Explore every episode of the podcast Women Who Lead

Women Who Lead is more than a podcast—it's a movement, a mindset, and a space for transformation. It's a platform for real, raw, and radically honest conversations with women who are redefining leadership on their own terms. Rooted in the belief that true leadership begins within, these Women Who Lead invite us to break free from outdated models of power and success.

Through storytelling, coaching, and a soulful newsletter that follows the rhythm of the seasons, it supports women to rise—courageously, unapologetically, and as their whole selves. This is a space for women ready to lead with more self-trust, more softness, and more power. Learn more at https://ourtimetobloom.com.

Season 5, Episode 4: Unfurling flourishing and leading like a gardener with Rhiannon White

This week I'm joined by Rhiannon White — CEO of Clue, the world's number one women-led period and menstrual cycle tracking app, with over 10 million users across 190 countries.

Rhiannon spent years watching CEOs from one level below and thinking: that looks lonely, stressful, and horrible. Why would I want that? She actively shut the door on it. And then a different kind of leader showed her it didn't have to look that way.

In this conversation she talks about the gardening analogy she carries for the CEO role — preparing the soil, planting the seeds, making bets on corners of the garden, and then waiting. About the stone in the middle of the arch that isn't load bearing, but without which nothing holds. About leading in ways that nobody quite understands but that deliver results anyway. About the illusion of control that fertility treatment quietly dismantled for her. And about numbers up people down — the one piece of advice she wishes she'd known sooner.

This one is for every woman who looked at leadership and thought: that's not for me. And then found a version that was.

To stay updated on future episodes, make sure you subscribe on your favourite podcast platform. I'd love to hear what resonates—so feel free to leave a review or reach out on social media. And if this episode moved you, inspired you, or made you feel seen, please consider sharing it with someone else who might need to hear it.

Timestamps:
02:32 | What does it mean to be in bloom — in work and in life?
03:28 | The CEO role as a garden — making bets, waiting, and not forcing things
06:38 | The click moment — discovering how much further a team can run together
08:26 | Watching CEOs from one level below and deciding: I don't want that
09:20 | What changed at Clue — co-CEOs and a different way of leading
10:25 | It doesn't have to be lonely: the CEO role is actually really fun
12:00 | The stone in the middle of the arch
14:32 | Twenty thousand hours in the cockpit — and still not always being heard
16:16 | He didn't understand how she did it, but she was doing it anyway
27:32 | All roles are caregiving roles when you're a woman — and why that matters for progression
30:27 | Fertility treatment and the illusion of control
34:11 | You can't just try harder — the myth that keeps women contained
34:53 | One thing Rhiannon wishes she'd known sooner: numbers up people down

Resources mentioned:
Clue: helloclue.com
Rhiannon on LinkedIn

Women Who Lead is more than a podcast—it's a movement, a mindset, and a space for transformation. It's a platform for real, raw, and radically honest conversations with women who are redefining leadership on their own terms. Rooted in the belief that true leadership begins within, these Women Who Lead invite us to break free from outdated models of power and success.

Through storytelling, coaching, and a soulful newsletter that follows the rhythm of the seasons, it supports women to rise—courageously, unapologetically, and as their whole selves. This is a space for women ready to lead with more self-trust, more softness, and more power. Learn more at https://ourtimetobloom.com.

Season 5, Episode 3: From depletion to radiance with Sonal Bhatia

This week I'm joined by Dr. Sonal Bhatia — physician, the first woman to serve as Chief Medical Affairs Officer in Pfizer's Rare Disease division, and founder of Ojas Vida, a wellness and leadership platform that bridges ancient Ayurvedic wisdom with modern healing.

Sonal was checking every box. Highly successful. At the top of her field. And depleted every single night.

Skin rashes. Restless sleep. A body sending signals she didn't yet have language for. It took her own health crisis — and the Western medical system's failure to connect the dots — to send her toward Ayurveda. And what she found there changed everything.

In this conversation we go deep into what ojas actually means and why it matters for women in leadership. We talk about the high cortisol normal that most high-performing women mistake for being fine. About the Ayurvedic understanding of midlife as a transition, not a decline. About masculine and feminine energy in leadership — and what happens when women have had to suppress one to gain access to the other. And about embers. The kind of fire that warms rather than burns.

This one is for every woman whose body has been trying to tell her something she hasn't had time to hear.

To stay updated on future episodes, make sure you subscribe on your favourite podcast platform. I'd love to hear what resonates—so feel free to leave a review or reach out on social media. And if this episode moved you, inspired you, or made you feel seen, please consider sharing it with someone else who might need to hear it.

