact me through LinkedIn, Instagram and Facebook. Thanks for listening! 

For more updates and episodes, visit my website. You can also tune in on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify or Podbean. 

To meeting inspiration,

Angela

 

How Self-Trust Can Change Your Life with Lucy Chamberlain

Five, ten, or twenty years in the future, you will undoubtedly be different from who you are today. However, all of us have a future we want to pursue and an idea of who we want to be. The best way to make these goals come true is to grow and start doing small things that can change your life in the long run — and it starts with self-trust.

Lucy Chamberlain’s life is not the same as it was five years ago. In this episode, she returns as a guest to The Mindset Mentor Meets to share how her life has changed so far. She talks about her proudest moments in the past years and how they symbolized her growth. 

Lucy has faced challenges and developed true self-trust to become the person she’s proud to be today. From her achievements as a founder of a company to tapping into her authentic and confident self, she places herself where she wants to be. Even now, she continues to do the small things that can bring her to the future she strives for.

You, too, can take the steps towards the future you want, no matter where you are in life. You’ll learn the importance of confidence and authenticity and find out what it means to tap into your courage to change your life. Join us in this enlightening conversation with Lucy as we learn from her proudest moments and how they transformed her life.

Here are three reasons why you should listen to the full episode:

1. Discover how validation and approval can help keep you on the right track.
2. Learn the importance of working from a place of authenticity and self-trust in the value that you bring to the world
3. Find out how self-care and small everyday actions can create a domino effect that changes your future.

Resources 

• Meditations with Tara Brach
• Connect with Lucy Chamberlain
  • AWS Summit London
  • C&C Search
  • LinkedIn
  • Email
• Coaching with Angela Cox
• Listen to The Mindset Mentor Meets
  • The Mindset Mentor Meets: Episode 5 with Lucy Chamberlain

Episode Highlights 

[02:03] What Has Changed in Lucy’s Life?

• Lucy's battle with COVID-19 was challenging, yet it served as a catalyst for her personal and professional growth, especially in her role as the founder of C&C Search
• Following the pandemic, she dedicated herself to revitalizing and expanding her business, which has impressively grown from a small team of 5 to a vibrant group of 24 exceptional individuals.

[03:38] Lucy’s First Proudest Moment: Becoming a Certified B Corp

• Lucy’s first proudest moment was achieving their B Corp certification as a company. The certification was an approval that their purpose-led business was on the right track.
• B Corp companies are companies that operate with society, the environment, and the company in mind. 
• Every part of the process, from hiring to giving back to the community, is assessed. This difficulty encouraged Lucy to evolve and develop the company.
• Approval and validation greatly matter to Lucy, but external validation won’t give her true self-worth and self-trust. It’s alright to seek external validation sometimes.
• The B Corp certification isn’t about Lucy. Rather, it’s about taking care of the people who work for her and their clients. 

[11:42] Lucy’s Second Proudest Moment: Growing Her Self-Trust

• Lucy was invited as a host to AWS Summit London to talk about developing true self-confidence.
• This achievement symbolizes how far she has come and her growth over the past few years. 
• Lucy once felt she had no value to share. Now, she’s able to accept the invitation without self-doubt and speak from a place of authenticity.
• It was difficult to get to this part of her journey. She has always been an authentic person, but felt like she wasn’t enough.
• Lucy no longer worries about what others think about her. Comfortably owning your power can change how you feel and connect with others. 

[17:49] Lucy’s Third Proudest Moment: Making Time for Self-Care

• Lucy finally went back to hot yoga this year. For Lucy, this is a significant step towards a healthier lifestyle and the future body she wants to live in.
• By making time for yoga, she is also practicing the habit of finishing work on time and getting ready. These small actions connect to small good habits.
• Hot yoga is a 90-minute moving meditation in an incredibly hot room. This challenge encourages Lucy to stop thinking and leaves her feeling peaceful and calm.
• For many, work can be something you both love and resent. However, having these habits and non-negotiables can shift the way you feel about work and your body.
• Micro changes such as these small things done regularly have a big impact on your life in the long run.

[24:59] The Secret to Success: Small Acts of Courage

• Lucy’s secret to success is the small acts of courage and self-trust that can help you grow.
• Start your day by thinking about what a good life would look like on that day.
• Pick two to three things that would help you create that life, but would take courage to do. They can be big or small acts.
• Lean into these small acts of courage and see them add up to a big change and growth.
• This is what success means to Lucy today. 

5 Powerful Quotes

[04:24] ‘I wanted to create a business with purpose. Having a purpose-led business has definitely been the aspect of what we do that’s got me through the biggest challenges.’

[12:11] ‘My ability to be comfortable in my own skin and know that what I have to share is of value is something that has felt very elusive for very well the vast majority of my life and my career. Instead of feeling anxious or nervous, I just was able to feel excited and proud and was able to grab the opportunity without second guessing myself.’

[13:02] ‘I can do that now from a place of knowing that I have really fantastic, kickass tools to share and also storytelling. I can do that from a place of authenticity. I think I have always been an authentic person, but I’ve always been an authentic person that has questioned whether or not who I really am is enough.’

[21:20] ‘Having those real, solid, non-negotiables slots in the diary, it’s just transformative in terms of how you feel about yourself, about your work. It shifts an awful lot of crap.’

[26:29] 'Leaning in to those little acts of courage starts to add up to big change and that lovely sense of growth towards the person and the future you wanted to live it.'

About Lucy Chamberlain

Lucy Chamberlain is the Founder of C&C Search and C&C Academy, a socially-conscious business that aims to redefine and elevate the field of recruitment. She has more than 20 years of experience in the recruitment industry, where she specializes in EA/PA & Support, HR & Talent positions, and IR/Marketing / Communications roles. Lucy is also an ICF-certified coach, an award-winning speaker, and DEI advocate.

Learn more about Lucy and her work on the C&C website or connect with her on LinkedIn.

Enjoy this Podcast?

The world always has new life lessons for you to learn — and in this case, it’s something we all know yet don’t necessarily apply: to believe in yourself! If you learned something new from today's The Mindset Mentor Meets episode, hit subscribe and share it with your friends!

Post a review and share it! If you enjoyed tuning into this podcast episode, share your thoughts with us online. You can also share it to help your family and friends find their self-trust.

Have any questions? You can contact me through LinkedIn, Instagram and Facebook. Thanks for listening! 

For more updates and episodes, visit my website. You can also tune in to Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify, or PodBean. 

To meeting inspiration,

Angela

 

The Strategy of Staying Strong

Adversities are inevitable, especially when you're facing a mountain of health and financial issues. When you're at the end of your rope, you uncover something important: sometimes, being strong is the only option. Without strength and resilience, you may feel strangled by anxiety and hesitations. It's tempting to dwell on your emotions during difficult situations, but we must not linger there forever. Tough times call for us to dust ourselves off and prepare to face our problems head-on.

In this episode, Angela talks about her husband's accident and how staying strong helped her during tough times. She also shares the ten lessons she learned to maintain her strength during a turbulent era in her life. She hopes that by imparting her wisdom, you can also find the strength to ride out the storm.

If you want to know how to stay strong despite the odds, this episode is for you! 

Here are three reasons why you should listen to the full episode:

1. Uncover the ten lessons to staying strong 
2. Understand how staying strong can guide you in difficult situations. 
3. Discover ways to survive tough times in your life

Resources 

• Coaching with Angela Cox
• Listen to The Mindset Mentor
• Connect with Angela Cox : LinkedIn 

Episode Highlights 

[02:02] 2021’s Challenge for Angela 

• Angela’s husband suffered from a head injury last 2021. It was the most stressful five months of her life. Listen to the entire episode to hear the full story.  
• Many people kept telling her to stay strong until she felt sick hearing it. Angela just wanted things to go back to normal. 
• Our lowest points push us out of our comfort zone and make us improve. 

[06:16] Lesson#1: You Can Do It

• Remind yourself that you are capable of getting through adversity. 
• Recognising your strengths allows you to face the troubles ahead. 
• The belief that she could deal with anything gave Angela the power to get through all difficulties she experienced during her husband’s accident. 

[10:24] Lesson#2: Be In the Present  

• You may still experience fear no matter how determined you feel. 
• When you feel afraid, let go and be in the present moment. 
• Mindfulness releases us from negative thinking. Tune in to the full episode to learn how repeating the ‘satnav’ helped Angela remain grounded in the present. 
• Practising mindfulness doesn't come naturally. We need to make a conscious effort to apply it to our lives.

[14:44] Lesson#3: Choose What to Prioritise 

• Many personal and professional changes happened in Angela's life after the accident. To cope, she had to revisit her priorities. 
• Some situations called for her to give up on self-care temporarily to get things done. 
• Focus on matters critical in that moment instead of exhausting yourself by trying to accomplish everything.
• You can pick up some of the things you previously deprioritised to get back on track. 
• Choosing the path of least resistance allows you to do what’s necessary.  

[20:51] Beauty in Vulnerability 

• There’s beauty in allowing yourself to be vulnerable. 
• It makes you appreciate yourself and your strength within. 

[21:51] Lesson#4: There’s Always a Way 

• There were times when Angela felt stuck. But what gave her strength is believing there will always be a solution available.
• When you encounter a roadblock in your life, find the courage to take action. Listen to the full episode to hear how Angela fought to keep her husband in the hospital. 
• You might not make the correct choice, but it will still propel you forward.
• Getting no answers doesn't mean there’s no solution. You’re probably just in the wrong place. 

[29:37] Lesson#5: Visualise an Outcome 

• Create a vision where the adversity will end on a positive note. 
• Sticking to your vision gives hope that everything will be okay.  
• Angela’s visualisation made her strong for her family. 

[34:11] Lesson#6: Accept Help 

• It's difficult to juggle everything when you're going through a challenging situation. 
• Asking for other people’s help takes off the weight on your shoulders. 
• Be specific about what you're offering.  
• Accepting support makes you stronger.
• Recognise that people genuinely want to extend a hand. You don't need to feel indebted to them. 

[39:55] Lesson#7: It’s Okay to Shut Down

• Angela feels overwhelmed when she opens up with someone. Shutting down was the best strategy for her to stay strong.
• Opening up her difficult emotions to people dissipates her strength. 
• Instead of talking to someone, she would express her thoughts and feelings on Instagram or record them.
• Process what you felt after the adversity. 

[46:06] Lesson#8: Be True 

• Finding your voice gives you strength. For Angela, she was outspoken about what she believed was right for her family during her husband’s hospitalisation. 
• It’s a challenge to be authentic when you’re at your lowest. 
• Don’t accept anything that will erode your truth—even during your darkest times. 

[50:20] Lesson#9: Everything Shall Pass

• Over time, all the difficult experiences shall pass. 
• Knowing that tough times won’t exist forever provides strength.

[53:10] Lesson#10: Rebuild 

• People’s strength runs out. We need time to rebuild ourselves. 
• Determine the steps you need to take to recover and commit to it. 

5 Powerful Quotes

[02:57] “When we're at our weakest, we're actually at our strongest. We're very much pushing against the comfort zone.”

[20:03] “When you're needing to stay strong, and you don't have a choice, there's only a few things that matter. And that is about getting up in the morning with that determination to be able to get through and go into bed at night, knowing that you've done your best, and everything else can wait.” 

[27:41] "I didn't always get it right. The ways that I chose weren't always the right ways. But they moved us forward. They might not have moved us a giant leap, and they might have meant that we took a sidestep, but we were making positive progress." 

[38:00] “You can't always do it all yourself. And you can allow yourself, Angela Cox, to trust that people will do stuff.”

[49:14] “You don't want to do anything that is going to erode that true version of you. And every time you attempt to people please, you shut up–when you should be speaking up. You say yes when you should be saying no. Every time you do that you erode a sense of you. And that erodes your strength." 

Enjoy this Podcast?

Angela walks us through how we can survive tough times–even if we feel like giving up. If you enjoyed today's episode of The Mindset Mentor Meets, hit subscribe and share it with your friends! Everyone can find success by looking at their origins and building new connections.

Post a review and share it! If you enjoyed tuning into this podcast episode, share your thoughts with us online. You can also share it to help your family and friends discover all the learning experiences that life has to offer.

Have any questions? You can contact me through LinkedIn, Instagram and Facebook. Thanks for listening! 

For more updates and episodes, visit my website. You can also tune in on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify or Podbean. 

To meeting inspiration,

Angela

 

A Human Connection: Beating the Odds through Kindness 

As women, we tend to underestimate our capabilities when pursuing a professional career. Our self-esteem further diminishes when people belittle our accomplishments because of our gender. However, the key to success doesn't lie in your origin or gender but your strengths. Everyone can reach the same heights and create the human connections necessary to get to the top. Eleanor Foley is an inspirational figure who proves that success is always within reach, no matter the odds.

In this episode, Eleanor Foley describes her challenging journey as a single mother towards professional success. She also reveals the proudest moments in her life as a woman in a male-dominated industry and how trust and a human connection are the keys to success. Before she concludes, she spills her secret to being a successful leader.

Listen to this episode to see how forging real human connections on your journey is the path to success.

Here are three reasons why you should listen to the full episode:

1. Discover Eleanor’s proudest moments in her leadership pursuit. 
2. Learn how Eleanor's ability to forge a human connection proved to be the secret to her success.
3. Know what it takes to thrive as a leader in modern industries. 

Resources 

• Map Out the Life that You Deserve with Angela
• Connect with Eleanor: LinkedIn 
• At Novartis, we are reimagining medicine.

Episode Highlights 

[3:39] Eleanor’s Proudest Moments

• She believes that every day is made up of really proud moments.
• Eleanor takes pride in many things — watching her daughter, for example, or simple achievements.
• Eleanor acquired an MBA while being a single mother and a full-time employee.
• Her MBA opened many doors that were previously closed — including a job at Microsoft.
• Although Eleanor landed a job at Microsoft, her sense of achievement came not from the job but from completing her MBA.

[7:59] Conversations on Perseverance

• On April 1, Eleanor was burnt out, almost reaching the point of fatigue while still having to submit her thesis.
• Like a Phoenix, it's okay to fall as long as you rise again afterwards.
• Find the ‘spark’ somewhere within you and ignite it.
• Even though you have the best support system, it’s still useless if you don’t believe that you can do it.
• Removing an element of perfection is crucial to getting the job done.

[11:19] The ‘Unbossed’ Culture

• Eleanor works for Novartis, where they practice unbossed culture.
• In an unbossed culture, employees don't have to ask for permission to do anything. Everyone is 100% accountable for their actions and the results thereof.
• Employees, therefore, have significantly more freedom and agency in how they operate.
• The culture is results-driven while providing you with the autonomy of work-life balance.

[13:52] The Essence of Trust in Work

• Novartis has an efficient and effective professional culture because of trust.
• Employers and employees both have to earn each other's trust.
• Work quality will increase when there's a human connection between employers and employees.
• The value of trust is magnified when we focus on the person behind the work rather than the job itself.
• Employers need to remember that employees want to do the best for the company as much as they do.

[16:12] Eleanor’s Road to Full-time in Novartis

• All of Eleanor's work-from-home experiences revolved around trust.
• At Novartis, Eleanor was impressed with the way employees and employers treat and interact with each other.
• Over 1 weekend 90,000 people in Novartis had to start working virtually because of the shut downs caused by COVID, yet the company still trusts their employees to fulfil their jobs.

[17:58] The Trusted Advisor Role

• Everything starts within yourself.
• Being an advisor requires two things: that you are well-versed in your subject matter and that your advice is reliable and beneficial.
• Giving trustworthy advice also builds reputation; consequently, being a trusted advisor also translates into leadership skills.
• Advisory roles encourage you to support people when they make mistakes.
• Create a learning environment.

[20:53] Eleanor as a Proud Mother

• Another one of Eleanor’s proudest moments is being a mother.
• She taught herself ways to maintain a good relationship with her daughter. A significant portion of that is choosing her battles.
• Maintaining a human connection and open communication with her daughter is vital. Parents need the courage to talk about sensitive issues but also know the right time to discuss them.

[25:12] Eleanor’s Guide to Parenting

• Children need to process their emotions themselves before expressing them.
• No manual in the world will explain how to fix your child's issues instantaneously.
• Most importantly, nobody knows your child better than you do. If anything, trust your parental instincts.
• Your child is entitled to their emotions and their own space.
• Every child is a unique individual; you need to adapt to what your child is and will become.

[29:03] Growth as a Double-Edged Sword

• We sometimes berate ourselves whenever we fail to do or be more than what we are.
• It’s too easy to think that we need to be improving constantly, preventing us from accepting ourselves.
• You grow by accepting yourself and having the willingness to change.
• Everyone is seeking pure happiness. Don’t allow external influences to define what that means for you.

[33:17] Eleanor as a Mentor

• She shares that women shouldn’t underestimate their cognitive skills because of their gender. Instead, they should focus on building themselves and other women who don’t believe in themselves.
• We shouldn’t normalise categorising work based on gender. Men and women can have equal mental and physical abilities.
• Eleanor is proud of the opportunity to mentor young women in a male-dominated industry, encouraging them to pursue their goals no matter what.
• Your strengths should define you, not your gender or culture.
• Lastly, she emphasises the importance of being your authentic self when showing up in front of people.

[39:48] The Human Connection: Eleanor’s Secret

• Human connection has been the heart of Eleanor’s success.
• Be kind and understanding; look at the individuals around you. They’re human too.
• Success comes from communication, openness, honesty, and trust.
• Trust that your employees' intentions toward the company are positive.

[42:09] The Art of Smiling

• A simple act of smiling and eye contact could brighten up someone's day. 
• People looking at you strangely when you smile at them indicates that it is not a rare occurrence.
• Smiling is contagious as it makes them reciprocate the gesture.
• When you smile at a person, it creates a genuine human connection.

5 Powerful Quotes

[8:49] ‘It's okay to fall down, you know, but you just got to get back up like the Phoenix out of them.’

[14:04] ‘If you don't trust your workers, you're not going to get trust back from them. And it's earned both ways.’

[19:54] ‘If you're going to mentor somebody, if you're going to lead a team of people, you have to allow them to make mistakes.’

[22:37] ‘God grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, courage to change the things that I can and wisdom to know the difference.’

[29:08] ‘We do challenge ourselves by trying to be more than what we are, and then beating ourselves up for not being that.’

About the Guest 

Eleanor Foley is the living proof of a powerful woman. As a Solution Delivery Manager in Novartis, she mentors many women in breaking through a male-dominated software industry.

Her leadership skills and vast experience in digital transformations helped build strong relationships with a remotely located service provider and create a climate of trust in her team. As an excellent manager, she implements a robust change to her management approach in ensuring quality operations. Currently, Eleanor resides in Ireland with her 19-year-old daughter. 

If you want to know more about Eleanor, you can connect with her via LinkedIn.

Enjoy this Podcast?

As Eleanor recalls her experiences, she realises a trusting environment and genuine human connections led her to success. If you enjoyed today's episode of The Mindset Mentor Meets…, hit subscribe and share it with your friends! Everyone can find success by looking at their origins and building new connections.

The Podcast has recently been voted in the top 10 most inspirational Podcasts!

 

Post a review and share it! If you enjoyed tuning into this podcast episode, share your thoughts through a review. You can also share it to help your family and friends discover how to learn more from their life experiences.

Have any questions? You can contact me through LinkedIn, Instagram and Facebook. Thanks for listening! 

For more updates and episodes, visit my website. You can also tune in on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify or Podbean. 

To meeting inspiration,

Angela

 

Victorious in Last Place: The Winning Mindset with Holly Joint 

They say life is a race. We must run towards our dreams before our time on earth ends. So, we set deadlines for our goals, and if we don’t meet them, we feel frustrated and hopeless. We are in such a hurry to reach the finish line that we lose ourselves in the process. But here is the truth: life was never about who comes in first. Success is an attitude; the winning mindset is about enjoying one’s journey to success no matter how long it takes. 

In this episode, Holly Joint shares all about her experiences that led to her success. She details how coming last in an ultramarathon became one of the proudest moments of her life. She also talks about how framing problems as opportunities can reduce stress. Finally, Holly discusses how being open to unexpected opportunities can lead to success.

Listen to this episode to discover how staying curious and keeping a winning mindset on your journey can bring success.

Here are three reasons why you should listen to the full episode:

1. Discover Holly’s three proudest moments and gather wisdom from them. 
2. Learn Holly’s winning mindset and secret to success.
3. Know what it takes to thrive in the digital industry. 

Resources 

• Map Out the Life that You Deserve with Angela
• Connect with Holly: LinkedIn 
• Grab a bite of healthy homemade meals at Serves Gourmet!

Episode Highlights 

[4:27] Proudest Moment # 1: Coming Last in an Ultramarathon 

• Back in 2019, Holly decided to join an ultramarathon in Kazakhstan five weeks before the event.  
• She did not have the right gear or training. To make things worse, she was recovering from a running injury.
• Holly felt most proud of herself during the second marathon when she was determined to keep going despite the pain and humiliation she felt. 
• Holly placed last, but she was still proud of herself.  The experience of coming last and not being the best was humbling.
• Listen to the whole episode to know the surprising ending to Holly’s ultramarathon experience!  

[11:06] Finding the Resilience to Keep Going

• Seeing someone come last and still feel proud of it sets an example of a winning mindset for children.
• Holly kept going because she wanted to share her ultramarathon story with her children. 
• Your suffering is more mental than physical. 
• If you dig deep and believe you can accomplish something, you will succeed.  
• Tune in to the full episode to hear more about Holly’s personal life and her need for adventure!

[13:26] Proudest Moment # 2: Reframing Problems as Opportunities

• Holly had to balance long working hours and taking care of her kids during the lockdown. 
• She was under a huge amount of pressure and found herself lashing out at her kids. 
• She later realised that the lockdown was not a burden but an opportunity to spend time with her children. 
• Everyone needs to learn to adapt to the circumstances.
• By understanding all this and letting some things go, Holly realised she is also capable of helping her team with the pressure they’re also feeling.

[18:06] About Holly’s Family and Adapting During the Lockdown

• Holly’s husband has a food business called Serves Gourmet.
• The lockdown gave her children an opportunity to become independent. They needed to manage their own things and time. 
• It also created a space to explore their creativity. 

[21:44] Proudest Moment # 3: Not Being Intentional About Her Career

• To cultivate a winning mindset, we must be intentional about our careers. But we must also be open to unexpected opportunities. 
• We must challenge ourselves and get out of our comfort zones. 
• Holly started in Accenture, where she could have had a linear progression up the ladder. But since then, she has tried out all sorts of opportunities.
• To feel authentic in her career, Holly had to change and be uncomfortable. Looking back at her whole journey, she feels proud. 
• Listen to the whole podcast and learn why Holly’s career was like a roller coaster ride: from participating in the 2022 World Cup bid to working for a start-up to setting up a whole business from scratch! 

[26:16] How to Thrive in the Digital Industry as a Woman  

• Be open and excited about learning emerging technologies. 
• Do your research. 
• Stay open-minded and curious. 
• Value diversity and the opportunity it gives for innovation. Be fascinated with people and their origins.
• Tune in to the full episode to hear more insights from Holly’s journey!

[30:21] What Holly Had to Work on 

• Holly is sometimes overly driven. Holly had to learn not to be a bulldozer. 
• The journey to change takes time and can be enormously frustrating. 
• Patience is an important lesson to learn.  

[32:15] The Winning Mindset: Holly’s Secret to Success

• Success is a journey rather than a destination. 
• Put curiosity first before judgment. Curiosity leads to new opportunities. 
• You can be empathetic about someone if you're curious about them.
• The scarcity mindset is counterintuitive to being successful. Think from a place of abundance, not fear.
• Self-awareness also opens you up to growth. Stay humble and keep your feet on the ground.

5 Powerful Quotes 

[10:36] ‘You can take part in something and know that you can come last and still feel really proud about it.'

[11:59] ‘When you dig deep and believe that you have the mindset to do it, you can actually do it.'

[22:38] ‘It's important not to be too intentional sometimes because I think you have to be open to slightly crazy opportunities.'

[29:05] 'Many of us don't realise that there is a perspective other than ours that is worth listening to and worth noting.'

[32:20] ‘Success [is] a journey rather than a destination.'

 

About the Guest 

Holly Joint is a woman who delivers transformation. She's the head of the Major Programmes Office in Abu Dhabi Commercial Bank and leads the group by focusing on ecosystems, disruption, innovation and governance. 

Her leadership skills and vast experience in customer-centred digital transformations helped build and grow multiple businesses. She understands the change necessary for adapting to the world and the response and needs of customers. Currently, Holly resides in the United Arab Emirates with her husband and two children. 

If you want to know more about Holly, you can connect with her via LinkedIn.

Enjoy this Podcast?

As Holly looks back into her experiences, she realises how staying curious and being open to unexpected opportunities led her to success. If you enjoyed today's episode of The Mindset Mentor Meets…, hit subscribe and share it with your friends! Everyone can cultivate a winning mindset by looking at their origins and building new connections.

Post a review and share it! If you enjoyed tuning into this podcast episode, share your thoughts with us. You can also share it to help your family and friends discover how to learn more from their life experiences.

Have any questions? You can contact me through LinkedIn, Instagram and Facebook. Thanks for listening! 

For more updates and episodes, visit my website. You can also tune in on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify or Podbean. 

To meeting inspiration,

Angela

 

Finding Success in Life Experiences and Connections with Will Jennings 

No matter how far you've come, you don't have to know everything. There is always something new to learn from life experiences and people whose paths you cross in our ever-changing world. It is essential to keep your mind open and find a thirst for learning to hone the successful person you could become. Today, our guest shows how embracing a growth mindset and finding meaning in the fundamentals of life reflect success. 

In this episode, Will Jennings shares things he takes pride in that influenced the successful man he is today. He discusses picking up life lessons from everyday life experiences and keeping an eye for learning.

Tune in to this episode to discover valuable insights on what success really means and how life experiences and people play a significant role in your journey.

Here are three reasons why you should listen to the full episode: 

1. Find out Will’s three proudest moments and draw wisdom from them.
2. Learn Will’s secret to success. 
3. Understand the value behind being okay with not knowing everything. 

Resources 

• Map Out the Life that You Deserve with Angela
• Connect with Will: LinkedIn

Episode Highlights 

[02:32] Balancing Life and Work 

• The key is to leave early in the morning.
• The remote work setup helped Will develop a second set of habits. 
• Now that people are transitioning out of the remote work setup, there’s a need for a third set of habits or redeveloping a new routine. 
• Working with a standing desk makes Will work better because movement and walking give him a different energy.

[06:58] Proudest Moment #1: Life Lessons and Experiences Growing Up 

• Will is proud of his experiences growing up — both good and bad — since they shaped him into who he is today. 
• He acknowledges his experiences growing up as the building blocks of his life today. 
• Who we are today is a result of where we came from. 

[08:19] Will’s Building Blocks 

• Will grew up in West London, which was a very multicultural area back then. 
• Growing up in a melting pot exposed him to different people and cultures. 
• His education in London also influenced his beliefs and values. 
• His early years allowed him to build his character and try different things. 

[10:57] Lessons from Childhood 

• Will wants to instil the value of commitment and work ethic in his children. 
• He wants to show the importance of being honest and staying present. 
• Will finds importance in trusting in yourself and your capabilities, and these are the basics that he wants to pass on to the next generation. 

[16:05] Proudest Moment #2: Being Okay with Learning Things 

• Will takes pride in not knowing everything and being open to learning new things. 
• He is open-minded and has a thirst for learning. 
• For Will, the ability to pass on knowledge is part of finding solutions to issues. 
• Sometimes, we also need to listen and learn from other people’s perspectives. 
• His readiness to learn new things also allows him to connect with people and broaden his perspective. 

[21:31] On His Thirst for Learning 

• For Will, it’s part of his role now as a leader. 
• Learning and unlearning are part of building connections with people and helping them reach their potential. 
• There is no rulebook on how to navigate the pandemic. It pushed Will to take a step back and learn how to manage people after all the physical and psychological changes. 
• Sometimes, you have to be humble and accept that you don’t know everything. 

[25:36] On Leading an Organisation 

• Will says he does not want to give people a false sense of comfort that things will be okay. 
• Instead, he focuses on equipping people with tools that allow them to accept and face the volatility of reality. 
• As a leader, Will believes in being straightforward, enabling support, and allowing people to be open about their fears and aspirations. 
• It is essential to allow people to be vulnerable and encourage them to reach their full potential. 

[34:18] Proudest Moment #3: The Company He Keeps

• The people surrounding him are a never-ending source of inspiration, pride and optimism. 
• For Will, every persona meets plays a role in his life. 
• The interactions and connections he establishes are opportunities to gain new perspectives and learn. 

[37:45] On Staying Present   

• Will admits that he struggles with being preoccupied with other things rather than staying present during family time. 
• It is essential to focus on things that you can control. 

[42:02] Will’s Secret to Success 

• Understand what it is you’re trying to achieve. 
• Stay curious, learn new things, and listen.
• Be fair in how you treat people. 
• Have the courage to take on any challenge. 
• Have a growth mindset. 

5 Powerful Quotes 

[11:14] “If you really do want something, and if you really do want to be somewhere, or to achieve something even if it’s for yourself… commit to it and really trust yourself to do it.” 

[24:19] “You just have to be humble enough to accept the fact that you don’t have the answer.”

[27:48] “If you make sure you look after yourself, that you’re the best that you can be, that you’re delivering your potential, the result will take care of itself.” 

[38:56] “And you should embrace what you can control because to think and worry and to be preoccupied with things that are outside your control is really to deal with it twice.”

[46:20] "You don't really fail — you just learn."

 

About the Guest 

Will Jennings is the Chief Executive Officer of Rabobank in the UK. Before becoming the CEO, he worked as the Chief Risk Officer. Will is not only a loving leader and father but also a people person who has a love for lifelong learning. 

If you want to know more about Will, you can connect with him via LinkedIn.

Enjoy this Podcast?

We’re all caught up in finding success and achieving great things. But we sometimes forget to take a step back and look at what is truly fundamental to success. 

As Will humbly looks back at his experiences growing up, the more he continues to broaden his perspectives and find purpose in his life. If you enjoyed today's episode of The Mindset Mentor Meets…, hit subscribe and share it with your friends! Everyone can find success by looking at their origins and building new connections.

Post a review and share it! If you enjoyed tuning into this podcast episode, share your thoughts through a review. You can also share it to help your family and friends discover how to learn more from their life experiences.

Have any questions? You can contact me through LinkedIn, Instagram and Facebook. Thanks for listening! 

For more updates and episodes, visit my website. You can also tune in on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify or Podbean. 

To meeting inspiration,

Angela

 

Tiffany Willcox’s Three Proudest Moments and Secret to Success

Straying away from who you are can hold you back. However, it’s normal not to have all things figured out. Today’s guest shows us that to be authentic, you need to undergo a process. It will take conscious effort, but it is worth it. After all, being true to who you are will allow you to shine the best way you can.

In this episode, Tiffany Willcox shares her three proudest moments in life and her secret to success. She talks about her journey to finding confidence and being a mother, mentor, and a woman in tech. She leaves us with valuable insights on living a full life by striving to be authentic and making an impact through her ways. 

Tune in to this episode if you want to discover why embracing authenticity is key to elevating your success!

Here are three reasons why you should listen to the full episode: 

1. Tiffany shares her three proudest moments and what she’s learned from them.
2. Discover Tiffany’s secret to a successful life.
3. Learn why you should aim to be authentic and how it can propel you to success.

Resources 

• Coaching with Angela
• Connect with Tiffany: LinkedIn

Episode Highlights  

[4:53] Proudest Moment #1: Being on The Podcast 

• Tiffany is proud of being on The Mindset Mentor Meets...
• She’s always doubted whenever people say she’s good at what she does. But she came to the podcast recognising her value and worth. 
• To get to this point, she embarked on a mentoring journey to help her unlock her confidence and identify her strengths. 
• Focusing and working on herself helped her find her voice and recognise her worth. 
• Being able to speak in front of other people is a milestone in her journey of accepting and loving herself more. 

[11:52] Doing Charity Work 

• Tiffany decided to leave her company, Specsavers, in the middle of COVID to work for a charity.
• During her interview, she made sure to be authentic and was clear on what she can contribute to the organisation. 
• Most people have a misconception that charities cannot afford innovation. However, their organisation has cutting-edge technology. 
• Tiffany feels lucky to be in her role now, as she values the feeling of contributing and helping other people around her. 
• She has gained more appreciation for life by being in the field of palliative care. Listen to the full episode to find out how Tiffany helps patients and their loved ones!

[17:17] Proudest Moment #2: Being A Mum

• Tiffany’s mother passed away when her little one was still in her tummy. So, her early parenting years were a struggle.
• She says juggling work and parenting nearly broke her, but she’s now got it more under control.
• Seeing her children go out into the world and be the best they can be, she can’t help but feel proud.

[18:45] Parenting and Leadership

• Arguably, parenting is the ultimate leadership role.
• For Tiffany, it means giving young people a push without being pushy. 
• As a parent, she sometimes has to put aside her wants and desires to do what her sons want and listen to their side.

[22:31] Proudest Moment #3: Being A Mentor

• Tiffany doesn’t have it all figured out, but she feels honoured that people seek advice or support from her.
• She loves to help other people see the best versions of themselves.
• She is not only proud to be a woman in the tech space, but also a leader. 

[28:14] Tiffany’s Secrets to Success

• The key is to be authentic, present in the moment, and curious.
• Tiffany reminds us not to forget to have a little bit of fun.
• Overcoming her shyness and fears helped her become successful.
• Having curiosity can unlock your authenticity, as it helps tamper down your fear of the unknown.
• The support system she receives from her husband is also instrumental to her success.

5 Powerful Quotes from this Episode 

[7:12] “The only person responsible for my own journey is my own journey. And I focused myself on myself entirely.” 

[20:02] “The converse to [parenting] being a good leadership role is actually really hard because you have to put your own wants and desires to one side and you have to do what they want.”

[28:40] “Combining that authenticity with that curiosity and being truly present it genuinely is a gift to yourself because you can then focus on what you're doing.”

[30:20] “I see curiosity as a real stepping stone, to unleash the authenticity. Because often what is in the way of authenticity is fear.”

[30:38] “Curiosity is the way that you can unlock the authenticity because you don’t have to know everything when you’re curious.”

About the Guest

Tiffany Wilcox is the Chief Technology Officer for the charity company Marie Curie. She is also a mentor, leader, and a loving mother of two who seeks to help other people find the best versions of themselves. Her passion for technology allows her to find solutions to better lives. 

If you want to know more about Tiffany, you can connect with her via LinkedIn.

Enjoy this Podcast?

You may not have everything figured out, and that’s okay. What’s important is you strive to be authentic in all the things you do.

When Tiffany started to embrace her authenticity more, the more she was able to let her wings fly as a career woman, mother, and mentor. If you enjoyed today's episode of The Mindset Mentor Meets…, then hit subscribe and share it with your friends!

Post a review and share it! If you enjoyed tuning into this podcast episode, then you can share your thoughts through a review. You can also share it to help your family and friends improve on how they lead in their simple ways.

Have any questions? You can contact me through LinkedIn, Instagram and Facebook. Thanks for listening! 

For more updates and episodes, visit my website. You can also tune in on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify or Podbean. 

To meeting inspiration,

Angela

 

 

 

Someone with a goal is a force to be reckoned with. There’s no stopping them from planning for the future and making it a reality. They will make sure they’ll get to where they want to be and that everything will work out accordingly. But when something happens that drastically derails all your carefully laid out plans, you might be left staring at the wreckage and asking yourself, ‘So where do I go from here?’ And maybe thinking ‘I might as well give up’ 

In this episode, Angela’s husband Martin Cox shares his struggles with a brain injury during the past four months. With their family’s life plans thwarted and his health at a low point, he and Angela discuss how they got back on their feet. They did so by sticking to their goals and being open to changing the route to get there, being prepared to learn new things along the way.

Are you feeling discouraged because things aren’t working out the way you planned? Do you feel that perfectionism or ‘that’ll do’ mentality is holding you back? Then, this episode is for you!

Here are three reasons why you should listen to the full episode:

1. Hear about the challenging time Martin and Angela went through and how they are fighting back. 
2. Find out how to get back on track when things don’t go according to how you’re planning for the future.
3. Discover the key to turning away from perfectionism while also not tolerating mediocrity.

Resources

• Connect with Martin: LinkedIn
• Coaching with Angela

Episode Highlights [1:01] Adapting to Drastic Life Changes

• Early this summer, Angela and Martin were looking forward to a new lifestyle, a new job for Martin, a location move from the countryside to the middle of town. 
• They wanted to do so for better opportunities for their entire family.
• As they were preparing to move, tragedy struck. On 19th June, whilst on an overnight trip to Swansea, Martin had a serious brain injury and was in and out of consciousness.
• Through a recording, Angela shares how Martin’s memories, speech and walking ability were impaired. 

[09:43] Planning for the Future and Sticking to the Plan vs Sticking to a Goal 

• Though he feels strange listening to the recording of himself and being aware of how tough it was for his family, Martin is glad to be feeling well again.
• Despite what he went through, the goal of building a new life remained the same.  However, how they would get there became different from their original plan. 
• While having a specific goal drives you forward, your plan on getting there has to remain adaptable, so it won’t be troublesome to manage.
• In the hospital, Martin was able to think and work things out. 
• The experience also served as a massive lesson to Angela on sticking to a goal while remaining adaptable to change.

[13:47] Fighting Mediocrity and Standards

• Martin and Angela are not a fan of mediocrity.
• Martin’s experience in the hospital was more of an outlier’s case. This meant he was on a pathway that wasn’t fit for him.
• But when you’re an outlier, you need a different way of working than what’s set out for most people. 
• Fighting against the benchmarks of mediocre successes, they realized that Martin's needs were not accessible in the hospital.

[16:21] Measures of Success

• During his recovery in the hospital, there was a gap between goals.
• What the hospital deemed as a success or improvement was different from Martin’s aspirations.
• Martin and Angela struggled with their desire to stick to their plan and method. The hospital also had its own goals and methods, creating different measures of success.
• They weren’t complacent and didn’t allow the hospital’s method to define their goals. So, they turned to experimentation and moved away from the idea of perfectionism.
• Tune in to the full episode to hear more of Martin and Angela’s insights and experiences as they overcame this challenge.

[20:00] Martin’s Initial Diagnosis

• Martin was in the orthopaedic ward because of his fractured skull. But his predominant injury was in his brain, so the people around him were not set to take care of it. 
• Frustrated with the situation, Angela reached out to the hospital's executive team to get an expert for Martin. 
• A consultant disclosed that they felt Martin had cancer. They picked up tumours that were likely to be Stage 4 cancer.
• Martin and Angela went from planning for the future to build a successful life to possibly not having it at all.
• Angela expounds more on what they went through as they received the news in the full episode.

[27:29] Martin’s Real Diagnosis

• The Thursday evening after receiving the first diagnosis, Angela received good news from Martin’s consultant.
• The brain tumours turned out to be brain bleeds—what he had was not cancer.
• But Angela doubted this diagnosis and wanted more information on the situation. 
• After getting clarification, they went back to planning for the future and their original goal.

[30:06] More Setbacks and Challenges

• During the move, Martin’s transfer to the ABI unit was delayed as there were no specialists who could attend to him 
• Martin was at a low point at that time because the transfer was supposed to get him closer to his family. 
• At the time, he couldn’t see how he was going to move forward. 
• With Martin being the fixer of their family, Angela now felt responsible for the position.
• Tune in to the full episode to hear how Angela navigated this ‘that’ll do won’t do’ situation by setting up a GoFundMe campaign for Martin!

[37:16] Allowing Yourself to be Helped

• In a few days, they raised £20,000, giving them the control to employ the right people for Martin’s recovery. 
• With the help of specialists, Martin is slowly making incremental steps towards his recovery. 
• Currently, he is relearning to use home appliances and doing other chores. Listen to the full episode to hear more about his journey!
• The GoFundMe campaign made Martin realize how connected they are to people.
• It’s also helped him understand that asking for and receiving help has to be part and parcel of how you operate. You need to seek help and learn from the power it brings.

[45:56] What to Do When You Go Off Track

• While you might not always know how to fix a certain problem, the principle of having to know where you are and where you’re trying to be remains the same.
• When things go off track, reflect on what you expected would happen, what actually happened, and what you learned from it.
• Rather than aiming to go back to what your situation once was, you need to learn how to transition and move forward. 
• Every step you take is progress. They’re not failures just because you aren’t able to do them as well as before. 

[49:50] Questioning Success Rather Than Failure

• You learn more from what you’re good at and understanding that, rather than the things you aren’t good at.
• However, we often question why we fail but not why we are successful.
• Sometimes, we get to where we are without understanding how we got there or what the positives about it are.
• Reassessing and resetting goals are essential to planning for the future. Fixing something for the first time despite needing to do it long before is still moving forward.
• Coming from a place of gratitude also enables you to want to be the best you can be because you realize the value of your life.

[53:23] Planning for the Future

• We’ve only got one life to live, so make the most out of it by being grateful and striving to achieve better things. 
• Though Angela and Martin could’ve settled for ‘that’ll do,’ it didn’t link into their goals.
• Self-doubt or criticism from others might hold you back from doing things. 
• When these set in, just remember to set your sights on your goal. However, don’t be a perfectionist about how to get there.
• In planning for the future, you need to have concrete steps for moving forward. But don’t make it so prescriptive that there’s no room for learning and improvement.

[59:20] Mistakes vs Lessons

• Just because something didn’t happen as you expected doesn’t mean it’s a mistake.
• Viewing something as a mistake drags you into a negative spiral. So put yourself in a space where you can see these things healthily—from a learning perspective.
• Ask yourself what you can do differently and build upon to make it work?

[1:01:50] Casting Away ‘That’ll Do’ and Perfectionism

• Martin is grateful to Angela for everything, especially when he was unable to do things on his own. 
• Don’t accept ‘that’ll do,’ but know that in planning for the future, your ideas won’t always pan out perfectly. 
• Be prepared to experiment and learn. 
• As things unfold and pivot, determine the lessons from the experience and decide on the next best step to get closer to your goal.

5 Powerful Quotes from This Episode

[44:21] ‘Willingness to ask and explore where you need help, whether that’s physical, whether it’s financial, whether that’s expertise, has to be part and parcel of the way we operate.’

[49:17] ‘Everything is progress, rather than everything is failure because you’re not like you were before.’

[50:01] ‘You learn more from what you’re good at and understanding what that is than you do from necessarily what you’re not so good at.’

[53:07] ‘When you come from a place of gratitude, there is a greater propensity within you to want to be the best that you can be because you realize the value of the life that you've got.’

[56:14] ‘The only thing I guarantee you about a plan is that’s exactly how it won’t happen.’

About Martin

Martin Cox has worked in business transformation for 20 years and is due to start a new role as Association Director of Improvement in the NHS. His experience as a patient has given him even more desire to make a difference. 

He is also a leadership coach and Kata coach and has worked in the B2B, B2C banking, financial, legal, law firm, consulting and corporate sectors for more than 20 years.

As a business leader, he leverages an open management style of coaching, mentoring, and leadership. He translates business requirements into tangible, realistic programme deliverables and outcomes. He also works confidently and effectively with front-line teams and executives, using strong engagement and influencing skills to deliver successful transformations.

If you want to know more about Martin, you can connect with him via LinkedIn.

Enjoy this Podcast?

Just when everything seems to be falling into place, something happens that sets you back from your goals. And that can be discouraging. 

But Martin is a living testament that you can overcome these hurdles, continue planning for the future you want and keep on moving forward. If you enjoyed today's episode of The Mindset Mentor Meets…, then hit subscribe and share it with your friends!

Post a review and share it! If you enjoyed tuning into this podcast episode, then you can share your thoughts through a review. You can also share it to help your family and friends improve on how they lead in their simple ways.

Have any questions? You can contact me through LinkedIn, Instagram and Facebook. Thanks for listening! 

For more updates and episodes, visit my website. You can also tune in on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify or Podbean. 

To meeting inspiration,

Angela

 

Changing Careers For A Happier Work and Family Life 

Changing careers might seem overwhelming , there's so much to consider. You've climbed the ladder in your current job, why leave what you've got? There's comfort in the thought of that security and stability. However, it's not always the case. At one point, you might realize that your current job is not for you. It's critical to know when enough is enough. While it may sound scary, the answer may lie in taking on another career path.

In this episode, Ryan Yeates of Advance Innovation Group joins us to share advice for changing careers. He tells the story of his fast-accelerating career journey and the changes that transpired over its course. He also speaks about leadership and building a winning team. Furthermore, Ryan allows us to learn his secrets to living a happy and successful life.

Do you want to know when it's time to move on to the next thing in your career? Do you need some advice for changing careers? Then, this episode is for you!

Here are three reasons why you should listen to the full episode:

1. Learn how to deal with the voice of doubt in finding success in the workplace.
2. Get advice for changing careers and insight into what it's like to transition and run a team along with it.
3. Discover the secret to a happy and successful work and family life.

Resources

• Connect with Ryan: LinkedIn | Advance Group
• Coaching with Angela

Episode Highlights [03:36] Ryan's Career Journey Before 30

• The first thing Ryan is proud of is his career journey before 30. 
• His journey accelerated very quickly. He had to go from leaving school with some GCSEs to entering the business world.  
• He started as an engineer installing security alarms and finding no success in working for his brother's business. 
• So, Ryan made a conscious decision that he wanted something different. He went through various stages where he wanted his career to be.
• He took up senior roles and found success in the security industry before moving into hospitality, giving him insights on changing careers.

[07:07] Dealing with the Voice of Doubt

• Five years ago, Ryan was all about proving a point.
• Upon understanding more about himself, he realized it's about the results rather than making a point.
• Ryan didn't hide the fact that he was 24 when he reached the business board level. He discussed it openly to let his colleagues understand his different perspectives.
• Due to his desire to climb the ladder, he missed out on many things people his age did. He worked to keep his focus, prove his point, and get to where he wants to.
• Comfort begins when you know yourself and your capabilities. Knowing he can get things wrong and have imperfections made Ryan more relaxed.

[09:50] How COVID-19 Changed Ryan

• The second thing Ryan is proud of is how COVID-19 changed him.
• Ryan thinks COVID-19 has changed everyone for the better. We've become more caring and understanding as a nation.
• He's proud of the journey his team has gone on from day one of COVID-19.
• Ryan has learned more from COVID-19 than he would have ever done if his life remained the same.
• The business that Ryan leads has grown from strength to strength over the last 12 months.

[13:26] Leadership During COVID-19

• Leaders' responsibilities are not as glamorous as they may seem during bad times.
• His team went into survival mode in the first week of COVID-19. Ryan believes he didn't do the best job during COVID-19.
• The experience was a learning curve for Ryan's team. It allowed them to change and adapt.

[14:54] Advance Group

• The company is a leader in kitchen design. They also run other business units in services and care.
• Advance Innovation Group supplies commercial kitchens to casual dining restaurants, Michelin-starred kitchens, celebrity chefs, etc.
• Their mantra is to lead customers' design experience.
• The journey they bring their clients through is magical, from the initial design brief to the implementation of their service.
• Tune in to the full episode to learn more about Advance Group!

[17:06] Transitioning Career Paths

• Ryan transitioned to the kitchen design industry two years ago.
• A peer sat him down and explained how the world is shifting from sector-specific leaders to business leaders.
• Ryan found the transition very difficult in the first six months. He threw himself into it by immersing in the industry.
• The passion and drive in the hospitality sector resonate with Ryan.
• He still struggles to differentiate between kitchen appliances. But being surrounded by people who understand him allows him to accomplish what he needs to do.

[19:20] Working with a Team that Motivates You

• The third thing Ryan is proud of is his team. He has been fortunate to bring some of his team with him in his industry transition.
• The business they joined two years ago is completely different to what they do today.
• Ryan's team went from being a closed-book business to everyone having a voice. They know when to say yes and when to challenge things.
• The people around him make his passion come out day-to-day.
• It took around 12 months for them to make the team mesh successfully.

[22:29] Forming the Winning Team

• Perfection isn't everything. Ryan's team had a messy first 6 to 12 months. 
• Something always happens when you start to get on the cusp of a winning team formation.
• It's critical to have the foundation of a winning team. Work with people with wisdom in the business and have the business's interest ingrained into them.
• It's about being able to openly challenge and enjoy the work as a team.
• Running a team is like a relationship. What makes or breaks it is how you handle communication during tough times.

[24:09] Willingness to Change Behavior

• Ryan won't be where he is today if he is still the person he was seven years ago.
• He did things his way before without letting anyone else's ideas in.
• He went through adaptation to his behaviour both on how he operates and his natural personality.

[25:35] Ryan's Life Outside of Work

• Ryan has a daughter and a stepchild. 
• He is getting married in three weeks. His other half is the rock that gels everything together in their family.
• He wants to be able to provide a good life for his kids with their dad at home.
• COVID-19 has also driven work-life balance. 
• Ryan has made a conscious effort to be there for his kids when he can whenever they need him.

[28:44] The Secret to Success for Ryan

• Ryan believes that the only measure of success is how you feel. 
• His secret to success is that he loves what he does. 
• Surround yourself with people who are better than you and will complement your weaknesses.
• Three fundamental points: know yourself, your numbers and what you class as success. 
• Being able to alter yourself and adapt to circumstances is crucial.

[32:19] What Contributes to Success: Leading a Happy Life

• Success is about being happy both in your work environment and family life. When you're happy in one aspect, it will affect the other.
• Ryan is happy at work when there's a problem to solve. He operates best when under pressure.
• But Ryan is happiest when his team is performing and content in what they do.

[33:42] Advice for Changing Careers 

• Know your limits.
• Operating and investing in a problem is critical.
• Ryan operates best in turning something around in five years and then changing again.