Timestamps:
02:07 | What does it mean to be in bloom — in work and in life?
03:29 | What is ojas and why does it matter?
05:03 | How radiant was Sonal when she was in those big corporate roles?
07:02 | The body screams — skin rashes, inflammation, and the signals we ignore
09:22 | Divine intervention and the crossroads moment
10:13 | Getting stuck in the Western medical system she grew up in
12:00 | How Ayurveda healed what Western medicine couldn't
13:46 | The moment she chose to leave and go help people one by one
16:10 | Your Ayurvedic constitution — what it is and why it matters
24:59 | Midlife is not decline — it's a transition from fire to air
26:41 | The generation that rose the ranks and still had to run the home
30:41 | We had to suppress our feminine energy to get here — and what that cost us
33:50 | Leading with purpose — how Sonal's team of 300 transformed when they found their why
37:08 | One thing Sonal wishes she'd known sooner: every lesson arrived exactly when it needed to

Resources mentioned:
Ojas Vida: sonalbhatia.com
Book a free 30-minute consult: sonalbhatia.com
Sonal on Instagram: @sonalbhatia_md
Sonal on LinkedIn: Sonal Bhatia MD
Sonal's forthcoming book: The Bridge — integrating ancient wisdom and modern healing to enhance vitality

Women Who Lead is more than a podcast—it's a movement, a mindset, and a space for transformation. It's a platform for real, raw, and radically honest conversations with women who are redefining leadership on their own terms. Rooted in the belief that true leadership begins within, these Women Who Lead invite us to break free from outdated models of power and success.

Through storytelling, coaching, and a soulful newsletter that follows the rhythm of the seasons, it supports women to rise—courageously, unapologetically, and as their whole selves. This is a space for women ready to lead with more self-trust, more softness, and more power. Learn more at https://ourtimetobloom.com.

Season 5, Episode 2: From best supporting actress to CEO — with Sylvia Kwan

This week I'm joined by Sylvia Kwan — CEO and Chief Investment Officer of Ellevest, the women-focused wealth management firm on a mission to close the gender wealth gap.

Sylvia is a quant by training, a self-described introvert by nature, and someone who told her founder point blank that she never wanted to be CEO. And then she became one anyway.

In this conversation she talks about what it means to lead from a different kind of intelligence — quieter, less visible, but no less powerful. She talks about the scripts we write for ourselves about who we are and what we're capable of. About stepping into enormous shoes without a blueprint. And about wealthcare — her vision for a more holistic approach to wealth management that asks not just how do we build your wealth, but how do we build your life.

This one is for every woman who has ever told herself she's not the leader type.

To stay updated on future episodes, make sure you subscribe on your favourite podcast platform. I'd love to hear what resonates—so feel free to leave a review or reach out on social media. And if this episode moved you, inspired you, or made you feel seen, please consider sharing it with someone else who might need to hear it.

Timestamps:
01:53 | What does it mean to be in Bloom — in work and in life?
02:29 | Are women hormonally programmed to put others first — and what happens when we stop?
04:09 | The chief care officer of everything except ourselves
07:39 | Stepping into the CEO role — and why Sylvia never wanted it
09:41 | When Sally stepped down and the call came anyway
13:50 | What she would say to the woman who thinks she's not the leader type
16:09 | Having a narrow definition of leadership — and what happens when you widen it
19:20 | Wealthcare: why optimising for wealth and optimising for life are not the same thing
33:06 | Confidence doesn't come from reading — it comes from small actions stacked
35:42 | One thing Sylvia wishes she'd known sooner: let go of perfection

Resources mentioned:
Ellevest: ellevest.com
Sylvia on LinkedIn
Book a complimentary financial consultation at ellevest.com

Women Who Lead is more than a podcast—it's a movement, a mindset, and a space for transformation. It's a platform for real, raw, and radically honest conversations with women who are redefining leadership on their own terms. Rooted in the belief that true leadership begins within, these Women Who Lead invite us to break free from outdated models of power and success.

Through storytelling, coaching, and a soulful newsletter that follows the rhythm of the seasons, it supports women to rise—courageously, unapologetically, and as their whole selves. This is a space for women ready to lead with more self-trust, more softness, and more power. Learn more at https://ourtimetobloom.com.

Season 5, Episode 1: Recovery, resilience and the real cost of building with Morgan Fowles

This week, I'm joined by Morgan Fowles—seasoned operator, former CEO of TALA, and one of the most honest voices I've spoken to about what it actually costs to build.

Morgan has spent over a decade scaling creative and fashion businesses, leading at every level from senior operator to chief executive. Under her leadership, TALA doubled down, hit record revenue, and opened its first physical stores. She stepped away at the top—not at the bottom—and is now advising and building again across fashion, wellness, and beyond.

In this conversation, she talks candidly about burnout that looks like speeding up, not slowing down. About the quiet voice of "not enough" that lives underneath ambition. About self-esteem as a daily practice, the loneliness of the CEO seat, and why recovery might be the most underrated leadership skill of all.

This is the opening episode of CEO Season—a limited series going inside the inner lives of female CEOs. And Morgan was exactly the right person to start it.