[34:37] Building Wisdom and Humility

• He learned a lot from fantastic leaders and colleagues. He watched, observed and remembered as much as he could from them.
• The humility within him comes from being a lucky child with everything handed to him on a plate. He is keen not to spoil his children like that.
• Remain grounded no matter what happens and what you've got.

5 Powerful Quotes from This Episode

[08:24] 'Once you know exactly who you are and what you're capable of, you're very comfortable and able to put that point across as well.'

[09:28] 'Make your mistakes, but then [learn] what you need to do differently.'

[22:36] 'Perfection isn't everything… It's okay to let some things go.'

[23:38] 'Get a team that enjoys life and enjoys working with you, and appreciate the fact that you're gonna have some really tough times together.'

[29:03] 'The only measure to success is how you feel. Honestly, take no notice of how anyone else judges what you class as your own success.'

About Ryan

Ryan Yeates is the Operations Director at Advance Innovation Group. As a senior and strategic leader, he focuses on client-centric solutions with a passion for innovation. Throughout his career, Ryan has headed various business department areas, including sales, operations, retention and commercial. 

He creates stable strategies and motivates teams to achieve budgets and increase business productivity. He manages this through sensible change management procedures.

If you want to know more about Ryan, you can connect with him via LinkedIn.

Enjoy this Podcast?

It can be frightening to change careers and leave the stability you feel in your current one. But Ryan, with his wisdom and openness, shares advice on making the switch. If you enjoyed today's episode of The Mindset Mentor Meets…, then hit subscribe and share it with your friends!

Post a review and share it! If you enjoyed tuning into this podcast episode, then you can share your thoughts through a review. You can also share it to help your family and friends make a career shift that will be better for them.

Have any questions? You can contact me through LinkedIn, Instagram and Facebook. Thanks for listening! 

For more updates and episodes, visit my website. You can also tune in on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify or Podbean. 

To meeting inspiration,

Angela

Defining Leadership and Finding Balance in Life 

People have conflicting opinions on what leadership is truly about. Some believe that leadership should involve tough love. Others think that it is about the leader and their capabilities. Today’s guest shows us a brand of leadership based on kindness and curiosity. 

In this episode, Abcam Director of Customer Services Karen Baker shows us how she manages colleagues of different backgrounds. She talks about her three proudest moments, one of which is getting a PhD. Furthermore, we delve into how she can balance life as a mother, manager and athlete. Karen also generously shares her secret to success.    

If you're curious about what leadership is and how you can find balance in your life, this episode is for you!

Here are three reasons why you should listen to the full episode:

1. Gain a deeper understanding of what leadership is.
2. Learn to balance your time and priorities between your career and personal life.
3. Discover Karen’s secret to success.

Resources

• Connect with Karen: LinkedIn
• Neil Marsh Health and Fitness
• Coaching with Angela

Episode Highlights

[02:53] Getting a PhD

• One of Karen’s proudest moments is graduating from her doctorate program. 
• During the process, she learned much about herself and built resilience.
• What she enjoyed the most was getting to know new people from different backgrounds.
• While fulfilling, a Ph.D. is something she won’t do again.
• However, she would like to learn from a structured process again.

[07:55] Helping Others Grow

• Karen takes pride in seeing other people, especially her workmates and her children, succeed. She also enjoys watching them learn.
• For her, it's not about her kids being the best in the world. It's about being the best that they can be and trying as hard as they can.
• Hearing and supporting others’ ideas and opinions is what leadership is about. 

[11:12] Transition from Research to Management

• When Karen attended an event on what leadership is, she discovered her strength in managing people.
• Karen started in a technical role in her company, then had the opportunity to manage people. She is now the director of customer operations. 
• People management is not just something she is good at; it also brings her joy.
• It took her over ten years to identify her strengths, know from where she gets satisfaction and what she enjoys doing.

[12:52] What Leadership Is 

• Karen liked getting to know more about her colleagues outside of the workplace setting. 
• When you naturally find people interesting, it’s easier to engage with them.
• Often, other leaders think that what leadership is, is about their strengths. 
• Karen shows that leadership is about having the humility to put other people first.

[15:21] Running a Marathon

• Karen has been running for more than two decades. But what she’s proud of is finishing a 30-mile marathon.
• At first, she was anxious about getting injured. So, she spent five months conditioning and training for both endurance and speed.
• At the 20-mile mark in the marathon, she thought she would not be able to continue, but she did. 

• Karen gained support from her best friend who was also doing the marathon.  
• Neil Marsh’s fitness community also helped her stay accountable and motivated.

[20:43] Balancing Parenting, Work and Physical Fitness

• Karen believes in planning and scheduling properly.
• It also helps to have someone hold you accountable.
• Guilt can sometimes sneak up on you when you're spending time for yourself. But you can avoid this feeling by proper scheduling.
• When you take time for yourself, you can be a better person for others as well.
• No one does perfect parenting the right way the first time around. 

[24:59] Secret to Success

• Karen’s key to success is kindness.
• You don’t know what’s weighing on other people’s shoulders, so it’s important to be kind. 
• Assuming others’ positive intent can help you to be kind.

5 Powerful Quotes from This Episode

[9:21] ‘And for me, it's not about them being the best in the world, but it's about being the best that they can be and trying as hard as they can.’

[13:24] ‘I think it's just a case of really engaging with people, getting to know people. So that you understand a bit more about who they are, what they're driven by what they like if they're receptive to understanding.’

[19:41] “So, it's really great to have that community and people around you that are going through the same experience because a lot of people were also doing it for the first time. So doing that together, that support really helps to keep you motivated.’

[24:19] ‘It's all about strong messaging and leading by example.’  

[27:16] ‘If you force yourself to find out what the positive intent might be before you allow yourself to be offended, it then really helps with the response and helps us to be kind in that response.’ 

About Karen Baker 

Karen Baker is a mother, business leader and running enthusiast. She also holds a Ph.D. in Biology and was also an active researcher at the University of Cambridge. But what she truly takes pride in is her contribution to other people’s growth and development. She feels joy and pride the most in getting to know people and guiding them to success. Karen now works as Abcam’s Director of Global Customer Services.

Her curiosity and love for people and human relationships are what make her the proud parent and leader she is today. If you want more information about Karen, you can connect with her via LinkedIn.

Enjoy this Podcast?

Being a leader to a diverse set of people can be challenging. Luckily, Karen offers advice to help you excel in leadership positions. If you enjoyed today’s episode of The Mindset Mentor Meets…, then hit subscribe and share it with your friends!

Post a review and share it! If you enjoyed tuning into this podcast episode, then you can share your thoughts through a review. You can also share it to help your family and friends improve on how they lead in their simple ways.

Have any questions? You can contact me through LinkedIn, Instagram and Facebook. Thanks for listening! 

For more updates and episodes, visit my website. You can also tune in on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify or Podbean. 

To meeting inspiration,

Angela

 

Accepting your worth is the springboard for growth

Amid all the chaos and uncertainty, have you been able to show love for yourself lately? With all the adjustments you’ve had to make to working and family life, you might have been forced to put self-care on the back burner. However, moving forward and continuing to adjust to our ever-changing situation can take so much energy. Thus, you need to put yourself first.

This week, Carolyn Maloney teaches us to understand and say, ‘I am enough as I am.’ She shows us how we can adapt to changing circumstances, lean into uncertainty and find our way through a real commitment to continuous improvement and learning. Carolyn also shares how COVID has formed connections between people and brought out her resilience and sense of community. Finally, she tells us how being brave and sharing her vulnerabilities became her secret to success.

If you want to know how you can start having love for yourself, then tune in to this episode!

Here are three reasons why you should listen to the full episode:

1. Find out how you can show love for yourself, especially in this new normal.
2. Discover the different ways of working that you can do because of COVID and how you can convince people who are resistant to change.
3. Learn why being brave and vulnerable is Carolyn’s secret to success.

Resources

• The Mindset Mentor Meets… Podcast Episode 51: How to Embody Positivity with Andy Cope
• Grammarly
• Brené Brown
• Connect with Carolyn: LinkedIn

• Visit Angela’s website to learn more about her coaching!

Episode Highlights

[02:27] Returning Work to the Office

• Carolyn’s team is working in a hybrid setup, spending two or three days at the office and the rest at home.

• When the hybrid setup was initially introduced in March, there was a lot of hesitation and anxiety since they work as an administration function.

• Some of the team chose to work from home while others decided to stay in the office.

• It is a lot easier when you give employees the choice and control over it.

• Their mantra is to ask two questions: ‘Are you okay? Am I okay?’

[04:56] Are You Okay? Am I Okay?

• As you go around asking this question, don’t be afraid to probe gently. 
• Sometimes, a person may say they’re okay when they aren’t. 
• Carolyn shares that when she asks the question, she’s interested to know the answer.
• Therefore, she appreciates honesty when others answer. 
• She hopes that this culture can be brought into other workplaces as well.

[07:09] On Showing Love for Yourself

• Carolyn's first proudest moment is loving where she is now in her life, in her career. She feels fabulous.
• Feeling fabulous means being okay in your skin, accepting yourself for who you are, and learning every day. Through this, you can show love for yourself.

• This is achieved through repetitive practice. Focus on the parts of you that you do not like and tell yourself they are amazing.

• Her issue has never been the lack of motivation but rather the discipline in maintaining it.

• Think about how your behaviour today in terms of achieving your goals will affect your future self. You are the only person in control of yourself.

[15:35] Carolyn’s Team During COVID

• Her second proudest moment is her team’s successes and achievements throughout COVID. They were able to get research up and running in a record time of six hours.

• Carolyn is self-admittedly a pragmatist and does a lot of checks and balances.

• The pandemic has forced different ways of working. Many of them are not sustainable for the long-term, but there are some aspects that can be used in the future.

• Carolyn learned a lot about the possibilities of research during COVID. Tune in to find out what they are!

[26:19] The Importance of Resilience and Community

• In the early days of COVID, Carolyn often was unsure where to get the resilience she needed to see her through.

• She was working ridiculous hours, but so was everyone else.

• She was fortunate to have a community and connections that helped each other out during this period.

[28:25] Applying for and Getting Accepted in a Master’s Degree 

• Carolyn’s third proudest moment is applying for and getting accepted in a level seven apprenticeship masters in leadership management.

• She left school because she hated it in the past, so all her administration skills were self-taught.

• Some sound advice she has gotten is not to assume knowledge. Do not assume that people know what you are talking about because most people do not.
• Listen to the full episode to know Carolyn’s experiences in her apprenticeship masters in leadership management!

[40:29] Carolyn’s Secrets to Success

• Recognise the opportunities that are presented to you and be brave enough to jump at them. Don’t be too worried about what will happen if it does not work out.

• If it does not work, then you have not lost anything. On the other hand, if you did not try at all, then you might have lost something.

• Carolyn used to find it hard to be honest with the people around her about how she felt because she didn’t trust them with her feelings.

• But she has learned that as a leader, by recognising that you have vulnerabilities, accepting them, and letting other people know about them, they will feel safer with you and vice versa.

5 Powerful Quotes

[8:05] ‘You might have reacted in this particular way in the past, but that doesn’t mean to say that you have to react in the same way again.’

[8:39] ‘When you believe it, you will become it. And you can lie to your subconscious, and it believes what you’re telling it.’

[11:49] ‘How will your behaviour today in terms of your goals and achieving what you want to achieve, affect your future self?’

[15:25] ‘Even when you don’t feel amazing, you tell yourself you feel amazing. And you will believe that you do.’

[41:22] ‘If you apply for the job and you get interviewed, then you give yourself the opportunity. If you don’t apply for the job, you won’t get an interview. So, therefore, you don’t have the opportunity in the first place. What have you got to lose?’

About Carolyn

Carolyn Maloney is the Head of Research Operations at the University Hospital Leicester NHS Trust. She is responsible for operational management and governance of all research activities in the hospital.

Carolyn entered the clinical research field when she moved to Essex in 2003, got a job as an administrator in the Research Ethics Committee, and was asked to apply for the role permanently. Before that, she was a florist and had her own business in Dorset. From the Essex Ethics Committee, she moved to manage RM&G for PCTs in Essex, then decided to apply to Leicester.

Carolyn is currently taking a Senior Leaders Master’s Degree Apprenticeship in Management from De Montfort University.

To learn more about Carolyn, you may visit her company website or connect with her on LinkedIn.

Enjoy the Podcast?

With the current situation, it may be too easy for you to forget to show love for yourself. But Carolyn is here to remind us why this should not be the case. If you enjoyed today’s episode of The Mindset Mentor Meets..., then hit subscribe and share it with your friends!

Post a review and share it! If you enjoyed tuning into this podcast episode, then don’t hesitate to write a review. You can also share this with your family and friends so they can remember to prioritise themselves and learn what it means to show love for yourself.

Have any questions? You can contact me through LinkedIn, Instagram, and Facebook. Thanks for listening! 

For more updates and episodes, visit my website. You can also tune in on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify, or Podbean.

To meeting inspiration,

Angela

 

Cut the Bungee Cord of Traumatic Events with Behaviour Change Techniques

Have you ever felt stuck in an endless cycle of toxic behaviour? Even though you recognise the patterns and try to move forward, you just can't seem to change how you act. This happens because we fail to utilise effective behaviour change techniques. Without them, it’s akin to wearing a bungee cord around your waist — even as you take steps forward, you eventually get pulled back to your old ways.

In this episode, I share my thoughts on the two things that frustrate me about how accredited bodies teach coaching and how to disrupt them. I talk about the role of non-directive and directive styles in the whole spectrum of coaching. Likewise, I highlight behaviour change techniques and the importance of getting to the root cause of behavioural patterns to change them.

If you want to learn behaviour change techniques and cut your bungee cord, tune in to this week's episode!

Here are three reasons why you should listen to the full episode:

1. Discover the importance of recognising behavioural patterns.
2. Learn about the importance of therapeutic-based techniques in uncovering and neutralising root causes of behavioural patterns.
3. Find out what it means to be an executive coach in this day and age.

Resources

• Visit Angela’s website to learn more about her coaching! 

Episode Highlights

[02:11] The Woes of Non-Directive Coaching

• Non-directive coaching pushes leaders to lead their people in a supportive, questioning, and empowering way.
• But C-suite leaders are often surrounded by 'yes' people. Executive coaching, therefore, needs to present more of a challenge to these leaders.
• These leaders need different perspectives to understand the way their people react to their leadership style and position.
• Assuming that all C-suite leaders have all the answers stops them from seeing a broader picture.
• Leaders benefit from experiencing the whole spectrum of the coaching spectrum, including both non-directive and directive coaching.

[4:21] Therapy and Directive Coaching Style

• The directive style includes advice, consultation, and therapy.
• The therapeutic aspect of coaching keeps people focused on the present and the future they want to create. 
• However, it doesn't look backwards at what might be causing toxic behaviours. It is not the most efficient of behaviour change techniques. 

[5:14] Patterns of Behaviour

• People run patterns of behaviour over and over again. 
• No amount of coaching will change those behaviours until you have uncovered and tackled their root cause.
• Some people who present a pattern of behaviour may not even be aware that it is there.

[6:06] Behaviour Change Techniques for a Client’s Pattern

• Before working with a client, Angela always asks them to write a synopsis of their life to spot their patterns.
• Angela has a senior leader client who got stuck in a pattern of running away when somebody higher in the hierarchy makes him feel helpless. 
• He still felt the same way, even after doing a lot of forward-focused work. Angela's first question to him was about what the first experience reminded him of.
• The client revealed an experience of humiliation and physical abuse in primary school. He just sat and took it. 
• Throughout his childhood, there were several instances of this behavioural pattern. He didn't speak up for himself even once.

[11:02] A Look into the Neuroscience Perspective

• There are two places where we store memories in our brain. 
• The first is the giant filing cabinet where all our memories are stored. These memories have no way of creating an emotional response in us.
• The second is the amygdala, where our traumatic memories are stored. These memories are like little landmines waiting to get stepped on, triggering an emotional response.
• For the senior leader client, the first traumatic experience where he froze created his present behaviour.

[13:15] The Importance of Behaviour Change Techniques

• The older we get, the more shame, guilt, anger, and frustration builds up as we recognise that our emotional responses aren't helpful.
• Trying to pour positivity on something toxic residing inside you will result in the dilution of the positivity.
• You have to get to the root cause of patterns and neutralise them using therapeutic-based behaviour change techniques, like the Havening Technique or EFT.
• Without implementing these behaviour change techniques, you are simply running forward with a bungee cord attached to your waist.  You will revert to the conditioning endlessly.

[15:46] Unlocking Your Behavioural Patterns

• What are your patterns that make you facepalm?
• When was the first time these patterns showed up for you?
• We don't have many conscious memories before six years old. Working with a therapist will help you unlock the earlier memories.
• With the use of behaviour change techniques, you can then address the root cause.

[16:40] The Executive Coaching Arena

• Coaching involves the whole coaching arena, including therapy.
• Coaching can be non-directive, directive, provocative, challenging, or advisory. It offers different perspectives, and brings valuable expertise depending on the case.
• An executive coach is there to co-create value. They need to have as much credence in the situation as the client and bring their expertise to unlock root causes.
• Simply talking about changing habits and behaviours is not enough. We have to work with the subconscious and apply behaviour change techniques.
• Only after neutralising the root cause can you make some progress.

5 Powerful Quotes from This Episode

[03:46] ‘Assuming that all of the C-suite leaders have all of the answers inside of them really, I suppose, stops them from seeing a broader picture stops them from seeing diversity and different perspectives.’

[05:30] ‘No amount of coaching about the way that you want to change those behaviours will change the behaviour until you have tackled the root cause.’

[14:33] ‘If you're trying to pour positivity on something that is toxic, that is residing inside of you, then the positivity is going to be diluted very quickly. You have to get to the root causes of your patterns.’

[17:22] ‘An executive coach for me is there to co-create value. The executive coach needs to have as much credence in the situation as the client does, and bring their expertise to really unlock these root causes.’

[17:49] “Simply talking about changing habits and changing behaviours is not enough. We have to work with the subconscious.’

Enjoy this Podcast?

We all have toxic cycles of behaviour that we want to break. We hope you learned a thing or two from Angela's advice on behaviour change techniques. If you enjoyed today’s episode of The Mindset Mentor Meets..., then hit subscribe and share it with your friends!

Post a review and share it! If you enjoyed tuning into this podcast episode, then don’t hesitate to write a review. You can also share this with your family and friends so they can break the cycles of their toxic behaviours.

Have any questions? You can contact me through LinkedIn, Instagram and Facebook. Thanks for listening! 

For more updates and episodes, visit my website. You can also tune in on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify or Podbean. 

To meeting inspiration,

Angela Cox

 

The Executive Edge: Why You Should Believe in Yourself with Stephen Gallagher

 When you're at the bottom, there's nowhere to go but up. But going upward from there isn't as easy as it sounds. Rising out of your darkest moments requires a lot more than just grit. It's all about being able to believe in yourself — believing that you can pull yourself up and learning to be vulnerable enough to allow other people to help you rise.

In this episode of The Mindset Mentor Meets, Angela Cox interviews Stephen Gallagher, Executive Director of EF Group. Stephen describes his journey from the lowest point in his life to create the success he enjoys today with his wife and daughter and how he tries to raise the bar on being a better person in both his life and those around him.

From overcoming a debilitating injury that threatened his mobility to achieving remarkable success in both personal and professional realms, Stephen's story is a testament to the power of self-belief and resilience. He shares invaluable insights into how embracing vulnerability and integrity has been pivotal in his journey, offering listeners practical advice on cultivating a mindset geared towards growth and success.

Where are you now? Is it a dark moment in your life, or do you think you’re at the heights of your success? There’s always something you can improve — whether in yourself, your organization, or someone around you. No matter where you are in your life right now, Stephen’s journey is something you can definitely learn from.

Here are three reasons why you should listen to the full episode:

1. Understand why believing in yourself is the key to overcoming any odds.
2. Learn how having unshakable integrity empowers your self-belief and helps strip away self-doubt.
3. Understand how transparency and honesty help get everyone on the same page when it comes to striving for a goal.

Resources 

• Contact Stephen through LinkedIn
• Visit the EF Group Website
• Coaching with Angela Cox
• Listen to The Mindset Mentor Meets
• Read The Mother of All Jobs by Christine Armstrong

Episode Highlights 

[03:31] Stephen’s First Proudest Moment: Recovering from the Impossible

• In October 2019, Stephen fell and shattered his humerus, then contracted a rare condition that paralyzed his right arm.
• It was his first time feeling vulnerable — there was very little he could do on his own, and he was reliant on both medication and his wife.
• Although there was a surgery that could fix his arm, his surgeon told him that it was practically impossible that he would use his arm again. His surgeon said that Stephen had better odds of winning the lottery than regaining full mobility in his right arm.
• Stephen was undaunted; he devoted himself to doing his exercises and physical therapy until, against all odds, he could do something we take for granted: pick up a bottle.

[10:08] Journeying Out from the Pit of Despair

• Recovering from his paralysis was a massive journey. Stephen says he had PTSD and that his wife would wake him up when he had tremors.
• At this low point in life, he started questioning the meaning of life: what was his purpose? What could he offer?
• Seeing a therapist and taking medication were crucial in helping him on this journey.
• Stephen emphasizes the need for greater awareness and open discussions about mental health in his community.
• Instead of trying to return to who he was, Stephen aimed to move forward and change for the better.

[13:17] Stephen’s Second Proudest Moment: His Daughter

• Stephen’s daughter has moderate hearing loss and now has hearing aids — but she’s adapted to it well and has shown remarkable positivity.
• She embodies the values of generosity, thoughtfulness, and kindness, as instilled by Stephen and his wife.
• One moment that makes him proud is when his daughter comforted her classmate when they were having a bad day.
• Stephen and his wife were told that they wouldn’t be able to conceive naturally. But they defied the odds once again, being able to give birth to their beautiful daughter.

[18:13] Stephen’s Third Proudest Moment: Scaling Through Acquisition

• Over eight years at EF Group, Stephen played a pivotal role in growing the company from 27 to 120 million, showcasing his leadership and strategic acumen.
• Recognizing inflation's impact, Stephen and his team chose to scale through acquisition, aiming to secure the best future for their clients.
• They had to find a company that aligned with their values. At the time, that was Compass Group.
• The acquisition's success was significantly attributed to a commitment to total transparency and honesty, ensuring expectations were clear and aligned among all parties involved.

[23:09] Stephen Gallagher’s Secret to Success

• Stephen recommends this: believe in yourself. He has a lot of self-belief and knows he can do anything for any role if he is dedicated.
• He actively seeks and incorporates feedback from peers, colleagues, and superiors to foster continuous personal and professional growth.
• Stephen prioritizes maintaining his integrity, recognizing its critical role in his success and decision-making process, no matter the consequences of doing so.
• It’s vital to judge people by their actions to ensure alignment with core values — and that goes for clients as well.
• Building strong relationships is key to identifying and nurturing talent within his network.

5 Powerful Quotes

[08:12] ‘They were saying, you know, we don't use the miracle word. But this defies everything, defies all the tests, I remember doing a lot more physio and hand therapy. I remember sitting down with my wife and my daughter, and I had a steak, and I had confidence to cut the steak. And I remember, I remember just crying.’

[11:28] ‘It was about me being the best version of myself, rather than comparing myself to yesterday.’

[15:04] ‘There are challenges in life. But there are also a lot more people in the world that are in more challenging circumstances and so I’m thinking of those people and helping those people where we can.’

[18:52] ‘For us, it was very much about finding a company that was the right fit for our organization that shared the right the same values, the same beliefs, and the same vision for the future for our clients and our employees as well.’

[23:18] 'I believe the secret of success is this: believing in yourself; I have a lot of self-belief, as my wife always tells me, and, you know, I've always believed that you can do pretty much anything for any role you apply yourself. But equally, I always seek and always have sought feedback from peers.'

About Stephen Gallagher

Stephen Gallagher is the Executive Director of EF Group, a company dedicated to providing solutions for clients in various sectors: healthcare, education, and more. It aims to raise the bar on what it means to be of service — not just to its clients but also to the people who work in the company.

Connect with Stephen through LinkedIn, or read more about the EF Group on their website.

Enjoy this Podcast?

The world always has new life lessons for you to learn — and in this case, it’s something we all know yet don’t necessarily apply: to believe in yourself! If you learned something new from today's The Mindset Mentor Meets episode, hit subscribe and share it with your friends!

Post a review and share it! If you enjoyed tuning into this podcast episode, share your thoughts with us online. You can also share it to help your family and friends.

Have any questions? You can contact me through LinkedIn, Instagram and Facebook. Thanks for listening! 

For more updates and episodes, visit my website. You can also tune in to Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify, or PodBean. 

To meeting inspiration,

Angela

 

Rise Above Failure: Finding Success Through Tenacity and Determination 

Failure is something we all try to avoid. It's often disappointing and soul-crushing, especially if you fail at something that you invested so much time and effort in. However, failures are a normal part of life, and more importantly, they don’t define you. What matters most is how you bounce back from your bad experiences.