To stay updated on future episodes, make sure you subscribe on your favourite podcast platform. I'd love to hear what resonates—so feel free to leave a review or reach out on social media. And if this episode moved you, inspired you, or made you feel seen, please consider sharing it with someone else who might need to hear it.

Timestamps:
00:02 | What does it mean to you to be in Bloom in work and in life?
02:28 | Seasons within roles — and how to know which one you're in
05:19 | What burnout actually looks like when you're a builder
08:13 | From "not enough" to CEO — where does the audacity come from?
10:23 | Self-esteem as maths — how to stack the moments that feel good
23:58 | What Morgan is building now and why the wellness space is calling her
27:31 | What hits different about operating at CEO level — for good and for bad
32:06 | Why female leaders need to be visible — and what transparency actually gives other women
36:19 | One thing Morgan wishes she'd learned sooner: the power of recovery

Resources mentioned:
Morgan on LinkedIn
Morgan on Instagram: @morgan.fowls

Women Who Lead is more than a podcast—it’s a movement, a mindset, and a space for transformation. It’s a platform for real, raw, and radically honest conversations with women who are redefining leadership on their own terms. Rooted in the belief that true leadership begins within, these Women Who Lead invite us to break free from outdated models of power and success.

Through storytelling, coaching, and a soulful newsletter that follows the rhythm of the seasons, it supports women to rise—courageously, unapologetically, and as their whole selves. This is a space for women ready to lead with more self-trust, more softness, and more power. Learn more at https://ourtimetobloom.com.

Season 4, Episode 9: Building, bootstrapping and becoming with Emily Lincoln Gordon

This week, I’m joined by the brilliant and fiercely honest Emily Lincoln Gordon—former General Counsel turned COO, board director, executive coach, and founder ofTable Eight.

Emily has spent over a decade building and running founder-led, high-growth startups—leading across legal, ops, people, talent, finance, and even product. She’s scaled what needed scaling, stepped into what needed shaping, and grown alongside every challenge.

Now, she works with senior leaders as an executive coach, helping them do the same. She partners with VCs to deliver operations-focused founder bootcamps. Through Table Eight, she’s built a private network for outspoken women in senior leadership. And through it all, she brings radical clarity, real talk, and a fierce commitment to growth that doesn’t come at the cost of self.

To stay updated on future episodes, make sure you subscribe on your favourite podcast platform. I’d love to hear what resonates—so feel free to leave a review or reach out on social media. And if this episode moved you, inspired you, or made you feel seen, please consider sharing it with someone else who might need to hear it.

Timestamps:

01:31 | What does it mean to you to be ‘in Bloom’ in work and life?
02:59 | How did you create and maintain confidence and authenticity in environments where those traits might be tested?
07:34 | What’s your relationship like with your feminine energy? How do you balance masculine and feminine energies in leadership?
10:34 | What advice would you give to women on building confidence and asking for what they deserve?
13:36 | Which season of your career shaped you the most, and how did it impact you?
18:26 | What challenges did you face as a woman in the male-dominated world of work, and how did you navigate them?
27:53 | What are your top strategies for preventing burnout while staying driven?

Resources mentioned:

Table Eight
The Run Club
Emily on LinkedIn
Just the right amount, actually – Substack
Email Emily at emily@tableeight.io or DM her on LinkedIn.

Women Who Lead is more than a podcast—it’s a movement, a mindset, and a space for transformation. It’s a platform for real, raw, and radically honest conversations with women who are redefining leadership on their own terms. Rooted in the belief that true leadership begins within, these Women Who Lead invite us to break free from outdated models of power and success.

Through storytelling, coaching, and a soulful newsletter that follows the rhythm of the seasons, it supports women to rise—courageously, unapologetically, and as their whole selves. This is a space for women ready to lead with more self-trust, more softness, and more power. Learn more at https://ourtimetobloom.com.

Season 4, Episode 8: Scaling people, purpose and potential with Michelle Cheng

This week, I’m joined by the brilliant Michelle Cheng—Director of Talent at Notion Capital, former strategy consultant at Accenture, and someone who has spent her career at the intersection of purpose, growth, and people.

Michelle grew up helping her parents run a market stall in Calgary. Today, she helps early-stage founders scale their companies with intention—building teams, culture, and leadership structures that are as human as they are high-performing.

In this conversation, we explore what it means to lead with both empathy and excellence. Michelle shares the lessons she’s learned from consulting to venture capital, the personal growth behind the professional strategy, and how we can all think differently about success, power, and what it means to truly thrive.

To stay updated on future episodes, make sure you subscribe on your favourite podcast platform. I’d love to hear what resonates—so feel free to leave a review or reach out on social media. And if this episode moved you, inspired you, or made you feel seen, please consider sharing it with someone else who might need to hear it.

Timestamps:

01:49 | What does it mean to you to be ‘in Bloom’ in work and life?
04:39 | How do you define success without sacrificing well-being?
07:17 | What challenges did you face as a woman in the male-dominated world of work, and how did you navigate them?
14:45 | How did you create and maintain confidence and authenticity in environments where those traits might be tested?
19:27 | We can’t possibly Bloom all of the time, how do you bounce back from setbacks or failures stronger than before?
23:38 | Which season of your career shaped you the most, and how did it impact you?
25:16 | What advice would you give to women on building confidence and asking for what they deserve?

Resources mentioned:

Michelle Cheng on LinkedIn
Notion Capital

Women Who Lead is more than a podcast—it’s a movement, a mindset, and a space for transformation. It’s a platform for real, raw, and radically honest conversations with women who are redefining leadership on their own terms. Rooted in the belief that true leadership begins within, these Women Who Lead invite us to break free from outdated models of power and success.

Through storytelling, coaching, and a soulful newsletter that follows the rhythm of the seasons, it supports women to rise—courageously, unapologetically, and as their whole selves. This is a space for women ready to lead with more self-trust, more softness, and more power. Learn more at https://ourtimetobloom.com.

Season 4, Episode 7: Authenticity, alignment and amplifying voices with Ness Monsequeira

This week, I’m joined by the vibrant and visionary Ness Monsequeira—business psychologist, accidental technologist, and VP of People at Gorilla, a fast-growing Series B SaaS scaleup. Ness is a leader who brings equal parts heart and precision to the way we build cultures that actually work—for the humans inside them.

She’s held leadership roles at Miro, Deloitte, PwC and Philips. She’s scaled culture in global tech. She’s redesigned learning strategies for some of the most complex corporate transformations in history. And through it all, she’s stayed grounded in one thing: human connection.

In this episode, we talk about what it means to lead with integrity in fast-moving, high-growth spaces. Ness shares how her “corporate hippy” approach challenges traditional norms and invites something deeper—something more sustainable.

To stay updated on future episodes, make sure you subscribe on your favourite podcast platform. I’d love to hear what resonates—so feel free to leave a review or reach out on social media. And if this episode moved you, inspired you, or made you feel seen, please consider sharing it with someone else who might need to hear it.

Timestamps:

01:23 | What does it mean to you to be ‘in Bloom’ in work and life?
02:48 | We can’t possibly Bloom all of the time, how do you bounce back from setbacks or failures stronger than before?
04:31 | How has understanding the connection between mind and body influenced your life and career growth?
08:03 | Which season of your career shaped you the most, and how did it impact you?
12:13 | What challenges did you face as a woman in the male-dominated world of work, and how did you navigate them?
15:33 | What’s your relationship like with your feminine energy? How do you balance masculine and feminine energies in leadership?
22:40 | What are your top strategies for preventing burnout while staying driven?
31:16 | What advice would you give to women on building confidence and asking for what they deserve?

Resources mentioned:

Ness on LinkedIn
Ness Monsequeira Illustrations
The Nature of Leadership + Career Newsletter

Women Who Lead is more than a podcast—it’s a movement, a mindset, and a space for transformation. It’s a platform for real, raw, and radically honest conversations with women who are redefining leadership on their own terms. Rooted in the belief that true leadership begins within, these Women Who Lead invite us to break free from outdated models of power and success.

Through storytelling, coaching, and a soulful newsletter that follows the rhythm of the seasons, it supports women to rise—courageously, unapologetically, and as their whole selves. This is a space for women ready to lead with more self-trust, more softness, and more power. Learn more at https://ourtimetobloom.com.

Season 4, Episode 6: Investing, innovation and inner knowing with Maria Shiao

This week, I’m joined by the brilliant Maria Shiao—angel investor, tech strategist, and advisor to some of the world’s most innovative early-stage companies.

Maria’s career spans decades of leadership in telecoms, finance, and emerging tech. She now operates at the intersection of innovation and impact, backing founders who are reshaping the future—and doing it with purpose. Her unique lens as an engineer-turned-investor is grounded in both rigour and intuition.

In this conversation, we explore what it means to lead with conviction, to trust your inner knowing, and to navigate complexity without abandoning yourself in the process. Maria brings wisdom, clarity, and a quiet fierceness that makes this episode one to return to again and again.

To stay updated on future episodes, make sure you subscribe on your favourite podcast platform. I’d love to hear what resonates—so feel free to leave a review or reach out on social media. And if this episode moved you, inspired you, or made you feel seen, please consider sharing it with someone else who might need to hear it.