Instead of dreading failure and thinking of it as something negative, see it as a pivotal learning experience. A crushing failure today can end up completely changing your life for the better.

In this episode, MAST's CEO Phillip Cable joins us to talk about how facing failures shaped his mindset towards success. He shares his story from being a law student to entering the Navy and eventually finding business success. Talking about his experiences, Phillip emphasises the values of tenacity and determination. His relentless attitude of not giving up coupled with authenticity, humility and courage resulted in a successful career and inspiring life story.

If you want to know how you can rise above failure, this episode will offer valuable insights for you.

Here are three reasons why you should listen to the full episode:

1. Find out how you can use a loss to move on with life.
2. Discover why you should take calculated risks in business and life.
3. Learn the importance of tenacity and not giving up in building your way through success.

Resources

• MAST
• GardaWorld
• Connect with Phillip: LinkedIn
• The Mindset Mentor Meets Podcast: Building Strength with Vulnerability with Steve Bishop - Chief Information Security Officer - ATOS BPS
• Coaching with Angela

Episode Highlights

[02:56] What Phillip Is Most Proud Of

• It was a pivotal moment in Phillip’s life when he gave up his solicitor training to go to the Navy. 
• Phillip says it was a risk, but it was the right one.
• It was a short career, and it didn't come naturally to him. However, he feels a certain pride in having served his country.

[05:18] Phillip’s Academic Background

• Phillip didn't follow the usual academic route. 
• He left at 16, worked for a while, went back and got into the law degree route.
• Phillip did his Master’s in Maritime Law.

[06:30] The Decision to Give Up

• Phillip compares it to starting a business: sometimes, you have to seize the initiative and the moment.
• While his father was supportive, there was pressure from his friends and people in the industry.
• A close family friend of Phillip’s encouraged him to go for it. It made him realise that he can always come back for law later.
• Instinctively, Phillip felt like giving up training to be a solicitor to go to the Navy was the right thing to do.

[08:23] Finding the Courage to Do Something New After a Huge Loss

• The period where Phillip was transitioning from law to the Navy was challenging. He had to contend with the sudden death of his mother due to a brain haemorrhage.
• The experience galvanised his view around the need to make the most out of his life.
• Before joining the Navy, he applied for the TA Parachute Regiment but didn’t make the cut.
• Even though he failed, it was cathartic to get out of his comfort zone and push his boundaries. It took his mind off the feelings of loss and grief.
• You don't get over a loss; you only get used to it and reflect on it more. Listen to the full episode to learn about Phillip's musical background!

[12:54] The Second Thing Phillip Is Most Proud Of

• Phillip is proud of himself for not letting failure stop him.
• Phillip doesn’t consider himself good at many things, but he believes you can achieve a lot through sheer persistence.
• He failed in some things, but he's proud of himself for not giving up. Even if Phillip didn't meet the standard, he still experienced it. 
• Phillip didn’t let his failures deter him from picking himself up and moving on to something else.
• Sometimes, you fail because you’re not quite good enough, not for other reasons. You’ve only got yourself to hold accountable.

[18:04] What Happens After Failure

• Phillip decided to leave the Navy after failing the Mine Clearance Diving Officer’s course.
• This was a tricky period in Phillip’s life because he had to re-establish himself.
• He went from being in a position of authority to looking for a job.
• But he was determined. Phillip did all sorts of odd jobs until he stumbled on some security work for Aegis. 
• He learned a lot from the founders of the company. This experience made him feel like he can go into this business.  

[19:31] Starting a Business

• Starting the business was a leap of faith; they didn’t earn anything for a while. 
• He tried to view the risk by looking at the worst-case scenario; it should be a calculated risk.
• You have to give up things when you go into business. 
• Phillip observes that successful people in business do it because they love it.  
• Tune in to the full podcast to know how Phillip met Philip Batty, his business partner and co-founder!

[23:01] The Growth of MAST

• MAST had a period of exponential growth during the dot-com boom.
• When things go wrong, you have to draw upon your skills and other people’s skills.
• Their restructuring was a very interesting learning period because that’s when you understand how businesses work.
• The third phase of MAST has been regrouping, properly diversifying and professionalising some aspects of what they're doing.
• They started with only maritime risk consulting and security. Now they’re launching a new website involving land and sea. MAST is on a trajectory of growth again.

[25:31] Seizing Opportunities

• Listening to very successful people reminds you that you must work for the people around you, not the other way around. 
• Culture in business is vital. It sets the tone and the scene.
• While diversifying is crucial, it can distract you from the core and the actual value-creating elements of the business. It's challenging to get it right.
• Keeping up with globalisation is extraordinarily difficult for certain sectors.
• One area they need to improve on in MAST is to be more forward-leaning.

[29:07] The Third Thing Phillip Is Most Proud Of

• From a personal perspective, he's quite proud of his family. 
• Family is an integral part of who he is.
• He has four sons and one stepdaughter.
• His family is the anchor that gives him a purpose.
• The advice he gives to his sons is to be determined and tenacious. 

[31:13] Phillip’s Secrets to Success

• Philip believes that determination and tenacity are crucial traits for success.
• He always goes back to the things that anchor him: his family and faith.
• Sometimes, humility and showing weakness are signs of strength, but there should be a balance between these and your ego.
• Learn to laugh at yourself and be authentic.
• You determine your measure of success. It’s important to be happy with yourself.

5 Powerful Quotes from the Episode

[10:01] ‘I don't think you'd get over it. So, I think you just get used to it, and you learn to use it and to sort of reflect on it more… I think you use loss to help you move on in life, actually.’

[13:06] ‘I do think it's important not to fear failure and to be, you know, able to admit it. And I think that I'm quite proud of the fact that I really do not give up. And I don't consider myself to be a high flyer, and I don't consider myself to be that good at that many things. But I do think you can achieve a lot through just sheer persistence.’

[25:45] ‘As a business owner, entrepreneur, you must work for the people around you rather than the other way around.’

[34:15] ‘I think that sometimes humility and showing weakness can actually be quite strong things.’ 

[36:50] ‘Don't be disheartened by you know, don't state [to] yourself, “That's everything”. Be happy. That’s right, be happy with yourself, in your own skin’.

About Phillip

Phillip Cable is the co-founder and CEO of Maritime Asset Security and Training (MAST), a leading security and risk management company. His role revolves around maximising shareholder value by getting all the right resources and capabilities in place. He's also responsible for building and sustaining a winning business model and leading and managing the entire team. Phillip leads the company by maintaining key relationships with stakeholders.

Phillip rendered six years of service as a warfare officer in the Royal Navy. He also has a Law degree, a postgraduate diploma in legal practice (Solicitors Exams) and a Maritime Law Master's degree.

If you wish to get in touch with Phillip, you may reach him through LinkedIn.

Enjoy this Podcast?

As you go through life, you’ll experience setbacks, rejections and failures. And that’s okay. What’s important is acknowledging what’s gone wrong, learning from it, getting back up and trying something new. Phillip’s inspirational story puts this lesson into focus. If you enjoyed today’s episode of The Mindset Mentor Meets..., then hit subscribe and share it with your friends!

Post a review and share it! If you enjoyed tuning into this podcast episode, then don’t hesitate to write a review. You can also share this with your family and friends so they can feel empowered to get back up!

Have any questions? You can contact me through LinkedIn, Instagram and Facebook. Thanks for listening! 

For more updates and episodes, visit my website. You can also tune in on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify or Podbean. 

To meeting inspiration,

Angela

 

Emanating Compassion: Showing Empathy in Trying Times

Working at the frontlines during a pandemic is a genuine challenge. Prior to social distancing and pandemic protocols, you were only wondering how to balance your working life and your personal life successfully. Suddenly, the lines between these two very different things have blurred. How can we navigate through our circumstances and overcome this kind of hardship?

In this episode, Anne Linsell answers this rhetoric with compassion and empathy. She discusses how organisations should make a real effort to be there for their employees at the right moment. She also talks about how believing and being kinder to yourself can take you to places of success. Similar to competing in a marathon, constantly move towards the things you want to achieve, and you'll be surprised how many kilometres you have run.

If you want to know more about being compassionate and empathetic at different times and places in your life, this episode is for you.

Here are three reasons why you should listen to the full episode:

1. Discover how Anne managed to compete in marathons, serve as a practitioner and unit head in NHFT and be a wonderful mum all at the same time!
2. Learn more about the support and assistance organisations can provide their employees, especially during a pandemic.
3. How can we achieve milestones and make mistakes while also being forgiving of ourselves?

Resources

• Northamptonshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust
• Connect with Anne: Twitter
• Coaching with Angela

Episode Highlights

[03:23] Anne’s Marathon Story

• Anne shares how extremely proud she is to have completed seven marathons over the last ten years.
• Before realising how she finished a marathon, she would easily find herself training for another.
• Having a good friend to accompany her during long runs helps her to commit.
• Coming from a non-sporting background, it took a while for Anne to call herself a runner.

[07:48] For People Who Don’t Believe in Themselves

• Anne encourages them to believe in themselves and the journey.
• She discussed how the whole marathon journey had taught her about health and well-being.
• The process can be scary at first, but you have to still believe in yourself.

[09:59] Working for Northamptonshire Healthcare

• Since 2006, she has been a part of a team that provides healthcare in her community.
• Last year, Anne’s team had turned 70 days of physical well-being into a virtual festival using digital platforms.
• Sometimes, she would get things wrong because the first attempt of learning always fails.
• However, Anne emphasises the value of the whole journey and hard work to make a difference for their patients and their families.

[13:28] Facing the Pandemic

• For Anne, the overarching feeling is ‘we are all in it together’; they are ready to go the extra mile to make a difference.
• Focusing on the well-being of their staff has now become a bigger priority. 
• She discusses how the importance of being there and displaying your actions makes a whole lot of difference.

• Helping people to recover means supporting them through reconnecting with them and giving them time and space.
• Listen to the whole episode to learn more about how Anne views workforce support during the pandemic.

[17:57] What Organisations Need to Do

• Organisations can help in offering the opportunity for their staff to talk about how they're feeling.
• Anne reiterates that saying ‘It’s okay not to be okay’ can only be half of the process.
• She argues how supporting the staff in moments when they need it is more appropriate.
• Additionally, Anne recognises how difficult it is for organisations to provide the balance for their team as well.

[21:32] Balancing Motherhood and Working Life

• Anne shares how it has been a real challenge to be a mum while keeping her career going.
• As she reflects, she learns how to be kind to herself and not try to be everything to everyone.
• Additionally, it’s more about being realistic to your expectations and not setting a high one for yourself.
• The last 5 to 6 years of being a working mum had made Anne realise how compassion for herself is what she needs.

• Anne allows herself to reflect on things she had achieved.

[28:33] Anne’s Work

• Anne talks about her thoughts on what drives and motivates her in a kind and supportive manner.
• The lockdown has overlapped her journey of mastering as an NLP pre-practitioner.
• She shares that she loves working as a coach because it allows her to support her clients.

[31:14] Anne’s Secret to Success

• For Anne, the secret to success is the drive to be constantly learning.
• She quotes Maya Angelou: ‘People won’t remember what you said or did, they will remember how you made them feel’. You don’t know the other person’s story; just be kind and empathetic.
• Additionally, Anne discusses how people will generally have disagreements.
• She takes value in offering a safe place to talk to avoid polarisation.

5 Powerful Quotes

[06:44] ‘There'll be moments when I don't think I can run a marathon, but a lifetime of knowing I did.”

[08:11] ‘And one of the things that the whole marathon journey has taught me about health and well-being is that the learning, the process and the journey is all part of it.’

[14:23] ‘But it is how we make that difference to supporting that one member of staff just to feel a bit better at work or to feel supported.’

[26:11] ‘...How compassion to self is the start of everything else, and actually, what you need to do to maintain your mental well-being and your mental balance.’

[31:44] ‘You don't know what's going on for other people, you've got no idea often and you just see the outer side of it. So, just bearing that in mind in terms of just being kind and empathetic and compassionate as you work forward.’

About the Guest

Anne Linsell is the Head of Organisational Development of the Northamptonshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust since 2014. Previously, she also served as a senior human resources business partner at the same company. 

Anne got her tertiary education from the University of West London. She has a strong background in professional coaching, operational HR management, employee engagement and culture change. Anne has also worked as an NLP practitioner and has been working for the hospital and healthcare industry for quite a long time.

Recently, she has been undergoing personal development in a different field to improve herself.

If you want to get in touch with Anne, you can reach her through Twitter.

Enjoy this Podcast?

During these trying times, you can easily be harsh and rude to yourself. Through Anne’s perspective on taking success slowly and learning constantly, you, too, can be kinder and more compassionate with your progress.

If you enjoyed today’s episode of The Mindset Mentor Meets..., then hit subscribe and share it with your friends!

Post a review and share it! If you enjoyed tuning into this podcast episode, then don’t hesitate to write a review. You can also share this with your family and friends so they can feel empowered to get back up!

Have any questions? You can contact me through LinkedIn, Instagram and Facebook. Thanks for listening! 

For more updates and episodes, visit my website. You can also tune in on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify or Podbean. 

To meeting inspiration,

Angela

 

Stepping Out of Your Shadows: How to Overcome Your Fear of Judgment

Has there been a time in your life when you felt stuck because you're afraid of what others might think? Fear can be paralysing as it surrounds you like a shadow. The truth, however, is that fear is normal.

In this episode, I share with you my thoughts about fear. I talk about how fear holds us back in our lives and the different factors surrounding it. I also share my experiences, which ultimately changed my perspective on how to handle my fears.

Living stuck in fear is never a good thing, and it’s time for you to face your fears and move forward. If you want to step out of the shadows of your fears, this episode is for you. 

Here are three reasons why you should listen to the full episode:

1. Learn how fear keeps you stuck in your life.
2. Understand your fears and how to manage them.
3. Gain valuable insights from how I handle my fears. 

Resources

• You’re Better Than You Think You Are: How to Unlock the Shackles that Keep You Stuck by Angela Cox
• Enough by Angela Cox
• Check out BookAuthority to see my book and other self-care books that may help you.
• The Mindset Mentor Meets Ep 33 on Imposter Syndrome
• The Mindset Mentor Meets Ep 53 on Mastering Your Mindset: Stained Glass Windows
• Connect with me: Website | Instagram
• Visit my daughter’s Instagram to send a pocket of joy to a friend!

Episode Highlights

[01:39] What’s Going on With My Life 

• Recently, my book Enough has been chosen to rank in the “Top 100 Self Help Books of All Time” by Book Authority.
• I’ve been busy with my studies at Cambridge, and I’m planning to get a doctorate in Professional Executive Coaching.
• I’ve had more male clients than usual, which I feel is a positive change.
• I partner with my husband in coaching several organisations and teams. 

[07:25] The Science of Fear

• In this episode, I talk about fear, which is the third shackle in my book, You’re Better Than You Think You Are. 
• Fear is what holds back most of my clients and people in general.
• There are two schools of thought that explain how fear manifests in a person: one where the feeling follows the physiological reaction and the opposite.
• Fear is never a nice feeling, which is why we tend to avoid it at all costs.

[10:25] Fear and Phobia

• Phobias are when we associate the fear response with something that doesn’t necessarily warrant fear, like buttons or cotton.
• I covered phobias to a certain extent in You’re Better Than You Think You Are.
• There are different techniques and approaches to treating phobias. 
• I am finding better techniques that aim to help people overcome their deep-rooted issues.

[12:06] Forms of Fear

• Fear comes in many forms and manifests in many different ways.
• We dislike rejection, and fear is something we feel we need to protect ourselves from.
•  The lines between types of fear can get blurry.

• We fear judgment, but people don’t usually judge us. Rather, we perceive or believe that we are being judged.
• Listen to the full episode to learn more about the connection between transaction analysis theory and fear of judgment.

[17:08] Accepting Fear

• From 2017–2018, I experienced a lot of internet trolling, which equates to mass rejection.

• Rejection is a normal thing you’ll experience in your life. You don’t have to be liked by everyone.
• Accepting rejection as a normal part of your life will make it easier for you to handle the fear of judgment.
• What’s important is to be comfortable with the unsettling feeling of fear.

[23:12] Who Are You Afraid Of?

• Find where your fear comes from.
• Is judgment coming from someone you love and respect?
• Is what you’re being judged for something you need to work on?
• Is what you’re worried about something that you’ll be thinking about in a week or a month?

5 Powerful Quotes from This Episode 

[12:30] ‘And therefore, fear is almost something that we feel in order to protect ourselves from that feeling of rejection because none of us, if we put our hand on our heart, like that feeling on a natural level, unless we consciously override what that means to us’.

[16:55] ‘So, just tune into yourself over the next few days. And notice how often you judge other people because you will then be looking for that threat from other people judging you’.

[20:55] ‘And the more that you can move towards accepting that rejection is a normal experience within life, the easier it will be for you to process, the threat of judgments when it strikes’.

[23:12] ‘Ask yourself: Who are you really fearful of being judged by’?

[28:49] ‘Judgment isn’t as big a bear as you think it is. And actually, you pushing on the edge of your comfort zone is so much more beneficial than staying in your comfort zone, staying small for fear that this judgment might come’.

Enjoy this Podcast?

Being stuck in your life because of your fears is a life not worth living. You must learn how to deal with your fears and set yourself free from their shackles. If you enjoyed today's episode of The Mindset Mentor Meets…, then hit subscribe and share it with your friends!

Post a review and share it! If you enjoyed tuning into this podcast episode, then don’t hesitate to write a review. You can also share this with your family and friends so they can feel empowered to get back up!

Have any questions? You can contact me through LinkedIn, Instagram and Facebook. Thanks for listening! 

For more updates and episodes, visit my website. You can also tune in on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify or Podbean. 

To defining success,

Angela

 

Leading for Legacy with Sharon Amesu

You are part of a much greater story than you think. Every decision you make and every mountain you climb sets an example for the next generation. If you’re a leader, then you have other people who look to you for inspiration and guidance. Thus, it's important to leave a legacy that you can proudly pass on.

In this episode, Sharon Amesu, co-founder of She Leads for Legacy, shares how building a strong connection to legacy empowers black female professionals. Sharon explains how black women are at a big disadvantage because of their race and gender. Black women recognise the necessity of taking up space for themselves and setting an example for others yet to come. She also goes over the challenges and proud moments of being a working mum, criminal barrister and life coach.

If you want to learn how to connect with your legacy and live with purpose, this episode is for you.

Here are three reasons why you should listen to the full episode:

1. How do you stay grounded against imposter syndrome?
2. Find out how to build a strong connection to your legacy.
3. Discover Sharon’s two-step secret to success.

Resources

• She Leads for Legacy
• SA Consulting
• Connect with Sharon: Twitter | Facebook | LinkedIn | Email
• Coaching with Angela

Episode Highlights

[04:13] Being a Working Mum 

• Sharon’s most important achievement is raising her three children into conscientious young adults.   
• She admitted that it wasn’t easy being a working mum. She had to juggle ‘mum guilt’ from both sides.
• To deal with this guilt, Sharon learned to accept the experience as normal. 
• After her daughter went into law, she realised that the guilt she carried was dead weight because her children are far more resilient than she thought. 
• It’s important to recognise that you are living a life that you chose and embraced. Role modelling is about making empowered choices and living in your power.

[10:31] Battling Imposter Syndrome

• As a grandchild of an immigrant, Sharon’s second proudest achievement is her 16-year career as a criminal barrister. 
• Despite her accomplishments, Sharon admitted to experiencing imposter syndrome.
• What helped Sharon stay grounded was her sense of purpose: giving a voice to the voiceless.
• If you can connect to who you are and what you are called to do, you are better positioned to fight imposter syndrome.

[16:18] Connecting to Your Legacy

• In addition to purpose, Sharon cited the importance of connecting to your legacy. For her, it was the daunting challenge of empowering black female professionals.
• Your decisions and choices have an impact on the next generation.
• Sharon lived a life that sets an excellent example for her daughter.
• Courage means having the guts to go after what you want even though it’s scary.

[20:25] Leading for Legacy

• She Leads for Legacy was born out of Sharon's conversations with her daughter about underrepresentation in the legal profession.
• When we step into leadership, it paves the road for others to follow.
• Black women face double jeopardy or a two-pronged challenge of gender and race. 
• It’s not a question of ability or ambition; black women are deliberately left out because of oppression and suppression systems. 
• Listen to the full episode to learn more about the mission of She Leads for Legacy!

[25:15] Changing the Legal Profession

• Although the legal profession has made headway in terms of inclusion and diversity, much is left to be done. 
• Sharon cites the story of Alexandra Wilson, a barrister who was mistaken for a defendant three times. 
• For black women, the baseline is lower than their white counterparts. They have to prove themselves more to be taken just as seriously.  
• A well-meaning clerk responded to Alexandra's story and said it happened because she was a pioneer. But she's hardly the first person in the field.

[30:12] The Marriage of Education and Intent

• She Leads for Legacy is founded on the belief that people can change and evolve to the extent that they are willing to transform.  
• Education plays a key role in this transformation because it enables conversations and multiple perspectives.
• However, the intent is equally important. You have to put your heart into the cause.

[32:54] Sharon’s Proudest Moments

• Sharon’s third proudest moment is her marriage with her husband for 25 years. 
• Her fourth proudest moment is making the significant career shift from a criminal barrister to a life coach. 
• The transition was difficult because she associated her identity with being a barrister and felt that coaching tends to get a bad reputation. 
• Nevertheless, Sharon remains grateful for stepping into the unknown.
• Despite shifting careers, Sharon’s purpose – making people’s lives better – remains unchanged.

[39:37] Rethinking Freedom

• During a women’s prison program, Sharon got to talk with an inmate who was in there for life.
• Liberty and freedom are different things. A person can be locked up or physically confined but remain figuratively free.
• Freedom is within.

[42:03] Sharon’s Secrets to Success

• Sharon credits her success to her faith. The knowledge of a great master plan at work keeps her hopeful during tough times.  
• Sharon’s second secret is staying connected to her cheerleaders or people who believe in her strength and potential. 
• Sharon’s father used to say, ‘Bend your mind to the condition’. When life throws you off track, you can either submit to the circumstances or find your way out of it. 

5 Powerful Quotes from This Episode

‘Sometimes things intensify and deepen in their impact when you feel that it's just you. But actually, it's knowing that it's a common experience for women who want to pursue their career as well as raise a family. So, it's normalising that experience and normalising that insight’.

‘So, my choices in my career have been very vocational. I've had a sense of being called to something to do something for purpose’.

‘And my aspiration was a strong connection to legacy, perhaps taught later about a community that my daughter and I are building, which is supporting black female professionals’.

‘And what we recognised is that there is a double jeopardy as it were, for black women, because we have the challenge of both gender and race. And we recognise together that rather than us bleating from the corner and having our daily conversations about the inequalities and the unfairness that we would embrace [what Mahatma Gandhi said:] “Be the change that you want to see in the world”’.

‘I think one of the brilliant things about the work that we do... is about transformation. It's about believing in the potential of people to change, to grow, to evolve, to the extent that they are willing to do so’.

About Sharon

Sharon Amesu is the founder of SA Consulting, a consultancy delivering leadership development, executive coaching and diversity and inclusion training. Backed by 16 years of courtroom experience as a criminal barrister, Sharon has made it her life mission to help businesses lead with inclusion and courage.

A passionate advocate for race and gender, Sharon co-founded She Leads for Legacy with her daughter, Afiya. The mother-daughter team offers connectivity, development and amplification services intending to reduce the barriers for black female professionals seeking senior leadership and board-level positions.

Sharon is also the founding member of The Society of Leadership Fellows of St. George’s House – Windsor Castle and a branch chair for the Institute of Directors.

If you wish to get in touch with Sharon, you may reach her through Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn. You can also send her an email at enquiries@sharonamesu.co.uk.

Enjoy this Podcast?

With the world we’re living in today, it’s easy to get discouraged and spiral down into negativity. But with Sharon’s practical tips, you, too, can choose positivity. If you enjoyed today’s episode of The Mindset Mentor Meets..., then hit subscribe and share it with your friends!

Post a review and share it! If you enjoyed tuning into this podcast episode, then don’t hesitate to write a review. You can also share this with your family and friends so they can feel empowered to lead and leave their legacy!

Have any questions? You can contact me through LinkedIn, Instagram and Facebook. Thanks for listening! 

For more updates and episodes, visit my website. You can also tune in on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify or Podbean. 

To meeting inspiration,

Angela

 

The Importance of Doing What You Love 

Are you stuck in a corporate role right now, and you’re not enjoying what you do? As cliché as it sounds, life is short—so why not spend it doing something you love? That's the message Claire Nutter brings to us in this episode.

Claire Nutter joins us to talk about her transition from a corporate job to creating her marketing agency, Cracked Foodservice Marketing. She shares her proudest moments in life, her journey to starting Cracked and what drove her decision to shift careers. Claire also discusses the importance of authenticity in business, the challenges of working from home and how she juggles multiple aspects of her life at once. You’ll also hear her take on the secret to success!