Timestamps:

01:59 | What does it mean to you to be ‘in Bloom’ in work and life?
03:11 | How did you create and maintain confidence and authenticity in environments where those traits might be tested?
06:18 | How has understanding the connection between mind and body influenced your life and career growth?
10:01 | We can’t possibly Bloom all of the time, how do you bounce back from setbacks or failures stronger than before?
11:50 | What challenges did you face as a woman in the male-dominated world of work, and how did you navigate them?
18:32 | What advice would you give to women on building confidence and asking for what they deserve?
24:08 | Which season of your career shaped you the most, and how did it impact you?
26:12 | What’s your relationship like with your feminine energy? How do you balance masculine and feminine energies in leadership?

Resources mentioned:

Maria Shiao on LinkedIn
Columbia University Club of London

Women Who Lead is more than a podcast—it’s a movement, a mindset, and a space for transformation. It’s a platform for real, raw, and radically honest conversations with women who are redefining leadership on their own terms. Rooted in the belief that true leadership begins within, these Women Who Lead invite us to break free from outdated models of power and success.

Through storytelling, coaching, and a soulful newsletter that follows the rhythm of the seasons, it supports women to rise—courageously, unapologetically, and as their whole selves. This is a space for women ready to lead with more self-trust, more softness, and more power. Learn more at https://ourtimetobloom.com.

Season 4, Episode 5: Mentorship, mobility and making change with Leila Thomas

This week, I’m joined by the brilliant Leila Thomas—CEO and founder of Urban Synergy, an award-winning charity that’s transforming the lives of young people through mentorship and opportunity.

Leila’s own career started in tech, working as a network engineer before moving into the City and eventually founding Urban Synergy while working at the BBC. What began as a passion project quickly became a powerful platform for change—one that’s now impacted thousands of lives across the UK.

In this episode, we explore the power of mentorship, the importance of representation, and what it takes to build bridges for the next generation of leaders. Leila shares how her own lived experience shaped her mission, how she navigated male-dominated industries, and why she believes every young person deserves access to role models who reflect their potential.

To stay updated on future episodes, make sure you subscribe on your favourite podcast platform. I’d love to hear what resonates—so feel free to leave a review or reach out on social media. And if this episode moved you, inspired you, or made you feel seen, please consider sharing it with someone else who might need to hear it.

Timestamps:

01:31 | What does it mean to you to be ‘in Bloom’ in work and life?
07:48 | What challenges did you face as a woman in the male-dominated world of work, and how did you navigate them?
10:24 | How did you create and maintain confidence and authenticity in environments where those traits might be tested?
11:20 | How has understanding the connection between mind and body influenced your life and career growth?
13:31 | Which season of your career shaped you the most, and how did it impact you?
17:12 What are your top strategies for preventing burnout while staying driven?
21:27 | What advice would you give to women on building confidence and asking for what they deserve?

Resources mentioned:

urbansynergy.com
Leila Thomas on LinkedIn

Women Who Lead is more than a podcast—it’s a movement, a mindset, and a space for transformation. It’s a platform for real, raw, and radically honest conversations with women who are redefining leadership on their own terms. Rooted in the belief that true leadership begins within, these Women Who Lead invite us to break free from outdated models of power and success.

Through storytelling, coaching, and a soulful newsletter that follows the rhythm of the seasons, it supports women to rise—courageously, unapologetically, and as their whole selves. This is a space for women ready to lead with more self-trust, more softness, and more power. Learn more at https://ourtimetobloom.com/.

Season 4, Episode 4: Burnout, boundaries and bold leadership with Kelly Swingler 

This week, I’m joined by the fierce, no-fluff force that is Kelly Swingler—global burnout educator, executive coach, and founder of The Burnout Academy.

After two devastating burnouts—one that wrecked her health, the other that nearly ended her life—Kelly made a decision: this ends here.

Now she’s on a mission to challenge everything we’ve been told about success, productivity, and performance culture. She trains the world’s leading burnout coaches and works with organisations to move beyond lip-service wellbeing. No tick boxes. No fluffy fixes. Just real, lasting change.

In this conversation, we talk about how we got here—glamourising stress and normalising self-sacrifice—why burnout is not a personal failure, how to lead without losing yourself, and what it means to build bold, burnout-aware leadership from the inside out.

To stay updated on future episodes, make sure you subscribe on your favourite podcast platform. I’d love to hear what resonates—so feel free to leave a review or reach out on social media. And if this episode moved you, inspired you, or made you feel seen, please consider sharing it with someone else who might need to hear it.

Timestamps:

01:13 | What does it mean to you to be ‘in Bloom’ in work and life? 

02:14 | How do you define success without sacrificing well-being? 

04:01 | Which season of your career shaped you the most, and how did it impact you? 

06:18 | What challenges did you face as a woman in the male-dominated world of work, and how did you navigate them? 

07:44 | How did you create and maintain confidence and authenticity in environments where those traits might be tested? 

09:39 | What advice would you give to women on building confidence and asking for what they deserve? 

11:17 | What’s your relationship like with your feminine energy? How do you balance masculine and feminine energies in leadership? 

13:10 | What are your top strategies for preventing burnout while staying driven? 

15:02 | We can’t possibly Bloom all of the time, how do you bounce back from setbacks or failures stronger than before? 

16:38 | How has understanding the connection between mind and body influenced your life and career growth?

Resources mentioned:

https://www.kellyswingler.com/

Mind The Gap → https://amzn.eu/d/dFoulwQ

F*ck Burnout → Buy here](https://amzn.eu/d/46Fqdl8

Kelly on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/kellyswingler/

Women Who Lead is more than a podcast—it’s a movement, a mindset, and a space for transformation. It’s a platform for real, raw, and radically honest conversations with women who are redefining leadership on their own terms. Rooted in the belief that true leadership begins within, these Women Who Lead invite us to break free from outdated models of power and success.

Through storytelling, coaching, and a soulful newsletter that follows the rhythm of the seasons, it supports women to rise—courageously, unapologetically, and as their whole selves. This is a space for women ready to lead with more self-trust, more softness, and more power. Learn more at https://ourtimetobloom.com/.

Season 4, Episode 3: Resilience, reinvention and rising to the moment – with Charmain Manning

This week, I’m joined by the brilliant Charmain Manning—CEO of Urban, and a leader whose journey is a masterclass in adaptability, vision, and heart-led leadership.

After building her career across strategy, finance, M&A, and consulting at Deloitte, Pearson and the Financial Times, Charmain joined Urban as CFO just before the world shut down. What followed was nothing short of transformational—navigating the business through Covid, expanding into new cities, launching new wellness offerings, and ultimately stepping into the CEO role in 2023.

Urban is now the UK’s leading platform for on-demand massage and wellness treatments at home, and Charmain’s leadership is helping shape its next chapter with purpose and clarity.

In this conversation, we talk about what it means to grow through disruption, the evolution from CFO to CEO, and how to lead with both operational rigour and deep care. Charmain shares insights on confidence, self-trust, burnout, and the inner work that sustains long-term leadership.

It’s a conversation full of wisdom, warmth, and the kind of grounded ambition that truly inspires.

Timestamps:
01:32 | What does it mean to you to be ‘in Bloom’ in work and life?
02:59 | How do you define success without sacrificing well-being?
03:29 | What are your top strategies for preventing burnout while staying driven?
06:00 | Which season of your career shaped you the most, and how did it impact you?
09:45 | What challenges did you face as a woman in the male-dominated world of work, and how did you navigate them?
14:22 | How did you create and maintain confidence and authenticity in environments where those traits might be tested?
16:30 | What’s your relationship like with your feminine energy? How do you balance masculine and feminine energies in leadership?
19:07 | We can’t possibly Bloom all of the time, how do you bounce back from setbacks or failures stronger than before?
20:18 | How has understanding the connection between mind and body influenced your life and career growth?
22:33 | What advice would you give to women on building confidence and asking for what they deserve?

Women Who Lead is more than a podcast—it’s a movement, a mindset, and a space for transformation. It’s a platform for real, raw, and radically honest conversations with women who are redefining leadership on their own terms. Rooted in the belief that true leadership begins within, theseWomen Who Lead invite us to break free from outdated models of power and success.

Through storytelling, coaching, and a soulful newsletter that follows the rhythm of the seasons, it supports women to rise—courageously, unapologetically, and as their whole selves. This is a space for women ready to lead with more self-trust, more softness, and more power. Learn more at https://ourtimetobloom.com/.

Season 4, Episode 2: Strategy, strength and softness: redefining leadership with Clarissa Sowemimo-Coker

This week, I’m joined by the incredible Clarissa Sowemimo-Coker—a woman whose career is marked by bold moves, grounded leadership, and a deep commitment to meaningful change. From leading a £16.5 million IPO on the London Stock Exchange, to steering a company through a successful Phase 1 clinical trial, to scaling operations and building thriving workplace culture from the ground up—Clarissa doesn’t just lead, she transforms.

She brings strategic clarity, legal brilliance, and a rare ability to connect the dots—whether it’s shaping vision, navigating complexity, or building cultures that actually support people to thrive. She’s someone who steps up in a crisis, protects what matters, and leads with purpose. Oh, and her cockapoo Huxley usually gets her out of bed before the strategy does.

This conversation is an invitation into her world—the world of visionary women leading big business transformation with heart, intelligence, and a touch of magic.

Timestamps:

01:48 | What does it mean to you to be ‘in Bloom’ in work and life?

04:49 | How do you define success without sacrificing well-being?

05:49 | What are your top strategies for preventing burnout while staying driven?

09:51 | How did you create and maintain confidence and authenticity in environments where those traits might be tested?

12:17 | What challenges did you face as a woman in the male-dominated world of work, and how did you navigate them?

16:49 | What’s your relationship like with your feminine energy? How do you balance masculine and feminine energies in leadership?