Tune in to this episode if you want to know why and how you can start doing what you truly enjoy!

Here are three reasons why you should listen to the full episode:

1. Discover what you need to transition from a corporate job to entrepreneurship.
2. Find out Claire’s guiding principles for success in building a business.
3. Learn how Claire juggles multiple things at a time and how you can do it too.

Resources

• You’ve Got This! The Life-Changing Power of Trusting Yourself by Margie Warrell
• The Weybridge Network on Facebook
• Cracked Foodservice Marketing
• Connect with Claire: LinkedIn | Twitter
• Coaching with Angela

Episode Highlights

[03:57] Claire’s Proudest Moments

• The first thing that makes Claire the proudest is her daughter.
• Claire feels guilty because she believes she works far more than she should, but her daughter takes an interest in her work and shows great maturity.
• Claire wants her daughter to grow up knowing you have to work for what you want and that things don't get handed to you on a plate.

[07:40] Transitioning from a Corporate Job

• The difference with the transition was not working at set hours anymore. 
• Claire would put in more hours into work. There was more pressure on her and a greater sense of responsibility she didn't feel while working for a corporate organisation.
• One of the reasons she started her business was because working for herself was always something she wanted to do.
• Another reason was that she didn’t want to be involved in corporate politics anymore.

[09:39] Being Yourself

• If you aren’t being yourself, it will be exhausting to put on a face and try to be someone you’re not.
• Nowadays, children have access to all kinds of information and are less naïve.
• It’s important to learn to be comfortable in your skin and be at peace with both the good and bad sides of yourself.

[12:34] Starting Cracked

• Claire’s second proudest moment was starting Cracked. Her mindset was that if it didn’t work out, then she could just get another job.
• She had a vision of what she wanted and saw an opportunity to create an agency that would bring together creativity and operations from a marketing perspective.
• When she worked with big agencies during her corporate career, there was often a great amount of creativity, but no one would ever execute new ideas. They weren't good at managing projects or relationships.
• From day one, she wanted Cracked to be about every team member, not just her. However, it wasn't easy to enact that because she still felt personally responsible for the business.
• Listen to the full episode to hear more of Claire’s personal experience and struggles on starting Cracked!

[21:07] Working from Home

• A marketing agency is all about exchanging ideas and bringing different parts of a business together to deliver a solution for their clients.
• Working from home and having meetings online made it difficult to do that.
• They spend a lot of time being trying to be more efficient since they deal with large files.
• Some businesses might benefit more from working at home, but Cracked is a people-based business, so it doesn’t help.
• Claire’s third proudest moment is surviving the last 12 months.

[23:46] Biggest Lessons Learned

• Claire has learned never to be complacent. They make an effort to stay connected to their clients authentically by checking in on them.
• It's important to talk about when you feel good as well as when you don't. Sometimes, Claire finds it cathartic to let out a good cry. 
• There are some weeks where she’s better at juggling her responsibilities, but there’s no answer to it except for her relentlessness.
• It's okay for everyone to feel a little anxious during this lockdown. We all got used to our own company, so we have to learn to adapt to socialising beyond virtual worlds.

[33:44] Guiding Principles for Success

• Claire’s first guiding principle she lives by is that you have got to love what you do. After all, why waste time on anything you don’t love doing?
• The impact of having a job you do not enjoy has on your life is significant as work is where you spend most of your time.
• Be yourself. Authenticity goes a long way.
• Place value on engagement and relationships.
• Don’t be afraid to make mistakes. 

5 Powerful Quotes from the Episode

[09:42] ‘I think being yourself is one of the most important parts or things that you can be in your career’.

[10:47] ‘It’s really important from a role model perspective that you are comfortable or learn to be comfortable as yourself in your own skin for your good bits and your bad bits’.

[28:34] ‘Be the best version that you can today. And that might not be as good as you perhaps were yesterday or as energetic or as effervescent, but as long as it’s the best that you can bring now, then that’s okay’.

[34:55] ‘The day you wake up and dread going to work is the day you should find something else’.

[37:47] ‘Many of us are petrified of being wrong or making mistakes, but they’re what we learn from. . . and you become a bit braver because you realise you can afford to make mistakes. And as long as you learn from them, that’s fine’.

About Claire

Claire Nutter is the founder of Cracked Foodservice Marketing Ltd, a marketing agency dedicated to producing impactful work for its clients. After different marketing stints at various companies like Heineken and Compass Group, she started her own business in 2016 to combine both creativity and operations. With her eye for detail, endless energy and genuine love of partnering with her clients, Claire always works by her team’s side to get under the skin of a brief and deliver first-class operational execution, challenging the people at Cracked to go above and beyond the norm. 

To learn more about Claire and her work, you may visit her company website or connect with her on LinkedIn or Twitter.

Enjoy the Podcast?

The current situation has made it easy for us to be complacent. But from Claire’s experience, you, too, can choose to do what you love. If you enjoyed today’s episode of The Mindset Mentor Meets..., then hit subscribe and share it with your friends!

Post a review and share it! If you enjoyed tuning into this podcast episode, then don't hesitate to write a review. You can also share this with your family and friends so they can feel empowered to find what they love doing!

Have any questions? You can contact me through LinkedIn, Instagram and Facebook. Thanks for listening! 

For more updates and episodes, visit my website. You can also tune in on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify  or Podbean. 

To meeting inspiration,

Angela

 

The Game-Changing Index to Help You Make Better Decisions 

Think about your team right now - who are the people in your team and what do they do? If you immediately think about their job title, then you’re just scratching the surface of their true potential! People have natural tendencies and strengths waiting for you to foster and uncover. If you want to make better decisions for your team and company, then the Game-Changing Index may be your answer.

In this episode, Nathan Ott joins us to talk about how knowing the ways people create impact can change the way you look at your team forever. He explains that the wrong position and wrong atmosphere can cause people to underperform and burn out. Understanding your team and how they work together is crucial when you want to grow your business.

If you want to start making better decisions by understanding yourself and others, this episode is for you!

Here are three reasons why you should listen to the full episode:

1. Understand that your strengths and weaknesses are the keys to making the right decisions.
2. Discover the ways the Game-Changing Index can help you and your team flourish.
3. Learn how to take failures and self-doubts as opportunities for growth and development.  

Resources

• The GC Index
• Coaching Me, Coaching Youby Nathan Ott and Dr John Mervyn-Smith
• Connect with Nathan: LinkedInI Twitter I Email (ott@TheCGIndex.com)

Episode Highlights

[02:07] Knowing Your Role Beyond the Job Title

• Nathan shares that people can make an impact through five different ways under the GC Index.
• He shares that by taking up the title of Chief Polisher instead of CEO, he can be himself and not have expectations of what he's not.
• When people know their role, people can work better together.

[04:22] Balancing Family and Professional Responsibilities

• Nathan shares that keeping his family together despite the challenges of starting a company is one of his proudest accomplishments.
• With family, people have more responsibilities and may value security a bit more.
• Nathan shares that he sees risks differently from his wife, which keeps him grounded and avoids things he shouldn't do.

[10:08] Failure Is A Part of Success

• What’s the worst thing that could happen? Just do it.
• If you can’t change something, then it’s all right. If we fail, it’s okay.
• A lot of people are more worried about the things they’ll lose when things go wrong.

[12:08] Learning Your Strengths and Weaknesses

• The GC Index has a scoring system that helps you know your key strengths and weaknesses. Both high and low scores can be strengths and weaknesses.
• Nathan shares that strategists like articulating visions and making the messy unmessy. They typically think and find patterns and trends. This is a huge strength in companies.
• However, the pandemic threw all our systems upside down.  In this case, the other types will do better than strategists.
• In a pandemic, game changers and polishers can shine the most.
• Listen to the full episode to hear more about the different types under the GC Index!  

[16:36] Authenticity and Finding the Right People

• Nathan shares that it took him some time to become comfortable with himself.
• Not only did the GC Index help Nathan be himself, but it also has the power of helping others become their most authentic selves.
• By being true to yourself, you can bring value to the table no one else can.
• By knowing yourself, you’ll be able to understand what will complement your skills and personalities.
• We don’t grow and build a business alone. We need a team who will complement and fill each other’s gaps.  

[21:46] Building Trust with Your Team

• Where can people be their best and be energized? You don’t want people running around pretending to be something they’re not.
• Understand that people will shine best in some specific role.
• Don’t worry about what you’re not good at. You have people who are there who can help.
• When you foster where people are good at, it will naturally empower them and build a strong level of trust with the team.

[24:45] The Game-Changing Index

• Remember that the index only reflects a particular moment in time. It changes as people change and grow.
• If you’re acting, conforming, and trying to fit in, this will naturally reflect in your index.
• Remember that it’s a journey of self-discovery and recognition of what you truly are.

[28:43] Turn Self-Doubt into Potential

• People are amazing, but many tend to have self-doubt because they’re not in the right place or mindset.
• As a leader, you have the power and ability to empower others and see where they can thrive.
• Some people naturally burn out because they’re working in an area where they don’t get energized.  

[31:53] Nathan’s Secrets to Success

• Nathan shares that it’s important to learn from older people and those who have a lot of experiences.
• By learning from others, you can take their experiences and apply them to your life.
• Remember that whatever you believe in will be true, whether you think you can do something or not.
• Choose to believe in yourself. Take the little steps necessary to get things done.

5 Powerful Quotes from This Episode

[13:03] ‘Naturally, people go, ‘Oh, I need to get a ten’... What you see in the GC index is that a low score can be a strength and a weakness, a high score can be a strength and a weakness’.

[20:55] ‘We realized that we were not business people. We realized we are entrepreneurs... We brought in some individuals into both businesses, the GC and the EG.1... People always ask me,  ‘What's my tips’? It's, ‘Get someone that can help you scale your business’’.

[23:41] ‘You can do things that I can't do, I could do things that you can't do, but together, we'll do great things’.

[26:44] ‘We do change. it is a moment in time and human beings aren't always stable for whatever reason... Most of the time, those changes are explainable; we understand why they are. And if you're in a position where you're trying to be something that you're not, you're trying to conform and trying to fit in, You will see that reflected in your profile’.

[33:08] ‘Whether you think you can? Or whether you think you can’t? Either way, you're going to be right’.

About Nathan Ott

Nathan Ott is the co-founder and chief polisher at The GC Index. After 20 years of working with business leaders to get and train the best talents, Nathan knew something was missing in the industry. His search led him to the ground-breaking GC Index. Nathan believes that everyone can make an impact and difference in the right set of environments and conditions.

Through a global community of GC Partners and GCologists, Nathan and his co-founder Dr John can help people worldwide, from Fortune CEOs to children in developing countries. Nathan is the co-author of two studies: The DNA of A Game Changer and The DNA of A Game-Changing Team. He also co-published Coaching Me, Coaching You.

Interested in Nathan’s work and taking an assessment yourself? Check out The GC Index.

You can also reach out to Nathan on LinkedIn, Twitter, and email (nathan.ott@TheCGIndex.com).

Enjoy this Podcast?

Leadership is not just about yourself but about building and knowing your team inside and out. Your decisions should reflect a team behind them, not just you. If you enjoyed today’s episode of The Mindset Mentor Meets..., then hit subscribe and share it with your friends!

Post a review and share it! If you enjoyed tuning into this podcast episode, then don’t hesitate to write a review. You can also share this with your family and friends so they can feel empowered to get back up!

Have any questions? You can contact me through LinkedIn, Instagram, and Facebook. Thanks for listening!

For more updates and episodes, visit my website. You can also tune in on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify, or Podbean.

To meeting inspiration,

Angela

 

Building Strength with Vulnerability 

Do you keep up with your team members or friends? Be honest—do you know what they’re up to or what they’re interested in lately?

The pandemic has changed our workplace and pushed almost everyone into working from their homes. Socialising has been kept to a minimum as well. Are you taking the time to ask after the people important to you? Are you opening up your heart to be vulnerable with the people who matter? Take this as a challenge: how can you change to be a better leader, colleague or friend?

In this episode, Steve Bishop joins us to discuss how to lead with humanity, and a large part of this means allowing ourselves to be vulnerable and honest. We can also apply these lessons to all of our relationships. Steve also shares his secret in facing fears and adversities and how constant reinvention can bring you to greater heights.

If you want to learn the value and application of vulnerability, this episode is for you.

Here are three reasons why you should listen to the full episode:

1. Understand how you can become a strong leader who leads with vulnerability.
2. Discover what to do when you experience self-doubt and fall into the trap of imposter syndrome?
3. Learn how you can stay strong in the face of fears and adversities.

Resources

• The Mindset Mentor Meets Episode 47 with John Ainsworth 
• The Chimp Paradox: The Mind Management Program to Help You Achieve Success, Confidence, and Happiness by Dr Steve Peters
• The Alchemist, The Pilgrim and Eleven Minutes by Paulo Coelho
• Connect with Steve: LinkedIn
• Coaching with Angela

Episode Highlights

[03:17] Steve’s Proudest Moment

• Steve’s first proudest moment is being a father to his two children. 
• Steve is proud to see his children grow and develop into adults. 
• Although they grew up separate from Steve, he makes sure that they know that they’re loved.

[05:26] Being Vulnerable in Relationships

• Steve is from a military family. It was normal not to express emotions. 
• Yet, he wanted to make sure his children could be vulnerable. He wanted them to feel and talk about emotions, even the painful ones. 
• When you want to create a strong team, people need to know you as a person. 
• Being a ‘person’ means being vulnerable, letting others know your weaknesses along with your strengths.  
• Recognise what separates a bad leader from a good one, and learn to emulate the latter. 

[10:08] Steve’s Transition from the Military to Civilian Life

• Steve’s second proudest moment was leaving the military. He admits that he was fearful of doing so.
•  After 22 years of service, he had to learn how to fend for himself as a civilian. 
• Although change isn’t easy, we need to adapt and overcome. Steve’s network helped him through the transition.
• At 49, Steve got a Master’s degree in cybersecurity at Northumbria University. 

[15:07] On Self-Doubt and Imposter Syndrome

• Steve’s drive to do the MSc was personal. He felt like he wasn’t good enough. 
• He felt judged because of his lack of experience and credentials. The truth is, he was being judged not by others but by himself. 
• We often mask insecurity with confidence. 
• We need to stop thinking so much; instead, we need to listen to our hearts. 
• Everyone can feel insecure; hear Steve’s personal story about this in the full episode.

[20:06] Being Honest with Yourself

• Steve shares that he writes in a journal that asks him key questions about his daily life.
• Practising mindfulness is his way of slowing down. 
• As leaders, you need to change to maintain excellence, energy and integrity in your team. 
• This role is very challenging. And so mindfulness is important, especially in understanding stress. 

[22:26] Steve’s Military Career

• Steve was exposed to different sorts of conflicts during his time in the military. 
• And so, Steve’s philosophy is that he wants to live the life that he wants to live. 
• Define what a good day means to you and work hard to achieve that. 
• Tune in to the full episode to get an idea of what a good day can look like in Steve’s terms. 

[25:34] Facing Fears and Adversities

• Steve once again mentions leaving the military as something that caused fear. He left a safe environment and transitioned to civilian life. 
• He worked at Rolls Royce for a while, and he still stays in touch with the people he worked with.
•  Steve shares that after his first marriage, he jumped into a second one. Unfortunately, they weren’t compatible. 
• Afterwards, Steve had to contend with his finances. His fears were paying off the bills, buying a house and setting money aside for his kids’ education. 
• Listen to the full episode to know how Steve and his inspiring mindset got through these adversities. 

[30:23] Expect Constant Reinvention

• Change is constant. We need to learn how to influence it for our benefit. 
• This expectation of change should also extend to our personal lives and relationships. 
• As you get older and more experienced, you’ll have more clarity in your decisions. 
• Even with setbacks, challenges, and painful experiences, you can choose to adapt and move on. 

[32:09] Steve’s Love Life

• Steve met Wendy at the Dubai Mall, watching a fountains water show.
• He admits that his first marriage didn’t succeed because he wasn’t able to communicate well.
• As he gets older, Steve shares that he has learned not to race towards one direction when encountering a junction. He hopes that by thinking things through, he can make the right decisions. 
• Listen to the full episode to hear more about Steve’s reflections on life. 

[40:26] Steve’s Secret for Success

• Steve shares that success can look different for everyone. 
• For him, it’s living in the moment, as well as loving and being loved. 
• Steve gives importance to allowing other people to voice what they have and to share their thoughts. 
• For him, it’s the key to collaboration, community and the feeling of self-worth.
• It’s also important to support people who feel that they don’t have a voice. 

5 Powerful Quotes from This Episode

[07:37] ‘It's important that the team knows you as a person. That's the way we build strength in our teams, isn’t it? It’s recognising your strengths, your weaknesses and talking about them and sharing them and making you a human being, a person.’

[18:50] ‘Your [head] is the muscle that does the doing and tells you how to do it. But your heart tells you what you really need to be doing.’

[23:36] ‘If nobody dies, that's a good day. And you can translate that into if nobody stomps their feet, cries, resigns, or gets overexcited and angry, that's a good day. And if you can help that good day, you're doing a good job.’

[39:27] ‘You'll say that, but vulnerability is not something that you know, even now I'm comfortable with...we're all the same. We're resilient people. And, you know, sometimes you got to crack the nut to get inside them to realise there's something you can do to help them feel better about themselves.’

[41:13] ‘The respect to allow other people to voice they have, and to share their thoughts with you is key to that collaboration and that community, that feeling of self-worth and supporting others that may not feel that they have that voice, giving them the opportunity.’

About Steve Bishop

Steve Bishop is currently the Chief Information Security Officer of ATOS BPS, with experience ranging from small to medium enterprises, FTSE 50 and Public Security leadership roles. He has also previously worked with Rolls-Royce, the Supreme Group in Dubai and Afghanistan, and the Global Intelligence Group. He also served 22 years in the Royal Air Force. Through these experiences, Steve possesses first-class team leadership and problem-solving skills, outstanding levels of discipline, flexibility and discretion.

Steve holds a UK-enhanced Security Clearance and MSc in Cyber Security. He is also a certified Security Consultant and member of the International Institute of Security and BCS, CISA, CCP IA Auditor, PCBCM, ISO 27001 LI and LA.

Are you interested to know more about Steve’s work? You can connect with him on LinkedIn.

Enjoy this Podcast?

Considering the remote nature of work today and how it can extend beyond the pandemic, it is crucial to maintain a strong team. In this episode, Steve equips and reminds you to lead with honesty and vulnerability. Listen to your people and let their voices be heard! If you enjoyed today’s episode of The Mindset Mentor Meets, then hit subscribe and share it with your friends!

Post a review and share it! If you enjoyed tuning into this podcast episode, then don’t hesitate to write a review. You can also share this with your family and friends.

Have any questions? You can contact me through LinkedIn, Instagram, and Facebook. Thanks for listening! 

For more updates and episodes, visit my website. You can also tune in on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify or Podbean. 

To meeting inspiration,

Angela

 

From Vet to COO: Staying Focused and Reaching Your Goals with Kerrie Hedley

When you set your eye on a goal, doubts often come first before motivation. You tend to ask yourself, ‘Can I do this’? or ‘What if it doesn’t work’? While these are valid concerns, they will only limit and prevent you from reaching your goal. To avoid this, you have to shift your mindset and focus on working towards your objective.

In this episode, veterinarian and COO Kerrie Hedley talks to us about her journey from animal care to business management. She also discusses the barriers and enablers that stop us from reaching our goals and dreams. Kerrie also shares with us her proudest moments and favourite books that may inspire you.

If you want to learn how to focus and reach your goals, this episode is for you.

Here are three reasons why you should listen to the full episode:

1. Find out what’s stopping you from reaching your dreams.
2. Learn how you can focus on and improve yourself daily.
3. Discover Kerrie’s secret to success.

Resources

• Books & Audio by Brené Brown
• The Chimp Paradox
• Coaching with Angela
• You’re Better Than You Think You Are by Angela Cox

Episode Highlights

[02:48] Kerrie Hedley’s Pompom Moments

• Kerrie’s first pompom moment is being able to keep her late mother-in-law’s cats alive despite having a dog.
• Next is her career achievements: college graduation, first clinical work, master’s degree and current team.
• Her third pompom moment is her research work about women in leadership.

[06:36] How Kerrie Learned to Work with Animals

• Her first teachers are experience and observation.
• These two helped her learn the knowledge, skills and adaptation to work with circumstances she can’t control.

[07:51] From Veterinary Practice to Becoming a COO

• According to Kerrie, there are differences and similarities between her work as an equine vet and COO.

• Both jobs require her to use problem-solving skills. She does not need to have all the answers in her head, but she needs to know how to find it.
• Kerrie wanted to be a veterinarian since she was 4. She worked at a local vet practice as a receptionist and at a farm, both under the XLVets organisation. 
• After finishing her degree and during her practice, she was continuously involved with that organisation until she could be their business manager.
• Listen to the full episode to follow Kerrie’s journey from an equine vet to a successful COO.

[11:38] What Inspired Kerrie to Get an MBA

• Kerrie already had a postgraduate certificate in business management, which honed her general business skills. However, she wanted to learn more.
• She thought she needed support for her already high-level career. So, she took the MBA part-time and finished it after two years.

[13:06] How XLVets Work

• XLVets is a collaborative organisation with independent vets contributing to a central pool of inspiration for their members.
• Their COO team’s role is to get the members to solve a shared problem like the COVID-19 situation.
• Every member benefits from this collaboration of ideas and solutions.

[16:22] From Animals to People Management

• Kerrie communicates with people in both positions.
• Her experience as a receptionist when she was 14 also significantly contributed to her career shift as she learned how to deal with various people.

[18:15] The Pandemic and the Puppy Demand

• The demand for puppies stemmed from people being in quarantine and working from home.
• People opt for dogs because they are a great first experience for taking care of pets.
• In 2020, as the demand rose, the price for acquiring puppies also increased.
• However, the problem is how these people will adapt when things return to normal. Who will take care of their dogs?

[24:17] Women in Vet Practice and Barriers to Women Leadership

• The first barrier is your home life, which includes logistics, family and finances.
• The second barrier is the perception of systems and structures, like the notion that bosses work long hours daily.
• Lastly, human resource development is a barrier because vets don’t usually have business management experience or knowledge.
• Veterinary is a highly feminised profession, and 85% of veterinarians are female. Yet only 20% of business owners are women.
• Her research shows that a clinician or veterinarian with strong leadership skills has a significant positive effect on patient outcomes.

[29:43] Life Lessons and After Quarantine Plans

• Her shift to a non-clinical role taught her both hard and soft business skills like leadership and self-awareness.
• She learned so much about herself from Brené Brown’s books and the chimp paradox model.
• Learning more and improving yourself make it easier to manage life’s challenges.
• After the quarantine, she wants to see her family and dine out.

[35:32] Kerrie’s Secrets to Success

• Her secret to success is hard work, curiosity and focus.
• She also notes the importance of being conscious about what you want to do.
• Kerrie plans and she reflects on her days, writing these down in a journal. This method helps her focus.

5 Powerful Quotes

[22:17] ‘If you can see it, you can be it. And the earlier you see it, the better’.

[24:58] On women in business: ‘There’s a real interesting piece in here. Because those who have bought in recently said they thought that would be a barrier. But when they went to do it, it wasn’t at all. So, a lot of this is just about perception; it was perceived’.

[31:02] ‘When things have been difficult — typically it’s things that I might be frustrated about, or conversations that haven’t gone as well as I’ve wanted, or outcomes that just haven’t been quite what I wanted and think — I can change my thoughts, my thoughts on me and my situation.’

[36:12] ‘Practice. Just keep learning as well, just really seek to keep developing yourself’.

[37:33] ‘Putting the intentions down, knowing what you want to achieve by when, thinking about what’s coming up, what you’ve already achieved – that almost helps you get it out of your head as much as it keeps it front and centre and keeps the focus there.’

About Kerrie

Kerrie Hedley is a licensed veterinarian and current Chief Operating Officer of XLVets. She has discovered her love for animal care at a very young age and has since then worked on achieving that and more. Kerrie also has an MBA degree and inspiring research about women’s leadership.

If you wish to connect with Kerrie Hedley, you may reach her on LinkedIn or through their company website.

Enjoy the Podcast?

Working on your goals and dreams is not an easy feat. But Kerrie’s story and her tips may inspire and help on your way to success. If you enjoyed today’s episode of The Mindset Mentor Meets..., then hit subscribe and share it with your friends!

Post a review and share it! If you enjoyed tuning into this podcast episode, then don’t hesitate to write a review. You can also share this with your family and friends so they can feel empowered to reach their goals!

Have any questions? You can contact me through LinkedIn, Instagram and Facebook. Thanks for listening! 

For more updates and episodes, visit my website. You can also tune in on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify or Podbean. 

To defining success,

Angela

 

Coaching You through Your Fear of Judgement

Imagine speaking in front of a room full of people — everyone’s watching your every move and listening to your every word. You feel as if you’re placed under a glaring spotlight, and any mishap will lead to others judging you. But will people really think negatively of you? Or is this fear just your limiting beliefs holding you back?