18:08 | Which season of your career shaped you the most, and how did it impact you?

21:36 | We can’t possibly Bloom all of the time—how do you bounce back from setbacks or failures stronger than before?

23:33 | How has understanding the connection between mind and body influenced your life and career growth?

Women Who Lead is more than a podcast—it’s a movement, a mindset, and a space for transformation. It’s a platform for real, raw, and radically honest conversations with women who are redefining leadership on their own terms. Rooted in the belief that true leadership begins within, theseWomen Who Lead invite us to break free from outdated models of power and success.

Through storytelling, coaching, and a soulful newsletter that follows the rhythm of the seasons, it supports women to rise—courageously, unapologetically, and as their whole selves. This is a space for women ready to lead with more self-trust, more softness, and more power. Learn more at https://ourtimetobloom.com/.

Season 4, Episode 1: Courage, confidence and carving your path with Ruth Penfold

In this unique solo episode, I turn the tables on myself and answer the questions I will be posing to my guests.

I offer a behind-the-scenes look at my journey—what’s shaped me, what drives me, and the moments that have helped me become the woman I am today. I also reflect on the lessons I’ve learned from hosting, and how those insights have influenced my outlook on leadership, self-expression, and growth.

To stay updated on future episodes, make sure you subscribe on your favourite podcast platform. I’d love to hear what resonates—so feel free to leave a review or reach out on social media. And if this episode moved you, inspired you, or made you feel seen, please consider sharing it with someone else who might need to hear it.

Timestamps:

01:13 | What does it mean to you to be ‘in Bloom’ in work and life?

02:14 | How do you define success without sacrificing well-being?

04:01 | Which season of your career shaped you the most, and how did it impact you?

06:18 | What challenges did you face as a woman in the male-dominated world of work, and how did you navigate them?

07:44 | How did you create and maintain confidence and authenticity in environments where those traits might be tested?

09:39 | What advice would you give to women on building confidence and asking for what they deserve?

11:17 | What’s your relationship like with your feminine energy? How do you balance masculine and feminine energies in leadership?

13:10 | What are your top strategies for preventing burnout while staying driven?

15:02 | We can’t possibly Bloom all of the time, how do you bounce back from setbacks or failures stronger than before?

16:38 | How has understanding the connection between mind and body influenced your life and career growth?

There is so much power in sisterhood.  

I met this episode's guest many years ago through work, and it is a friendship that has endured through so many seasons of our lives.  

Ji Son is a true woman who leads, and her strong values and sense of justice make her insights in today's podcast invaluable.  

Ji Son Choi is a mission-driven, consultative Partnerships Strategist with 15+ years of media, agency and tech industry experience and is currently the Senior Partnerships Lead at Thanks, a retail media startup. She has worked with large, complex for-profit and nonprofit organizations, such as Samsung, AARP, Apple, Google, HSBC, Bank of America, Chase, and many others. Her wealth of experience is clear in all of her wisdom shared in our chat.  

Her lessons on choosing companies whose cultures align with your authentic self are so important. We discuss my time at Shazam, and the power of making decisions through the lens of your core values.  

In our conversation, we chat about workplace culture, self advocacy, the interview process, authenticity in the workplace, the power of sisterhood, and the practical ways that we can feel empowered at work through financial stability.  

• https://www.linkedin.com/in/jisonchoi/
• https://www.thanks.co/
• https://www.shazam.com/en-gb

This episode is exactly what you need if you are struggling to dream bigger and GROW.  

Change is not born from your comfort zone, and today's episode teaches you how to open yourself up to the opportunities and challenges that will stretch you to do more than you ever thought you could.  

Lauren Crichton is the Marketing Director at Sana, and an experienced leader. Lauren actually turned down this role originally as she felt underqualified, a common limiting belief for women. Turn to today, she has MC'ed multiple summits, seen and contributed to the growth of Sana and is the owner of the Pass It On newsletter which helps the tech and nonprofit sectors help each other with interdisciplinary thinking.  

In this conversation, we discuss stories and lessons learnt throughout Lauren's career: the current AI revolution, aiming high for yourself and your team, unlearning the fear of getting things wrong, the importance of self care for professional development, embracing opportunities, and authenticity in leadership.

The insight on how to stop underestimating yourself is life changing, and I am so glad to be able to share it with you all.  

Mentioned in this episode:

• passiton.substack.com
• https://www.linkedin.com/in/lauren-crichton-1aa82a54/
• https://www.linkedin.com/in/amelia-peterson-8a456241/
• https://www.lis.ac.uk/

It is simply not possible to be the best version of yourself when you're burnt out.  

Time taken restoring yourself, resting and learning self acceptance is time well spent.  

This episode's guest helps women in leadership to be inspired sit in deep nourishing rest, something we all could benefit from.  

In this episode, I talk with Kat about how to do exactly that.  