In this episode, I will coach a client through her fear of judgement. I walk her through the present and dig deeper into her past. You may not be aware of it, but your history can create stains in your life, which then affects how we present ourselves.  

If you want to know how you can deal with your fear of judgement, this episode is for you.

Here are three reasons why you should listen to this episode

1. Know more about how your past experiences can affect your current mindset.
2. Discover the limiting beliefs that are holding you back.
3. Learn how to build confidence and courage.

Resources

• Join the Courage & Confidence Workshop
• Coaching with Angela

 

Episode Highlights 

[02:46] Impostor Syndrome

• When in meetings with peers or senior managers, Nikki feels like her views are not worth listening to.
• She often keeps quiet and instead sends her points through an email afterwards.
• Nikki tends to not voice her ideas due to her fear of saying something stupid, looking silly, or being not as good as others in the room.
• There is a dichotomy of what she believes in at the moment and what happens afterwards.

[06:00] What Bothers Nikki

• One of the reasons she feels good enough is because she did not go to university.
• Nikki knows she has an aptitude for her work through experience and age. But it is dealing with people who come across as knowing more that she finds difficult. She is afraid of being out of depth.
• She identifies two situations where she feels dread. One is during meetings at work where the managers expect them to know all the answers. 
• Another was back in school where she would try to not get picked to answer a question.

[11:29] How to Address the Issue

• I ask Nikki to visualise past versions of herself and imagine as if she is a fly on the wall in the meeting room.
• I walk her through using the tapping technique on the version of herself in the meeting room. 
• The goal is to communicate with that version of Nikki and ask her to identify a time in the past where she had a similar feeling.

[16:20] Looking into Nikki’s Past

• When Nikki does not know the answer to a question in a meeting, she feels internal disappointment. This is driven by her desire to support her team.
• In late primary school, she felt like she wasn’t good enough and struggled to keep up with other children. If all her classmates are invisible, Nikki felt like she could speak up and ask her teacher questions without feeling stupid.
• The first time she felt this dread was when she moved and joined a new school midyear.
• She was upset with the change and therefore decided that she can’t show her emotions.
• Tune in to the full episode to hear our coaching session and gain more insights about your own limiting beliefs!

[43:08] Reflections

• The process that I walked Nikki through is called an echo stream. It relays how your past impacts your present.
• Nikki’s experience when she was 6 is a stain that represents the feeling of not being accepted.
• The more similar experiences she had, the more distorted her perception became.
• ‘Why’ questions come with a fear of judgement. Use ‘how’ questions instead.
• Listen to the full episode to discover how you can also build your confidence and courage.

5 Powerful Quotes

[41:32] ‘In every situation that you experience moving forward, you know that you are accepted for who you are, for what you know, for what you don't know’.

[48:37] ‘Remember that 6-year-old version and bringing in that yellow light because that's going to give you that courage to start to speak up. And then with the courage comes confidence’.

[49:35] ‘Keep bringing the yellow light in and allowing yourself to just sit with that feeling of what it's like to be accepted for who you are’.

[50:08] ‘You've created a new perception in your brain, and therefore, it's not being triggered in the same way as it was. You'll feel a sense of freedom from that shackle that was holding you stuck’.

[52:18] ‘For you to be able to help other people who feel like you, the choice of questioning technique will really help that’.

Enjoyed this Podcast?

We all have fears, but the answer to facing these fears and limiting beliefs is always within us. If you enjoyed today’s episode of The Mindset Mentor Meets..., then hit subscribe and share it with your friends!

Post a review and share it! If you enjoyed tuning into this podcast episode, then don’t hesitate to write a review. You can also share this with your family and friends so they can learn ways to build confidence and courage!

Have any questions? You can contact me through LinkedIn, Instagram, and Facebook. Thanks for listening! 

For more updates and episodes, visit my website. You can also tune in on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify, or Podbean. 

To defining success,

Angela

 

Create a Better Work Environment as an Authentic Leader with Clare Clough

It’s International Women’s Day! What better way to commemorate this day than by celebrating our true and authentic selves?

As leaders, it can be challenging to be completely authentic in the workplace — that applies for all of us, not just women. We fear that revealing too much of ourselves might invalidate us. However, showing your authenticity and vulnerability can be good for others and your business! So how exactly can we be a more authentic leader? 

In this episode, Clare Clough joins us to talk about improving your work environment by bringing your authentic self. We discuss how you can look after yourself and others. Clare also shares the lessons that made her a stronger leader and her absolute secret to success.

If you want to learn more about the key to creating better work environments, then tune in to this episode.

Here are three reasons why you should listen to the full episode:

1. Discover how being an authentic leader can improve your work environment and grow your business. 
2. Learn how to maintain energy and resilience for yourself and others.
3. Find out Clare’s absolute secret to success. 

Resources

• Visit Pret A Manger’s website for freshly prepared food and organic coffee!
• Check out Clare’s favourite Pret coffee, Oat Flat White. 
• Try out Angela’s favourite Pret coffee, Coconut Flat White.
• Coaching with Angela

Episode Highlights

[03:02] Clare’s Top 3 Proudest Moments

• First, Clare is proud of going to university and having a clear path by pursuing a Food Technology course.
• Second, she’s proud of being appointed UK Managing Director at Pret A Manger despite not coming from an operations background.
• Lastly, Clare is proud that their business could bounce back from the pandemic’s challenges. 

[13:41] How to Be an Authentic Leader

• Listen to your co-workers. The only way to learn about people is to listen.
• Create an environment where people are comfortable with being authentic and vulnerable.
• Connect and empathise with people to be a more effective leader.

[19:03] Maintaining Energy for Yourself and Others

• Your reserves of resilience can only take you so far.
• Find that balance of conserving energy and putting it in the right places. Looking after yourself enables you to look after others. 
• Be thoughtful and sensitive to what people need, but also recognise when to apply pressure or expectations.
• Cultivate a culture of openness in your work environment to allow positive peer-to-peer support.

[24:25] Being a Stronger Leader and a Better Human

• For Clare, being in a job that she loves allows her to perform well. She enjoys the job she’s currently in before thinking about the next opportunity.
• Ask for feedback and learn from mistakes. 
• Do not wallow on your mistakes: this can be counterproductive and detrimental to your well-being. 
• Conversely, accept that mistakes are going to happen to make it easier to bounce back from them. 
• When faced with adversity, finding a way to go forward is the best thing you can do.

[30:38] What Traits to Look for in Other People

• Look for people who can challenge your thinking.
• Clare likes people who are different from her and can fill her blind spots.
• She also looks for people who are similar to her and can play more of a cheerleader role.

[32:29] Keeping Your Mental Health in a Good Place

• Working at home can blur work-life boundaries, so Clare doesn’t bring her phone in the bedroom.
• Be kind to yourself by listening to yourself.
• Forgive yourself if you weren’t able to follow your plans for the day. 

[34:06] The Best Coffee

• Clare’s favourite coffee is Pret’s Oat Flat White.
• Angela is a decaffeinated Coconut Flat White drinker. 

[36:43] The Absolute Secret to Success

• For Clare, authenticity is the absolute secret to success in different avenues of life.
• Being yourself brings better results more quickly in whatever situation. 

5 Powerful Quotes

[09:40] 'It was also hugely significant because I was really the first person who hadn't come from a pure operations background that had held that role previously. So I felt really proud when people sort of talk to me about what you've broken a bit of new ground here as well.'

[10:49] 'The most important thing was to just get close to the people in our shop.

[14:07] 'I wanted to create an environment for everyone in practice, to authentically be able to ask for help and stuff that they didn't know to know that it was possible to grow your career.'

[21:33] 'So one of the values that I've always held dear to me, is always to treat people how you would like to be treated. And I think I've pulled on that a lot during the last year and, and tried to be thoughtful and sympathetic to people's circumstances or where they are. . . we've all been through the curve at different times at different speeds for different reasons'

[26:56] 'I still do that I still sometimes have that sort of plunge to a depth of despair of I'll probably need to beat myself up for a week before I come up for it. But. . .you have to wonder what value that adds to you. And actually, it's detrimental, isn't it?'

About Clare 

Clare Clough is Pret A Manger’s UK Managing Director. She oversees over 400 shops and is responsible for leading Pret in its ambition to turn into a multi-channel business. 

In 2017, Clare led the development of Pret’s new brand concept, Veggie Pret. She also oversaw the incorporation of full ingredient labelling into Pret’s allergy plan. Clare has almost 20 years of experience in the Food & Beverage industry and is passionate about developing well-knit teams.  

Want to know more about Clare’s work? You may connect with her through LinkedIn. If you want to learn more about Pret, visit their website.  

Enjoy this Podcast?

Maintaining a good work environment became more challenging because of the pandemic. But with Clare’s tips, you, too, can make yourself better to establish a harmonious workplace. If you enjoyed today’s episode of The Mindset Mentor Meets..., then hit subscribe and share it with your friends!

Post a review and share it! If you enjoyed tuning into this podcast episode, then don’t hesitate to write a review. You can also share this with your family and friends so they can feel empowered to be their authentic selves!

Have any questions? You can contact me through LinkedIn, Instagram and Facebook. Thanks for listening! 

For more updates and episodes, visit my website. You can also tune in on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify or Podbean. 

To meeting inspiration,

Angela

 

Escaping the Imposter with Angela Cox

In this special episode Mindset Mentor Meets host, Angela Cox shares her thoughts on taming the imposter. It’s a heartfelt download in which she shares how it felt to be in her shoes when she worked at senior levels in corporate, versus how she feels now in her role as coach, and founder of Paseda360 Coach Training Academy.

Angela shares the steps she took to leap from corporate to coaching to inspire those who might feel like doing it to.

Find out more about Paseda360 Courses.https://paseda360.com/courses/advanced-practitioner/

Look for Reasons Why You Can, Not Why You Can’t with Adrian Moore

The greatest enemy we have in our lives that hinders our growth is often ourselves. We put boundaries and limits on what we can and cannot do. You may think that you're protecting yourself by doing this, but you're missing life-changing opportunities! Look for reasons why you can, not why you can't do the things you want to do, and you'll be surprised by how much more there is to experience in life.

In this episode, Allied Universal’s Operations Director Adrian Moore joins us to talk about the stories that shaped his mindset. He shares how he made the most out of his six-month garden leave. He also shares his three proudest moments and the adversities that made him stronger.

Tune in to this episode to know how you can live your best life!

Here are three reasons why you should listen to the full episode:

1. Find out Adrian’s three proudest moments.
2. Learn the mindset that pushed Adrian to accomplish his goals during his garden leave.
3. Discover Adrian’s ultimate secret to success

Resources

• Vision Security Group
• Allied Universal®
• Join us at Project Me Academy!
• Coaching with Angela
• You’re Better Than You Think You Areby Angela Cox

Episode Highlights

[02:57] The First Place Adrian Wants to Go to After Lockdown

• Depending on the time of the year, it would be skiing.
• If not, he’d like to travel and go to different places.
• He broke his ankle the year before when he was running.

[04:52] Adrian’s First Proudest Moment

• The first one is leaving Visual Security Group after ten years of working there and starting his own business with former colleagues. It did not push through, and he ended up with six months of garden leave.
• During his garden leave, he set goals that he wanted to do and wanted to achieve. He did mountaineering, learned how to skipper a boat, did life coaching, charity work, and supported local businesses.
• He was also able to spend a lot of time with his children and family. Adrian says that he took the garden leave as a gift to go further into many things.

[06:39] The Mindset that Pushed Adrian

• He didn’t want to waste the opportunity. He got to stay at home for six months while still having bills covered.
• Adrian read different magazines and looked at the fun things his friends have done. He wrote a list of what he wanted to do and planned them out month by month.
• Once he finished everything on the list, he felt like he was living his best life.

[08:37] Doing a Life Coaching Course

• Adrian wanted to do something different when he went back to work. He wanted to go back with more experience and learnings.
• Doing live coaching allowed him to better support, coach, and mentor his team.

[09:28] Adrian’s Second Proudest Moment

• Children being born is one of the proudest moments. Adrian is a single dad to two girls, which he says is not an easy task.
• After leaving VSG, it struck him that he got to transition from work to his children's stability.
• During that transition chapter, he realised how much planning this stability of daily life takes. He did it with his daughters as a team, and he got them involved in what he's doing.
• He wants to be part of the mundane aspects of parenting and be involved with his children's school and everyday life.

[15:31] Adrian’s Third Proudest Moment

• His father ran hospitality-related businesses in the Lake District for 30 years before he passed. Starting to work for his dad at 11 years old influenced Adrian’s mindset about business.
• Before his father passed, he asked Adrian to look after three things: his mum, his sister, one of the businesses he had. He says that it was a fantastic and proud moment.
• He sets up a call with his family as he promised his dad to keep them all going because they're all in different parts of the UK.
• Adrian joined the Army when he was 17. Then, he thought that his dad was disappointed in him because he didn’t go into the family business.
• The knowledge he got from working in the restaurant at a young age set him up early.

[20:00] Coping with Being Far Away from His Mum

• Because he’s always been away since 17, he copes through phone calls.
• He’s now used to it, but he still tries to pay a visit as much as he can.

[22:03] The Adversities that Made Him Stronger

• One of the key things is around a business contract he worked on while he was in VSG. They lost a major contract that they've worked on for 18 months, leading to huge revenue loss.
• It was complete dead silence when he relayed the news to his team via conference call. But Adrian said that the exit of the contract needs to be just as professional as the entry. It wasn't anyone's fault; it was a business decision.
• He made sure to look after all the people involved during that tough time. He had to keep his morale in the right place for the team and think about what happened on his own time.
• Six weeks after his dad passed, his close colleague passed as well.
• Adrian suggests jotting down some of the things you really want to do regardless of when you’ll do it. Look at the reasons why you can do it and what you’ll get out of it.

[32:20] Three Things that Put a Smile on His Face

• Being around people he loves.
• Getting out in the fresh air and exercising.
• Seeing other people happy.

[33:07] The Ultimate Secret to Success

• Don’t try and be great; be consistent in everything that you do.

5 Powerful Quotes

[06:39] ‘I think it was just that I didn't want to waste the opportunity because how many people can say that they've got six months at home, they're still fortunate enough to be paid and all the bills are still covered and things’

[12:24] ‘I want to be part of the actual, what I probably call the more mundane parts of parenting, in homework, the school life, and things as opposed to having all the great enjoyment of the weekends and things that most people in this position I suppose do’

[13:47] ‘If you make your bed in the morning, you'll have accomplished a task first thing in the morning’

[24:45] ‘There are uncontrollables. And sometimes those are the things that really stretch you—stretch your mindset, stretch your attitude—to how you operate in life’

[30:57] ‘Don't look at the boundaries and the reasons why you can't; just think you can do it’

 

About Adrian Moore

Adrian Moore is the Operations Director of Allied Universal® for the UK and Europe. He is responsible for overseeing all operations' documentation and developing long-term operational strategies for an efficient front-line workflow. Adrian had a successful military career before working in the financial security sector. He also worked as a Project Director and Operations Director of Vision Security Group for nine years.

To get in touch with Adrian, you can connect with him through LinkedIn.

Enjoy the Podcast?

It takes a lot of strength in our character to do the things we want to do. If you enjoyed today’s episode of The Mindset Mentor Meets..., then hit subscribe and share it with your friends!

Post a review and share it! If you enjoyed tuning into this podcast episode, then don’t hesitate to write a review. You can also share this with your family and friends so they can feel empowered to start healing.

Have any questions? You can contact me through LinkedIn, Instagram and Facebook. Thanks for listening! 

For more updates and episodes, visit my website. You can also tune in on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify or Podbean. 

To defining success,

Angela

 

Healing from Trauma: Understanding the Hijack Shackle

We all have traumatic experiences in life. And if we have a choice, we will choose to bury them at the back of our minds, left to be forgotten forever. In fact, many of us tend to develop unhelpful habits to numb the feelings attached to our traumas. Even though we are not aware of this most of the time, it impacts our responses and how we show up. How can we start freeing ourselves from these traumatic memories?

In this episode of the Master Your Mindset series, we tackle one of the five shackles that hold us back as humans — the hijack. I share the different manifestations of trigger responses from trauma and how trauma gets encoded in our brain. I also talk about the role of the subconscious in uncovering trauma and changing the beliefs attached to it.

If you’re seeking freedom from your traumatic experiences, this episode has a lot of information in store for you!

Here are three reasons why you should listen to the full episode:

1. Learn more about the work I do as a coach and The Mindset Mentor.
2. Discover how the hijack shackle manifests in our trauma responses.
3. Find out the process of trauma encoding and learn the concept of landmines.

Resources

• Mastering Your Mindset: You’re Better Than You Think You Are
• Join us at Project Me Academy!
• Coaching with Angela
• You’re Better Than You Think You Are by Angela Cox

Episode Highlights

[01:22] Working with the Entire Coaching Spectrum

• As a coach, I work with successful entrepreneurs and organisation leaders. 
• The difference with the work I do from other coaches is working with the coaching spectrum’s entirety. It includes counselling, therapy, psychotherapy, non-directive coaching, directional coaching, mentoring and consulting.
• With this level of expertise, I can provide suitable coaching forms according to my clients’ needs.
• While most coaching looks only at the future, the coaching I offer to clients incorporates the past, present and future.

[04:46] Getting to Know the Mindset Mentor

• Before setting up my business, I used to work in senior-level consulting and corporate to help transform businesses.
• I bring the learnings that I’ve had from the transformational business space into personal change journeys.
• Currently, I am finishing up my Advanced Executive Coaching qualification at Cambridge University. After that, I will be taking my PhD in professional coaching.
• In addition to coaching, I also offer online programs for people who can’t work with me one-on-one.

[07:11] Peeling the Shackles

• The essence of my book, You’re Better Than You Think You Are, identifies the five shackles holding back human beings. 
• No matter how much adversity we experience, we are not broken — there’s nothing wrong with us at our core. 
• However, we have shackles — layers of experiences and conditioning that make us show up as we do.
• The shackles are the layers that we have to peel to get to our beautiful core. It is a continual practice we have to adhere to as we move forward.

[10:10] The Hijack and Trauma

• One of the shackles I talk about in the book is the hijack. I chose the word ‘hijack’ because it sums up what is happening in the shackles.
• It is the experience that happens in your body when you are triggered by something in your subconscious. 
• This shackle is linked to trauma that every one of us has experienced.
• The big ‘T’ trauma makes you think of a specific experience that represents the word ‘trauma’ for you.
• The small ‘t’ trauma may be a one-off experience that has happened to you over the years that you don’t believe is a traumatic event. These traumas are just as impactful as the big T traumas.

[15:05] Trigger Responses

• The stained glass windows shackles are linked to the beliefs we make about ourselves because of trauma.
• You may also get a fight-or-flight response when trauma is triggered.
• It then creates a sequence of events that makes you behave in a way I call the ‘facepalm response’ from the lack of control.

[16:21] Trauma Encoding

• Four things need to be in place for trauma encoding to occur.
• First, there should be an event that is directly happening to you.
• Second is the brain's vulnerable landscape, an electrochemical state that determines how environmental factors impact us. The opposite of this is the resilient landscape.
• The third is a perceived feeling of inescapability. And fourth, there must be a perception of threat that the event will harm you in some way.
• Tune in to the full episode to know in detail how our brains encode traumatic information and what landmines are!

[25:16] The Body’s Response to Trauma Encoding

• The body physiologically responds to trauma encoding.
• It manifests by switching your senses into a hyper-alert mode such as darting eyes, fast heart rate and breathing, sweating and more.
• Previous experiences of trauma — whether big T or small t — sit on the amygdala like landmines waiting to be set off.
• The guilt or shame response after a triggering episode leads you to do the shackle five.

[27:24] Where the Freedom Comes From

• Freedom comes from identifying the pivotal moment in your history that holds the keys to the landmines. However, the memories of the initial event are often not in your conscious awareness.
• When I’m working with leaders, I try to get them to work with me subconsciously. 
• The goal is to change the belief you developed during a traumatic experience, thus also changing you show up today.
• This psychodynamic form of reaching the subconscious is a way to free somebody from these traumatic memories.
• We need to take responsibility for healing past traumas instead of behaving in victim mode. Through this, we can act in a way that will not hurt ourselves and other people.

5 Powerful Quotes

[08:32] ‘There is nothing wrong with us at our core; there are just layers and layers of experiences, conditioning, learning and circumstances that make us show up as we do’.

[09:23] ‘We need to move away from this need for instant gratification and recognise that this has to be something that we work at’.

[11:34] ‘Every single one of us, unless we've lived in a cotton wool bowl for most of our lives, will have experienced trauma at some point’.

[14:31] ‘Trauma can equally be smaller, perhaps even one-off things, that occur that have deep meaning attached to them because of the emotional charge that occurs during the event’.

[30:57] ‘I need to take responsibility, and I need to learn to behave in different ways and learn to heal those past traumas so that those landmines have their fuses taken out with them, and they can't hurt me anymore and nor can they hurt others’.

Enjoy the Podcast?

We are more than the traumatic events we’ve experienced. If you enjoyed today’s episode of Master Your Mindset, then hit subscribe and share it with your friends!

Post a review and share it! If you enjoyed tuning into this podcast episode, then don’t hesitate to write a review. You can also share this with your family and friends so they can feel empowered to start healing.

Have any questions? You can contact me through LinkedIn, Instagram and Facebook. Thanks for listening! 

For more updates and episodes, visit my website. You can also tune in on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify or Podbean. 

My new book You're Better Than You Think You Are is available to buy right now on Amazon https://www.amazon.co.uk/Youre-Better-Than-You-Think/dp/B08PJPQDK5/ref=tmm_pap_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=1611239933&sr=8-1

 

To defining success,

Angela

 

How to Be Successful with a Positive Mindset with Olivia Conlon

Are you an aspiring entrepreneur with a bright idea, but you’re afraid to start? Or do you feel like quitting with every setback you encounter? Every newbie has this fear, but the key to success is to believe you can and take action.

In this episode, Olivia ‘Liv’ Conlon, one of UK’s youngest entrepreneurs, will share what inspired her to become successful. We will also learn about how she keeps a positive mindset and turns around her life’s negativity.

Tune in to the full episode and discover how to be on your path to success!

Here are three reasons why you should listen to the full episode:

1. Discover how you can turn your bright ideas into successes.
2. Learn how to deal with your adversities.
3. Liv will also share how you can improve your sales and social media presence.

Resources

• Too Big for Your Boots by Olivia Conlon
• Thought Leader Chat
• Connect with Olivia through her website or on Instagram.

Episode Highlights

[02:48] Liv’s Top 3 Proudest Moments

• Liv’s first proudest moment is working with her Mum, who is her business partner, every day.
• Her second proudest moment is winning UK Young Entrepreneur of the Year.
• The third is getting an invitation to visit the Prime Minister at Downing Street.

[04:46] How Liv Works with Her Mum

• Liv has always admired her Mum, and she was her biggest inspiration in starting her business.
• When her Mum joined her company, it felt a bit strange but rewarding.
• Her Mum is very supportive of her decisions and also gives her a more mature perspective on their work.

[06:07] What Inspired Liv to Start and Continue Her Business

• As a child, Liv had always known she doesn’t want to be told what to do — she didn’t want a boss. And at 13, she was already selling on eBay.
• Sometimes, she wants to give up, especially after working 18 hours a day and driving another 6 hours later. When this happens, she connects back to why she was here in the first place — to do the right thing for herself and her future family.
• It is essential to have personal and work goals to make reaching a milestone more enjoyable.

[12:28] Liv’s Invitation to Downing Street

• Liv was invited to perform a 50-minute toast in Scottish at the prime minister’s house during the Robbie Burns Night.
• It was a challenging but enjoyable experience to prepare the long speech the night before presenting it.
• She also shares no phone is allowed in the home and that the staircase in the movie ‘Love, Actually’ exists.

[14:09] Too Big for Your Boots

• The title was inspired by a stranger who told her that she should remember not to ‘get too big for your boots’.
• Women, especially younger women, are expected to be successful, to shine brightly. This inspired her to write the book.
• In her book, Liv shares how your mindset shapes you and how you can use it to your advantage.
• You will also learn about practical business advice, from the light bulb moment to a seven-figure brand.
• Tune in to the full episode to learn more about how you’ll benefit from reading this book, the famous person who wrote its foreword and where to get it.

[20:51] Lessons Learned from Her Bullies and the Power of Positivity

• Liv was bullied in school because her schoolmates didn’t like that she was good at everything and wasn’t afraid to be herself. It eventually worsened that she began to hate school and transferred to a new one in her senior year.
• She learned that speaking about it had been very powerful for her. It also fuelled her to prove that she could be something more.
• Liv believes that bullies, including online trolls, are merely projecting their insecurities at you.
• For every negative thing in your life, there are more positive things you can choose to focus on.
• Listen to the full episode to discover more lessons you can learn from your bullies and how to live with a positive mindset.

[26:58] Advice on Boosting Your Social Media Profile

• It may sound cliché, but the secret to boosting your brand is sharing your story, which lets other people connect with you.
• According to Liv, people don’t buy what you do but why you do it. Your why is your unique selling point or your underdog story proclaimed.
• Liv explains that her philosophy leads to the marketing belief that your product or service is about your client. Because the only way you’ll connect with these clients is when they can resonate with you.

[32:43] Liv’s Secret to Success

• Liv’s secret to success is hard work, consistency and taking action.
• Consistency is not just about showing up to work every day; it is also about continually improving yourself every day.
• It also helps to see your goal not as a mountain but as bite-sized chunks that you can accomplish step by step.
• When you get an idea, follow the 5-second rule — act on it before you can stop yourself\

 

5 Powerful Quotes from the Episode

[09:17] ‘I think it’s important in those [bad] times as well not asking yourself, like, “why is this happening to me,” but, “why is it happening for me?” I think it’s just having that totally positive mindset where you look at everything, and you sort of shift your perspective from the negative to the positive’.

[10:43] ‘So, I would say that if you are someone who’s working on business goals, or your goals, also have some personal goals that you also have alongside that as well.’

[22:08] ‘Your mess becomes your message. . . I really love to work with people. They say that most successful people have overcome some sort of adversity. And actually, adversity has a 70% positive influence on you’.

[26:09] ‘Where focus goes, energy flows. Why would you choose to actually focus on the negative when there’s probably a 99% chunk that’s really positive’?

[33:04] ‘Consistency is one of the most challenging ones because you know, it takes a while to form a habit or be able to do something consistently without losing focus, or getting bored, or getting distracted. But for me, I will determine my success if I've showed up consistently every day’.

About Olivia

Olivia Conlon is the CEO and founder of the Property Stagers. She started her business at 16 and became a £1m brand at 19. Olivia received the UK Young Entrepreneur of the Year award in 2019 and now helps other entrepreneurs turn their bright ideas into a profitable reality.

If you want to connect with Liv, visit her Instagram to learn more about her story.

Enjoy the Podcast?

Always keep a positive mindset despite adversities, and you will succeed. If you enjoyed today’s episode of The Mindset Mentor Meets…, then hit subscribe and share it with your friends!

Post a review and share it! If you enjoyed tuning into this podcast episode, then don’t hesitate to write a review. You can also share this with your family and friends so they can feel empowered and inspired to reach their dreams.

Have any questions? You can contact me through LinkedIn, Instagram and Facebook.

Thanks for listening! For more updates and episodes, visit my website. You can also tune in on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify or Podbean. 

Also, my new book You’re Better Than You Think You Are is out right now and you can buy it here https://www.amazon.co.uk/Youre-Better-Than-You-Think/dp/B08PJPQDK5/ref=tmm_pap_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=1610620592&sr=8-1

 

 

To defining success,

Angela

 

Fighting Fear and Pushback with Purpose and Tenacity with Justine Leigh-Bell

While we are still facing the global pandemic, an even bigger challenge is looming — climate change. It is undeniable that we need to act fast. Yet, environmental issues alone cannot sway investment decisions; it needs to be backed by sound economic models and policy strategies.  

What does it take to change the world? 

Joining us for this episode is Justine Leigh-Bell, Deputy CEO of Climate Bonds Initiative. She shares how her tenacity kept her moving forward towards her goals and purpose. Justine also discusses that fear is an opportunity to grow and learn and the importance of listening to your inner voice for guidance. When our values and purpose guide us — nothing can stop us from changing the world for the better.

Tune in to this episode and learn how to develop tenacity and listen to your inner voice!

Here are three reasons why you should listen to the full episode:

1. How do we overcome fear?
2. Understand the importance of values, purpose and vulnerability.
3. Discover the ways you can tap into your inner voice.

Resources

• How To Fail With Elizabeth Day
• The Economist Podcast
• Happy Place Podcast
• Climate Bonds Initiative
• Connect with Justine: LinkedIn | Twitter
• Get Angela’s latest book, You're Better Than You Think You Are, and explore how to overcome the things that are holding you back.

Episode Highlights

[02:12] Justine’s Tenacity Against Pushback

• Justine loved sports as a child and got into her school’s basketball team. She wasn’t able to get in during the first try, but she rose to that challenge. 
• When choosing her degree, a career development expert advised her against taking sciences and math. Her stubbornness led her to pick natural sciences, majoring in math.
• Her work in the Climate Bonds Initiative led her to work with the Brazilian government. In the meetings, she was the only woman and non-Brazilian in the room.
• Despite the challenges and fears, Justine kept moving forward with tenacity.
• She shares that we shouldn’t be held back by fear. Listen to the full episode to hear her thoughts on this!

[10:43] Overcoming Fear

• We need to face fear head-on.
• We often hold ourselves back because of the fear of failure.
• Instead, we should accept failure as expected — to keep failing until we get it right. 
• Every failure comes with irreplaceable lessons. They are gifts for growth.

[12:55] Justine’s Work at Climate Bonds Initiative

• The company helps drive significant capital towards climate change solutions.
• Climate change is the biggest problem we are facing this century and beyond. We are currently living in what’s called the Century of Volatility.
• Climate Bonds Initiative supports businesses, investors, banks and governments and turns them into green investors.
• The company is both an advocacy and technical group.
• Their work reaches Europe, China, Southeast Asia, Africa and Latin America.

[16:26] Justine’s Leadership Style

• She values a high threshold for performance, passion, commitment and loyalty.
• Justine’s former boss inspired her leadership values.
• This boss taught her that a leader might have good ideas, but it’s a good team that can execute and bring these ideas to life.
• This is exactly how she views herself as a leader.

[18:29] Keeping Purpose and Passion Alive

• The pandemic forced teams to work remotely.
• For Justine, this made her team grow closer and stronger.
• They hold weekly meetings to keep everyone connected.
• There should be a balance between work and personal life. Companies should not cross this boundary.

[21:17] Staying Positive and Motivated

• Yoga and meditation keep her sane.
• She takes the weekend off to rest.
• Maintaining a consistent schedule for rest is hard, especially when a slight shift in work can destroy the plan.
• Justine’s routines are not perfect, but she keeps practicing.  

[24:25] The Importance of Values and Vulnerability

• Purpose helps us stay tough and look forward to the future.
• Exposure to work where you lack experience can bring about vulnerability.  
• Your vulnerability does not have to last long. You can change this lack of experience.
• Just take it forward and keep looking for ways to make it right.
• Celebrate your small successes! Listen to the full episode to hear Justine’s take on how to move past your fears and vulnerabilities.

[29:05] Listen More

• We are quick to speak before listening to others.
• We need to listen to our team members and never forget their contributions.
• Listening is often underestimated in our culture.

[32:20] Justine’s Absolute Secret to Success

• For Justine, the secret to success is listening to your inner voice. 
• We all have the inner wisdom that knows what to do next. 
• Listen to the full episode to hear Justine’s experience of a silent retreat!

5 Powerful Quotes

[10:17] ‘If it is something that is scary, you have that moment of contemplating with that fear on what you're going to do with it. And then the joy is being able to get over it and get to the other side’.

[12:32] ‘Every fail comes with amazing lessons to reflect on. And that may not seem like a gift at the time, it's hard to see through failure is all-encompassing, but it really does actually make you stronger’.

[25:02] ‘We never always have the right answers, we may not always know the right direction of travel, especially when you are managing an organisation that is growing really, really fast’.

[26:51] ‘The vulnerability part is accepting what you don't know and trying to do the best in figuring it out. That exposure to the lack of experience is a moment in time, and it can definitely change — it's up to you how you want to change it’.

[29:22] ‘We're very quick to speak our minds before listening to others. And I say that in a just a sense that especially when you are leading the growth of a fast paced organisation, you do not want to forget the great contribution that your teams can make and the people that work around you can make’.

About Justine

Justine Leigh-Bell is currently the Deputy CEO & Director of Market Development at the Climate Bonds Initiative (CBI). Her work involves helping businesses and governments find sustainable development solutions in our global challenge of climate change.

She works closely with public and private sectors to develop national policy guidelines and investment roadmaps to support green bond financing.

Justine has an MSc. in Molecular Science from Yale University and an MSc. in Environmental Economics and Policy from Imperial College, London. Her specialisation includes sustainable development in emerging economies, climate change mitigation/adaptation strategies, climate finance, economic valuation and market-based instruments to manage natural resource assets.

Interested to learn more about Justine’s work? You can check Climate Bonds Initiative. You can also follow her at LinkedIn and Twitter. 

Enjoy the Podcast?

Learning to listen to your inner voice and using tenacity to overcome your fears and fulfil your purpose is essential, especially in challenging times. If you enjoyed today’s episode of The Mindset Mentor Meets…, then hit subscribe and share it with your friends!

Post a review and share it! If you enjoyed tuning into this podcast episode, then don’t hesitate to write a review. You can also share this with your family and friends so they can feel empowered and inspired by our discussion.

Have any questions? You can contact me through LinkedIn, Instagram and Facebook.

Thanks for listening! For more updates and episodes, visit my website. You can also tune in on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify or Podbean. 

To defining success,

Angela

 

Scaling the Business Ladder with a Balanced Lifestyle with Vikki Williams

When you're trying to reach your goals, you can get lost at times and prioritise one thing over the other. However, according to Vikki Wiliams, you can have a successful career while keeping your personal life intact. She also added how being vulnerable with your colleagues can strengthen your connection with one another, which can ease workflow. 

In today's episode, Vikki talks to us about her journey to success and how she balances work and family life. She also shares her proudest moments that will inspire you. Finally, Vikki talks about the importance of mentorship in her professional life and why supporting other people's careers is valuable to her. 

If you think you have to sacrifice one part of your life to succeed, this episode may help shift your perspective.

Here are three reasons why you should listen to the full episode:

1. How can you balance work and career like Vikki?
2. Learn more about Vikki's journey to success and the importance of vulnerability in working relationships. 
3. Find out how the COVID-19 pandemic transformed Vikki's business and why mentoring others is important for her.  

Resources

• Vikki William's LinkedIn

Episode Highlights

[2:27] Vikki's Top Three Pompom Moments

• Being the first person in her extended family to go to university is one of Vikki's proudest moments. 
• She is also proud that the people she mentored went on to become successful in their career and personal lives. 
• Finally, seeing her two children flourish is a personal triumph for Vikki. 

[5:18] Balancing Work and Motherhood

• Vikki credits her other half for being supportive and sharing the collective workload inside the household. Having an extended family that lives close by also helped them tremendously.
• It helps to let go of perfectionism, be flexible, and feel comfortable around not always being able to do everything.

[7:01] On Mentorship and Helping Other People's Careers

• She had incredible mentors and coaches when she was starting to go up the business ladder. In that, she understands its importance in developing your career and leadership style. 
• She always wants to make sure that she's available to give support to other people. It allows her to pay forward the guidance of those who had helped her move forward in her career.  
• Mentorship enabled Vikki to be more confident, behave professionally, receive certain skill sets, and pick herself up through challenges. 

[9:19] Vikki's Aspirations When She Was Young

• When Vikki was young, she showed an interest in becoming a nurse and an archaeologist. It is due to her curiosity and desire for learning new cultures. 
• According to her, she didn't set out to be a leader in business or financial services. Although it was not part of her plan, she's grateful to where she is right now. 
• She always wants to challenge herself and discover new things. This drive led her to a job in a contact centre, where she found her niche and developed her aspiration to step into leadership roles.  

[10:43] Vikki's Journey into Taking Leadership Roles

• Working in the contact centre gave Vikki enthusiasm and energy to work hard. It eventually paid off when she was asked to take on larger roles. Listen to the full episode to learn how small leadership positions upgraded Vikki's career later on!
• Her drive to take on leadership roles came from challenging and opening herself up to new experiences.
• Vikki advises everyone to step into opportunities and be courageous. Be comfortable in not having all the knowledge and information at your hand.  

[13:49] Transforming the Business to Cope with the COVID-19 Pandemic and the Importance of Vulnerability

• Although it has been challenging, they're also feeling energised about the changes they've been able to create in the business. 
• Listen to the full episode to know in detail the transformations that occurred in their operations during the COVID-19 pandemic.  
• Vikki makes sure that everyone on her team has the space and time to feel their emotions. 
• Demonstrating vulnerability as a leader helps people feel accessible to you and understand that they can be flexible as well. 

[18:07] How Vikki Takes Care of Herself and Her Wellbeing

• Vikki practices the 'eight weeks on and two weeks off' method. It allows her to have a week day-off from work every eight or nine weeks.
• She energises and takes care of herself by being active, cooking, listening to music, and connecting to nature. She gardens and grows vegetables. 
• For Vikki, it's important to balance hard work and the mental part of being a leader. 
• Vikki compartmentalises her tasks — doing them little and often. For her, it's essential not to try and do everything all at once because it can get overwhelming and unsustainable.

[22:26] Handling Stress

• To handle stress, Vikki takes half an hour during her lunchtime to take a quick walk and get some sunlight. Talking to others and leaning on her team also relieves her stress and brings things into perspective.
• Early in her career, Vikki learned that she can't do everything and must work in partnership with the people around her.   

[26:32] Adversities that Shaped Vikki’s Success

• The challenges Vikki had to overcome led her to become resilient. 
• When faced with adversity, Vikki reminds herself to work out the psychology of the organisation, be objective, and depersonalise situations. 

[30:08] Vikki's Secret to Success

• For her, the secret to success can vary from person to person. However, it's crucial to maintain a growth mindset and be open to possibilities. 

5 Powerful Quotes

[3:49] ‘I really believe in investing in other people, and giving them time, and giving them support and guidance if needed’.

[5:39] ‘It's about juggling things and also feeling relaxed and comfortable around not always being able to do everything’.

[7:25] ‘I wanted to make sure, and I still do make sure, that I am available to other people to give them that support as well. Because I don't think I would be where I am today without some of those people who've been involved in my career’.

[11:27] ‘I guess what's really driven me the whole time is making sure that I'm challenging myself and opening myself up to new experiences’. 

[17:26] ‘Vulnerability is around just demonstrating that there's no 'Shiny Vikki,' I'm just normal. And I think demonstrating that as a leader does help people feel accessible [to you]’.

About Vikki

Vikki Williams is currently the Director of Change and Operations at Nationwide Building Society. She is an impactful and dynamic senior leader with her experience of leading diverse teams. Through her skills and working collaboratively, Vikki steers change in challenging business, cultural, and organisational setup.

If you want to connect with Vikki, you can visit her LinkedIn for more information. 

Enjoy The Podcast?

We all want to discover more about the secrets to the success of many business leaders. If you enjoyed today's episode of The Mindset Mentor Meets…, then hit subscribe and share it with your friends!

Post a review and share it! If you enjoyed tuning into this podcast episode, then don't hesitate to write a review. You can also share this with your family and friends so they can feel empowered and inspired to reach their dreams.

Have any questions? You can contact me through LinkedIn, Instagram, and Facebook. Thanks for listening! 

For more updates and episodes, visit my website. You can also tune in on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify, or Podbean. 

My latest book "You're Better Than You Think You Are" is available right now at Amazon https://www.amazon.co.uk/Youre-Better-Than-You-Think/dp/B08PJPQDK5/ref=sr_1_1?keywords=your+better+than+you+think+you+are+angela+cox&qid=1608565611&s=books&sr=1-1

 

To defining success,

Angela

 

Mastering Your Mindset: You’re Better Than You Think You Are

Do you often ask why you’re not like other people? Does this stop you from going outside your comfort zone? If you answered yes, then that’s okay. You are not alone — everyone has doubts, but you can clear them from your mind.

This episode kicks off a new monthly series, Master Your Mindset. I talk about why you’re better than what you think you are. I also share the reason behind this mindset and what you can do about it.

Tune in to the full episode and learn how you can master your mindset to believe in yourself.

Here are three reasons why you should listen to the full episode:

1. Learn about the shackles that hold you back from realising your full potential.
2. Discover how the stained-glass window develops and how it affects your behavior.
3. I will also share how you can remove the stains from your window.

Resources

• Join us at Project Me Academy!
• Coaching with Angela
• You’re Better Than You Think You Areby Angela Cox

Episode Highlights

[04:52] The Problem with How We Are Designed

• We are better than we think we are, but there are some days that we struggle to believe that notion unless we are psychopaths or narcissists.
• We struggle to believe in ourselves because we are designed to doubt ourselves. Thus, we often try to stay within our comfort zone — to avoid rejection.
• Our design also makes us not fully aware of ourselves, and we start to question our worth and value.
• This year, I want to help you believe that you are better than you think you are.
• I’ll help you rev up your self-confidence so that you will remember how badass you are when the feelings of doubt resurface.

[07:19] The Five Shackles That Hold You Back

• In my book You’re Better Than You Think You Are, I’ve identified five shackles that hold us back from realising our potential. And I was able to name them because I’ve experienced them myself or heard about them from the women and men I’ve coached.
• These shackles include the shadows or fears, stained-glass windows or beliefs, big T trauma and small T traumas.
• Big T traumas are experiences people can quickly identify as traumatic, such as domestic abuse or childhood trauma. 
• Small T traumas may include hurtful words people tell you and other small events that affect how you see yourself.

[09:15] Understanding the Shackles: The Stained-Glass Windows

• When I was a child, my mom and I used to go to church on Sunday. And there, I would always stare in awe at the stained-glass windows. I was fascinated by how different faces look like when light from those windows shine on them.
• This stained-glass effect happens when you start to feel alienated while with other people. You begin to see them differently.
• When this happens, doubt begins because you start to wonder whether you are actually “normal.” It also occurs in situations where you react horribly to an event or circumstance, but others appear unperturbed.
• Everybody has stains, and they differ for each of us.
• Listen to the full episode to learn more about the stained-glass window shackle.

[14:53] Looking at the Window

• Your window frame is your sensory filter. It is everything that you experience with your senses.
• This window takes in all the information you get from your surroundings. The information is neutral until you give them meaning, which creates the stains in your window.
• An example is when you’re asked to stand and read in front of the class. Like me, some people may enjoy doing this; others may feel anxious or shy, so they stumble along the way.
• How you perceive people’s reactions towards you creates a stain in your window — an embarrassment, humiliation or intimidation.
• Tune in to the full episode to learn more about how we form the stains in our window.

[21:38] The Problem with the Stains

• These stains significantly affect our behavior and how we see ourselves.
• Because stains of different people vary, others may find it difficult to understand why you’re acting a certain way.
• These stains also build up over time and become opaque — permanent additions to your window — and form shackling or limiting beliefs.

[23:33] Unlocking the Shackles

• Unlocking these shackles or understanding why we are holding ourselves back can help change them into empowering beliefs.
• Going back into the initial events that caused the stain and removing them from your window allows you to regain neutrality.
• Being able to remove the stains is an incredibly freeing feeling that helps you move forward.
• However, it is essential to understand that removing the shackles is not erasing the doubt in your life because you are not going outside your comfort zone without some doubt.

[27:36] Why You Should Read You’re Better Than You Think You Are

• This book aims to help you grow and know your worth and value.
• It includes exercises that allow you to have a deeper level of self-awareness.
• It also has stained-glass window exercises to open up your thinking and help you identify your limiting beliefs.

5 Powerful Quotes

[04:52] ‘You’re better than you think you are’.

[14:19] ‘The way that you react, the way that you feel certain situations are due to the stains on your window. And let me tell you, you won’t be a human being if you don’t have any stains’.

[16:06] ‘I want you to know that that’s all that it is. Everything that you’re experiencing right now, as you listen to this podcast, is simply information, is completely neutral’.

[25:14] ‘So, really, understanding the stains on the window — how they make you behave, why they were formed, when they were formed — gives you the detail that you need to be able to make a change and to start to move forward in a different way. It’s incredibly freeing’.

[27:19] ‘When you stand on the edge, that you feel that moment, and that’s a great moment because that shows that you’re growing’.

Enjoy the Podcast?

Always remember that you’re better than you think you are. If you enjoyed today’s episode of Mastering Your Mindset, then hit subscribe and share it with your friends!

Post a review and share it! If you enjoyed tuning into this podcast episode, then don’t hesitate to write a review. You can also share this with your family and friends so they can feel empowered and inspired to reach their dreams.

Have any questions? You can contact me through LinkedIn, Instagram and Facebook. Thanks for listening! 

For more updates and episodes, visit my website. You can also tune in on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify or Podbean. 

To defining success,

Angela

 

How to Overcome Setbacks and Win in Life with Greg Searle

Can you imagine what it takes to win the Olympics, and how it feels to accomplish such a feat? For one gold medalist, it wasn’t that different from how he felt when he won other small races. However, it taught him life-long lessons that have shaped who he is today.

Joining us for this episode is Greg Searle, who won a gold medal in the 1992 Barcelona Olympics. Greg talks about his career and family life and shows how he stays humble and down-to-earth despite having achieved massive success. He also shares the secrets behind how we can overcome our setbacks to win in life.

To know how you too can feel happy and satisfied with your own life and accomplishments, tune in to this episode!

Here are three reasons why you should listen to the full episode:

1. How to get motivated from knowing where you started.
2. How changing your mindset can lead you to be satisfied with what you have.
3. Find out Greg’s top secret to success.

Resources

• Book Greg and hear his story in person through his website.

Episode Highlights

[2:41] Greg’s Rowing Career and His Life’s Proudest Moments

• Greg’s proudest moment in his life is his rowing career. The highlight of his career is winning an Olympic gold medal in 1992.

• His school history teacher, who won a gold medal in 1984, inspired him to get into rowing.

• We often set goals, make sacrifices and put ourselves through pain to achieve them. But for Greg, it wasn’t sacrificing; it was a choice, and he enjoyed the work involved in training.

• Winning the Olympics didn’t feel different from crossing the line at other rowing competitions — it was just the next big challenge.

[8:01] Never Forget Why You Started

• You need to understand your motivation. A lot of leaders in organizations forget why they started and what gives them personal validation.

• As leaders get more seniority, they go further and further away from doing the thing that they are good at.

• You must remind yourself why you’ve gotten where you are in the first place.

• To remember that, you could connect to people who are still out there doing the jobs they used to do.

[9:51] If Not Now, When?

• Garry Herbert asked Greg and his brother ‘If not now, when?’ when they were two lengths behind at the Olympics. 

• Hearing those words was enough to take them forward, from being behind, to leading the race by a few feet.
• Listen to the full episode to learn about Greg’s life after winning a gold medal in the Olympics!

• He was aware of the difference it makes to be successful and to fail. It’s about coming to terms with living with that and realize that winning doesn’t dictate who you are.

• He looks up to people who have not won gold medals but are still incredible team players.

[19:04] Watching His Family 

• Greg and his wife put importance on creating codes of conduct and recognizing the significant things.

• His second highlight is having the opportunity to be around his family and seeing them mature into the people they are.

• He’s aware of the pressure on his children given what he’s achieved, but he doesn’t want to put that on them. What he wants is for them to celebrate the small successes they have.

• Being happy with the effort you put in is what’s important — not whether you win or lose.

• He doesn’t place much weight on what they learn in university. It’s about how they’re around other people, making friends in organizations, working hard, and being helpful.

[25:52] Having a Good Mindset 

• The third thing Greg is most proud of is his mindset in life, which allows him to choose how to see situations. He’s proud of his ability to be happy with what he has and not be disappointed in what he doesn’t.

• He attributes his mindset to how his hardworking parents brought him up. Growing up, he remembers being grateful for the material things they gave him.

• Set tiny goals — you’ll hit them because they’re so small — to have something you can feel good about. Then, challenge yourself to do the same thing again.

• Occasionally, you’d want to stop and admire the view, which is the time you’re focused on what’s in front of you. And sometimes, you have to make giant leaps and climb steeper steps.
• Having confidence allows you to have a better chance of accomplishing things and getting back up. Listen to the full podcast to know how Greg applied his mindset in teaching his children how to drive!

[35:48] How Greg Deals with the Virtual Word 

• Currently, Greg coaches people and shares his story with larger audiences.

• Working in this virtual world, you should engage with a lot of people in a manageable way.

• Be adaptable to change to be able to do your best in this new situation.

• Choose to find the best way to work in the environment we’ve got.

[38:14] Greg’s Three Favourite Olympic Moments 

• First is Daley Thompson winning and whistling to the national anthem.
• Second is his friend being there to celebrate despite not having been on the boat.
• The third is meeting Kate Middleton.

[40:10] Greg’s Secret to Success

• It’s choosing what to think or choosing to measure what you think success is.

• The only thing in your power is the view you take of yourself and the things that have happened to you.

• It’s in our gift to choose how we see the situations we’re in.

5 Powerful Quotes

[6:42] ‘I think as a sportsperson, you have to just keep looking for the next challenge, and you just keep stepping up and stepping up’.

[9:55] ‘If not now, when? If not you, who’?

[22:13] ‘I want to help my kids to understand that whether they win or don’t win, whether they pass or fail, shouldn’t dictate whether they’re going to be happy or not. They should be happy with the effort they put in; they should be happy with challenging themselves and dealing with setbacks’.

[30:43] ‘Small successes give you more confidence and build on each other’.

[34:41] ‘Actually, the best coaches aren’t necessarily experts — they create a safe environment, they ask the questions, they find other resources when they need them’.

About Greg

Greg Searle is an Olympic gold medalist and leadership coach. He won gold in the 1992 Barcelona Olympics and bronze in the 2012 London games. On top of that, Greg received the MBE at only 20 years old. Currently, he uses his experience to help people understand how to deal with change and adversity, be resilient, and change their behaviour for the better.

If you want to reach out to Greg, you may visit his website.

Enjoy the Podcast?

Learning how you could deal with uncertainty and achieve success has never been this easy. If you enjoyed today’s episode of The Mindset Mentor Meets…, then hit subscribe and share it with your friends!

Post a review and share it! If you enjoyed tuning into this podcast episode, then don’t hesitate to write a review. You can also share this with your family and friends so they can feel empowered and inspired to reach their dreams.

Have any questions? You can contact me through LinkedIn, Instagram, and Facebook. Thanks for listening! 

For more updates and episodes, visit my website. You can also tune in on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify, or Podbean. 

My latest book "You're Better Than You Think You Are" is available right now on Amazon https://www.amazon.co.uk/Youre-Better-Than-You-Think/dp/B08PJPQDK5/ref=sr_1_1?keywords=your+better+than+you+think+you+are+angela+cox&qid=1608565611&s=books&sr=1-1

 

To defining success,

Angela

 

The Two-Percenters: How to Embody Positivity with Andy Cope

If you were to write down what you feel at this very moment, you would probably be somewhere in the middle — not depressed but not exactly happy either. For most of us, we are in this middle ground. Knowing someone genuinely happy is entirely unheard of, especially at this time when the world is at its worst. But how can we embody positivity and keep the fire burning in our hearts amid all these?

In this episode, Andy Cope relays practical tips on how to have a more positive outlook. He talks about who the two-percenters are and what we can learn from them. Andy also shares his proudest moments and favourite books, which you may also find valuable.

If you want to discover different ways of thinking about personal development, this episode is for you.

Here are three reasons why you should listen to the full episode:

1. What is the difference between  happiness and positivity?
2. Find out Andy’s top tips on how to improve the chances of having more good days. 
3. Discover Andy’s secrets to success. 

Resources

• Leading in the New Normal webinar 
• Visit Angela’s website to learn more about her coaching and MeTreat experience! 
• Shine: Rediscovering Your Energy, Happiness, and Purpose by Andy Cope
• The Art of Being Brilliant by Andy Cope
• The Little Book of Being Brilliant  by Andy Cope 
• A Girl’s Guide to Being Fearless: How to Find Your Brave by Andy Cope
• Diary of a Brilliant Kid by Andy Cope
• Get a copy of Andy’s favourite books: Naked Leader by David Taylor, Tuesdays with Morrie by Mitch Albom, and Stillness is the Key by Ryan Holiday

Episode Highlights [2:27] The New Normal

• The ‘new normal’ has been around for a while due to the pandemic. 
• The bad news is nobody knows what it is or how it is going to end. But not knowing gives us a chance to shape our own new normal on a personal level. 
• Making it up as you go along is the only viable strategy at the moment.

[5:16] Leadership and Flourishing

• Your job as a leader is to be inspired. When you are flourishing, it creates a ripple effect on the people around you. 
• We know what we need to do to feel great, but we are not doing it. Often, we are busy doing the wrong things. 
• Psychologists have studied various illnesses and abnormal behaviour but never happy people. 
• Andy wanted to study happy people: who they are, what they do that makes them feel amazing, and what we can learn from them. 
• Personal remembering is trying to remind people how to be their best self because most tend to forget.

[9:43] Who are the Two-Percenters?

• For Andy’s PhD thesis, he gave out diaries in the workplace and asked people to record their feelings during the working week. He then plotted people on a graph of well being or happiness. 
• The mood hoovers are those who are not sad nor depressed but stuck in being negative about everything.
• The two-percenters are near the top of the graph of wellbeing; they are anomalies and reported being genuinely happy. 
• That 2% manifests on the outside but crucially starts on the inside. It has to do with habits and learned behaviour. 
• The two-percenters live in the exact external world as everyone else, but the difference lies in how they make sense of it.

[14:17] Andy’s Three Proudest Moments 

• First is Andy’s PhD, which took him 12 years to finish, but was proud that he stuck at it. He even graduated at the same time and day as his daughter, who finished her master’s degree. 
• He is proud of his two children and how they turned out.
• Lastly, Andy feels proud whenever he sees his books displayed in bookshops. 

[18:44] Happiness versus Positivity

• Happiness is an emotion. You can open up to it or let it in, but you can’t choose it
• Meanwhile, positivity is an attitude and something you can work on. It’s not easy, but you can get better at it. 
• Two-percenters are a handful of genuinely optimistic and upbeat people. 
• They do the difficult task of making a conscious and deliberate choice to have a positive attitude. 
• According to the nudge theory, there is already a brilliant version of you lurking inside. 

[20:49] How Two-Percenters Developed Their Positive Thinking

• Most of them underwent many challenges, trauma, and adversity. These experiences served as a wakeup call that kicked them to become more positive. 
• Social learning states that for children to be confident and optimistic, their parents must embody it first.

[23:43] Top Tips on How People Can Make the Choice of Positivity

• The Japanese phrase ‘ichi-go ichi-e’ relays the uniqueness or rise of the moment. It teaches us to live in the moment a little bit more. 
• Be your best self wherever you go. Self-care is being conscious now and having an eye on being kind to your future self. 
• Andy suggests learning the importance of being your self’s best mate.
• Listen to the full podcast to learn more about the content of Andy’s books and his three favourite books!

[34:31] Andy’s Secrets to Success

• Be good at ordinary things, like being kind, passionate, resilient, and having a positive attitude. 
• Andy’s butterfly metaphor says that the secret to happiness is to stop long enough to be in the moment. 
• Listen to the full podcast to know the background of Andy’s butterfly metaphor!

5 Powerful Quotes from This Episode

[03:39] ‘We’re all going to have bad days, right? That’s fair enough. But you don’t have to have a bad life’.

[8:25] ‘I just think that when the world’s doing its worst, which it is at the moment, then it’s even more important that we know how to be at our best’.

[20:22] ‘I tell everybody, you already are a superhero, but you pretended to be normal. So stop pretending’.

[25:04] ‘When you become this two-percenter, you have to kind of inhabit that personality of being the best you, and it goes everywhere with you’.

[38:23] ‘Maybe happiness isn’t a pursuit. Maybe if we just stopped for long enough, happiness would have time to catch up with us’.

About Andy Cope

Andy Cope, also known as ‘Dr of Happiness’, is a best-selling author, happiness expert, qualified teacher, and recovering academic. He is a sought-after keynote speaker and a highly-respected figure on employee wellbeing and human flourishing. He has done various radio and TV appearances and has appeared in Esquire, The Telegraph, and Daily Mail.

If you wish to get in touch with Andy, you may reach time through Twitter or send him an email at andy@artofbrilliance.co.uk.  

Enjoy this Podcast?

With the world we’re living in today, it’s easy to get discouraged and spiral down into negativity. But with Andy’s practical tips, you, too, can choose positivity. If you enjoyed today’s episode of The Mindset Mentor Meets..., then hit subscribe and share it with your friends!

Post a review and share it! If you enjoyed tuning into this podcast episode, then don’t hesitate to write a review. You can also share this with your family and friends so they can feel empowered to get back up!

Have any questions? You can contact me through LinkedIn, Instagram, and Facebook. Thanks for listening! 

For more updates and episodes, visit my website. You can also tune in on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify, or Podbean. 

My latest book "You're Better Than You Think You Are is available right now on Amazon.  https://www.amazon.co.uk/Youre-Better-Than-You-Think/dp/B08PJPQDK5/ref=sr_1_1?keywords=your+better+than+you+think+you+are+angela+cox&qid=1608565611&s=books&sr=1-1

 

To meeting inspiration,

Angela

 

Welcome to this special 50th episode of The Mindset Mentor Meets Podcast which hears Angela sharing the top 8 secrets of success we have heard from the guests in the previous episodes

 

About this show Angela lets you in on some of the behind the scenes elements of the show and the funny things that have happened along the way, including her own lessons learnt and how she has grown as a host. 

The episode culminates in the sharing of the TOP 8 SECRETS OF SUCCESS based on the most common ones provided by guests over the year. 

About the Host Angela Cox, Mindset Mentor is an award-winning behavioural change life coach. She works with leaders and professionals helping them to stop being stuck, build the belief and unleash their absolute potential. To find out more about working with Angela visit http://www.angela-cox.co.uk To follow on social media http://www.linkedin.com/in/angelacoxmindsetmentor  http://www.instagram.com/mindset_mentor_angela_cox http://www.facebook.com/mindsetmentorangelacox You can purchase Angela’s book, Enough here... https://www.amazon.co.uk/Enough-proves-achieve-anything-believe-ebook/dp/B07D3RZH8J/ref=tmm_kin_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=1585036301&sr=8-4

Welcome to this week’s episode of The Mindset Mentor Meets Podcast which hears Angela interviewing Chris Broome, Founder at Longhurst.

About our guest

With over 15 years’ successful experience Chris holds the prestigious Chartered Financial Planner accreditation. He is also a Fellow of the Personal Finance Society; the highest academic honour bestowed by the Chartered Institute.

Chris is deemed a Pension Transfer Specialist and Later Life expert by our regulator. He also holds advanced qualifications in Tax and Trust Planning, Investment Planning, Discretionary Investment Management, Securities Advice & Dealing, Mortgage Advice, Equity Release and Long Term Care.

Chris is a member of the Chartered Insurance Institute (CII) and maintains a Statement of Professional Standing. He is also the Chartered Champion and Education Officer for the Personal Finance Society (PFS) region he represents, supporting others with their career and academic development.

Chris is passionate about all things travelling and the great outdoors. Striking a balance between his private life and work is important to Chris, as is practicing what he preaches, so when he downs tools he will often be found on top of a hill or by the coast.

A huge sports fan, he loves to watch his beloved Liverpool FC, as well as soaking in as much boxing, motorsport, and ultimately any other sport he can. He’s also a huge tech fan; avid podcast listener; and book reader.

About this show

Chris openly shares how he really likes winning and feeling acknowledged and this goes back to his childhood and he remembers fondly his achievements from those days. 

He is full of pride for Longhurst and the awards they have achieved. The company website won website of the year award and was inspired by his late mother. 

Chris says that relentless is a good way to describe his work ethic which is in all aspects of his life and business. He says he has to lead by example and that this means the company attracts the right people.

When he encounters challenges he says there are two choices, you either wallow or you manoeuvre around it. He chooses to manoeuvre which although is sometimes hard has given him confidence over the years. 

An uplifting and inspiring half hour.

Follow Chris https://www.linkedin.com/in/chrisbroomefinancialplanner/

About the Host Angela Cox, Mindset Mentor is an award-winning behavioural change life coach. She works with leaders and professionals helping them to stop being stuck, build the belief and unleash their absolute potential. To find out more about working with Angela visit http://www.angela-cox.co.uk To follow on social media http://www.linkedin.com/in/angelacoxmindsetmentor  http://www.instagram.com/mindset_mentor_angela_cox http://www.facebook.com/mindsetmentorangelacox You can purchase Angela’s book, Enough here... https://www.amazon.co.uk/Enough-proves-achieve-anything-believe-ebook/dp/B07D3RZH8J/ref=tmm_kin_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=1585036301&sr=8-4

Achieving More: Kelly Cookes on Success in Work and Life

What does it take to achieve a harmonious blend of a high-flying career and a fulfilling personal life? For Kelly Cookes, it’s about embracing the challenges with humility, having a great support network, and taking pride in each triumph, big or small. In a world of constant high stakes and personal commitments, finding equilibrium is an art in itself. Every experience, be it a professional milestone or a personal journey, contributes to this delicate balance.

In this episode of The Mindset Mentor Meets, Angela Cox interviews Kelly Cookes, CCO of The Travel Advantage Partner Group. Kelly offers invaluable insights into her journey, discussing her proudest moments both at home and in the corporate world. She addresses the challenges and triumphs of reaching the C-suite in a predominantly female-led industry, while also opening up about her role as a mother, wife, and leader.

Kelly's approach to success wasn't straightforward; it was filled with many sideways movements and roles she never expected to take on. But her family, team, and network were always there to keep her going — because she invests in her support network just as much as they help her.

Whether you're a budding entrepreneur, a seasoned executive, or someone trying to juggle professional ambitions with personal commitments, listening to Kelly's experiences can empower you to navigate your path with confidence and grace.

Here are three reasons why you should listen to the full episode:

1. Discover the art of juggling a top-tier career and a rich personal life
2. Determine how to embrace resilience in the face of adversity
3. Learn why a support network is critical to success

Resources 

• Contact Kelly on LinkedIn or follow her on Instagram and X.
• Visit The Advantage Travel Partnerships
• Coaching with Angela Cox
• Listen to The Mindset Mentor Meets
• Read The Mother of All Jobs by Christine Armstrong

Episode Highlights 

[02:34] Kelly’s First Proudest Moment: Her Family

• Kelly shares her life as a happily married mother of two, emphasizing the journey more than a singular event.
• Despite occasional imbalances, she prides herself on maintaining a dynamic balance between her professional and personal life.
• Kelly points out some critical things that help her to improve her work-life balance: having good boundaries and a strong support network.
• She highlights the reality of being unable to do it all - like missing some school pickups - but compensates with quality time when possible.

[10:46] Kelly’s Second Proudest Moment: Reaching the C-Suite

• In a female-dominated industry with scarce senior female representation, Kelly's rise to the C-suite stands as a significant milestone.
• Senior roles in her industry looked far away and unachievable to Kelly when she began her career, but reaching the C Suite was always a goal.
• Moving up was never a straight path. Kelly took several sideways moves, such as embracing developmental roles and navigating unexpected challenges, like the collapse of Thomas Cook.
• Kelly sees her journey not as an end but as a stepping stone, with her sights set on a future CEO role.

[17:32] Kelly’s Third Proudest Moment: Becoming an Authentic Leader

• Kelly invests substantially in her team, acknowledging the support she received on her journey.
• She speaks about evolving into an authentic leader, comfortable in her own skin and leadership style.
• She used to feel that she needed to pretend to like something or know something to fit in. Today, she’s just honest about who and what she is.
• Kelly embraces honesty and authenticity, recognizing that inauthenticity is both uncomfortable and counterproductive to performance.

[22:51] Kelly and Impostor Syndrome

• Kelly opens up about experiencing impostor syndrome, particularly in high-stakes meetings or when discussing unfamiliar topics.
• Leaders tend to want to be the best person in the room. Not being the best creates a lot of self-doubt.
• Kelly likens leadership to being a 'swan' - poised externally but paddling furiously beneath the surface.

[28:06] Kelly’s Secret to Success: Having A Support Network

• Kelly attributes much of her success to the 'team' around her - family, friends, and professional colleagues.
• Take the team perspective: never be afraid to employ people who are better than you.
• Enjoy the ride — having a goal is great, but don't be too strict on how you get there. The path will never be what you think it will be.

5 Powerful Quotes

[06:29] ‘I think it's just about being really strict with yourself and knowing that you can't do everything all the time.’

[11:53] ‘I'll never stop wanting to develop and grow. There's always something new that you can learn and somebody that knows more than you about something.’

[04:36] ‘I invest a lot of time in my team, I'm very conscious of how I operate and how I put myself across as an individual in that I want to build those relationships. And I've also had a lot of people that have supported me along the way.’

[21:09] 'I've walked out of meetings thinking, I just didn't land that the way I wanted to. And nine times out of 10 It's been because I veered away from the way that I would have normally done it to try and deliver it in a way that I thought would get it across better.' 

[28:48] ‘Never be afraid to employ people who are better than you, because that's where you'll learn and you shine through your people.’

About Kelly Cookes

Kelly Cookes is the CCO of The Advantage Travel Partnership. She dedicates her work to maintaining the balance between her work and family lives — and acknowledges that it’s not a solo job. In all things, having a support network is invaluable. Kelly puts a lot of effort into her team, both at work and at home, and shines through them.

Connect with Kelly through LinkedIn, or follow her on Instagram or X.

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To meeting inspiration,

Angela

Welcome to this week’s episode of The Mindset Mentor Meets Podcast which sees Angela interviewing Sam Bramwell, Solutions Director at Microsoft.

 

About our guest 

Sam has over 20 years experience in the IT and telecoms industry. Starting out just as the telco bubble hit our planet, Sam was fortunate to travel the world on the back of 3G working in startups, VC consultancies, SI’s & telco’s in a variety of roles from Marketing, Alliances and Business development. In 2006 She and her partner, Christophe made the decision to return to the UK to start their family. As an Ovarian cancer survivor at the age of 27, the path to having a family was a little unusual, but thanks to modern science and the kindness of others, she is a proud mum to two children aged 13 and 11 – Scarlett and Louis. She joined Microsoft in 2008 and has had a fantastic career to date, starting off in the Anti-piracy team, then becoming Chief of Staff for the UK CEO and now running & growing a fantastic business supporting public sector organisations. Sam is passionate about social justice and a keen advocate of Diversity, Inclusion and equality. She chairs the Women @ Microsoft UK community and is part of the global leadership team for the Worldwide community. At the moment she is championing Menopause in the workplace to ensure older women feel supported through this important life stage. Sam is also a trustee for a Charity Called Creating Better Futures, which aims to educate and feed orphaned and impoverished children in Zimbabwe.

 

About the Show 

What a breath of fresh air this show delivers. If you are craving authenticity, you’ll receive it in spades.

Sam opens up about her battle with Cancer and subsequent experience with egg donation and all of the emotional roller coaster rides that came with it.

Angela & Sam explore vulnerability in leadership and how hard it can be to show when you work in a corporate environment.

Sam explains she is a hippy at heart and is eloquent and generous sharing her lessons learnt, challenges and pom pom moments which we are sure will leave you wanting to cheer her on too! 

An amazingly strong woman with heart.

 

About the Host 

Angela Cox, Mindset Mentor is an award-winning behavioural change life coach. She works with leaders and professionals helping them to stop being stuck, build the belief and unleash their absolute potential.

To find out more about working with Angela 121 or for her corporate offer visit

Http://www.angela-cox.co.uk

To find out about online programmes and the Projext Me Academy Membership Group visit 

Http://mindsetmentor.podia.com

 

 

 

 

Welcome to this week’s episode of The Mindset Mentor Meets Podcast which hears Angela interviewing John Ainsworth.

About our guest

Experienced Financial Services professional with 30 years experience with a demonstrated history of working in financial services, business transformation and the outsourcing industry. Highly skilled in Business Transformation, Operations Management, People Management and Contact Centres. John is an operations professional with a track record of delivering operational improvement and customer satisfaction.  In his spare time John likes to spend time with his family, travel and play golf.

 

About this show

John and Angela have worked together before so the rapport is there and it makes for a deeper conversion.

John opens up about the different organisations he has worked for and why ATOS is helping him flourish because he is able to share his opinions and this is actively encouraged.

He honestly shares his experience with a mental health challenge and what this led him to understand about himself, and how to take care of his wellbeing.

The pair discuss how to engage people and how to build a culture around empowerment and integrity.

John has even trained as a life coach which obviously kept Angela on her toes.

An uplifting and inspiring half hour.

 

 

About the Host Angela Cox, Mindset Mentor is an award-winning behavioural change life coach. She works with leaders and professionals helping them to stop being stuck, build the belief and unleash their absolute potential.

To find out more about working with Angela 121 or for her corporate offer visit

Http://www.angela-cox.co.uk

To find out about online programmes and the Projext Me Academy Membership Group visit 

Http://mindsetmentor.podia.com

Welcome to this week’s episode of The Mindset Mentor Meets Podcast which hears Angela intreviewing Orega CEO, Zach Douglas 

About our guest

Orega is the UK’s leading independent serviced office provider with 18 locations across the UK.

Established in 2000, by Zachary Douglas and Paul Finch, Orega has almost two decades experience developing a unique approach to serviced offices.

The very first Orega business centre opened its doors in 2001. Since then, Orega have established a reputation for creating contemporary working environments with a focus on delivering unrivalled customer service to all of our clients.

About this show

Zach says one of his proudest moments is starting Orega over 20 years, he was in a good corporate job but felt there was more to life. He wanted to make decisions for himself and make a difference to people. The early start up years were difficult but looking back at a company that now employs over 90 people, operates up and down the country, has won awards, is a fair and decent employer and delivers great customer service makes him proud.

His early life after school was completely different to now. For nearly 10 years his day job was a boat builder and his night job was playing in rock bands. In his 20's he went to night school to study business after struggling at school with dyslexia, that in those days went undiagnosed. 

Zach is a keen cyclist and Orega are sponsors of a Uganda charity that supports 240 children. Every year they raise funds by cycling over 450 miles around different countries. The money they raise supports the children in the charity for another year. 

An uplifting and inspiring half hour.

Follow Zach https://www.linkedin.com/in/zach-douglas-3846271/

About the Host Angela Cox, Mindset Mentor is an award-winning behavioural change life coach. She works with leaders and professionals helping them to stop being stuck, build the belief and unleash their absolute potential.

To find out more about working with Angela 121 or for her corporate offer visit

Http://www.angela-cox.co.uk

To find out about online programmes and the Projext Me Academy Membership Group visit 

Http://mindsetmentor.podia.com

 

Welcome to this week’s episode of The Mindset Mentor Meets Podcast which hears Angela interviewing Prerna Goel, Head of Customer Experience at Clearbank.

About our guest

Prerna Goel is a senior operations executive who has over 17 years of experience in banking, technology and payments across India, US, Canada and UK. She was awarded Electronic Transaction Association forty under 40 in 2020, a global recognition for pioneers in the world of payments.

She has co-founded Vriksh Impact Partners, a boutique investment and advisory firm curating early stage plant-based businesses in India and Clinica Fai, a eye and face enhancement clinic offering state of the art oculofacial aesthetic services to patients globally.

Additionally, Prerna works at ClearBank®(London) as Head of Customer Experience, where Prerna is responsible for delivering a smooth experience across the customer lifecycle. Being one of the initial members of the ClearBank® team, she has helped the Bank mobilise its license in 2016 to grow into one of the leading disruptors within the banking and payments industry. Prior to ClearBank®, Prerna was the Head of Payment Operations at Metro Bank, (London), driving excellence across the bank's entire payment journey, from process refinement to product delivery.

Before Metro, Prerna worked at Capital One where she delivered numerous transformational projects and traversed various countries (US, Canada and UK). It was at Capital One that she pioneered the UK business risk office’s implementation of LEAN culture across organisation-wide processes. It was also during her time at Capital One that Prerna set up the Digital Operations function in Toronto and led the Canadian Customer Acquisition Operations team through significant growth and expansion. Prior to an internationally diverse experience at Capital One, Prerna spent five years in Leveraged Finance at Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce (Toronto) and three years as a software developer at Texas Instruments (Bangalore). Prerna laid the foundation for her career at BITS, Pilani (India) where she received her BEng (Hons.) in Computer Science, followed by an MBA (Finance) at Smith School of Business (Queen’s University), Canada.

While not working, you can spot her enthusiasm for new adventures as she hikes through unexplored parts of the world with her cherished camera in hand and her dogs, Picasso and Dali, in tow.

About this show

Prerna talks about her schooling in India and how she came first in the state for her 12th year (equivalent to A-levels) in over 3 million students! It was the first time for someone in her school and it was the point in her life where she realised she could achieve something big and significant.

She talks about her 40th birthday bucket list and how 2020 has put a pause in her plans. She says it is important to have a bucket list, not because it motivates you to achieve certain things but it also teaches you how to deal with disappointment if you do not achieve it. 

Prerna talks about how it is never easy to put yourself out of your comfort zone. When she started her own business she worried whether people would want to listen to what she had to say and offer. 

She says lockdown has given us all the time to focus on our inner thoughts that we don't usually get the time for. Time to reflect on your own life and your own choices.  Her motto is we should all take a leap of faith, what's the worst that can happen. 

An uplifting and inspiring half hour.

Follow Prerna https://www.linkedin.com/in/goelprerna/

About the Host Angela Cox, Mindset Mentor is an award-winning behavioural change life coach. She works with leaders and professionals helping them to stop being stuck, build the belief and unleash their absolute potential. To find out more about working with Angela visit http://www.angela-cox.co.uk To follow on social media http://www.linkedin.com/in/angelacoxmindsetmentor  http://www.instagram.com/mindset_mentor_angela_cox http://www.facebook.com/mindsetmentorangelacox You can purchase Angela’s book, Enough here... https://www.amazon.co.uk/Enough-proves-achieve-anything-believe-ebook/dp/B07D3RZH8J/ref=tmm_kin_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=1585036301&sr=8-4