Kat Zlateva-Bowles is a business psychologist and coach focusing on leadership development, with a people background. She is the co-founder of Radical Rest which is a community that runs retreats to help women in HR to truly rest and recover.  

In this episode, Kat teaches how to take up space, lead and be as big as you can be. She shares her struggles with autoimmune illness, her experience taking a career break, and the process of finding her identity beyond work productivity and serving others.  

While hearing about Kat's journey, we talk about self acceptance, showing up with authenticity, and serving others and practicing self compassion.  

• katrinabowles.com
• https://www.linkedin.com/in/katrinazlatevabowles/
• https://www.linkedin.com/company/rad-calrest/

After being terminated from the company she had been working at for the last 10 years as an "underperformer," this social innovator's journey of redefining her identity, moving past failures and learning to put her own health first is something that every woman should listen to.  

Sanju Pal is a social innovator and an advocate for the fair treatment of women with endometriosis in the workplace. She is an ex teacher, and now works as the founder of RISE, a charity who support the education of disadvantaged young people through unique programmes in the UK and India.  

I met Sanju years ago on a panel for Marie Claire where we were talking about the art of having a 'side hustle' in 2018.  

Through her experiences with workplace discrimination, she shares some invaluable insights about workplace law and culture, and the way in which we prioritise work over ourselves.  

In this episode, we talk about Sanju's struggles with endometriosis and disability discrimination, and the issues with workplace law and culture that she has experienced.

We discuss putting your health first, being true to yourself, doing meaningful work and tackling failure.  

• https://www.crowdjustice.com/case/accenture-disability-discrimination-endometriosis/
• https://www.instagram.com/sanjuthinks/
• https://www.ourtimetobloom.com/
• https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/something-for-the-soul/id1726839908
• https://www.rise-online.co.uk/

Ayurveda is a Sanskrit word translating literally to the science of life. It was and is practiced much like a preventative medicine system, for finding wholeness and balance.

In this week's podcast, I talk with Gaby Colletta about the possibilities that Ayurveda can offer us.  

Y'all should know, Gaby and I met because I found a Cardamom Rice Pudding recipe of hers online, and it nourished me throughout leaving my husband earlier in 2024.   

This episode discusses the journey of learning to define your own personal values and idea of success, finding inner peace in a fast-paced world, embracing possibility and overall understanding how Ayurveda can help you.  

Listening to your inner whispers can be the change that you need to feel fulfilled: embracing this can be a life changer. Sometimes, it takes a more holistic view of health to make a change. That is the power of Ayurveda, and Gaby and I take a deep dive into its power in this episode.  

Find Gaby teaching yoga on YouTube here too.  

Gaby is a Yoga, Ayurveda and Meditation Teacher with over 15 years of practice in wellness and healing. She facilitates retreats, guides mind-body courses and coaches individuals on how to create an ecosystem of resources to build resilience.   Resources mentioned in this episode:

• https://gabycolletta.com/
• www.ourtimetobloom.com/
• https://gabycolletta.com/healingrecipes/coconut-cardamom-rice-pudding
• https://www.instagram.com/gabycolletta
• https://www.youtube.com/c/GabyColletta

Sometimes the workplace can feel completely foreign as a woman, as if you are starting from zero in a foreign country.  

For this episode's guest, this is quite literally exactly what it was. 

After moving to Mexico as a native English speaker, Zoe Smith knows the challenges of navigating building a career from the ground up.

But starting from scratch didn't stand in her way. A lifelong entrepreneur, Zoe's career path and experience is so valuable.  

Zoe Smith is the CEO and founder of BE School, teaching business english to professionals and executives. And y'all, I looooooooove Zoe.   

In this episode, we discuss how our internal beliefs and narratives shape our reality, and how we can use this to change our lives for the better. She brings her insight on using weaknesses to her advantage, believing in her own value and embracing change in every season.  

Join us as we discuss everything entrepreneurship, mindset, pricing and self belief. 

Imagine if you could say exactly what you think.

You have a voice, even if it may be hidden by fear and by years of conditioning to stay quiet and agreeable.

Today's guest is an expert communications coach whose work helps her clients' value be recognised in the workplace.

In her words, she helps high performers get recognised for the value that they already contribute.

In this episode, she shares her practical guidance to allow you to do exactly that.

Finding and using our voice is so hard for so many of us women.

That's why we need sisters like Laura Camacho to help guide our way, so that we can speak truth to power, and keep building the world that we really want to live in together.

You don't have to have superhuman confidence to make yourself visible.

Whether it is building confidence, speaking up in meetings... y'all, Laura covers it all.

Join us as we talk about all things communication, confidence and finding your voice.

Who would have thought that a love for sneakers and HR could be so interlinked?  

Cassidy Edwards is a Woman Who Leads. 

She embodies what it means to be authentic as a woman in leadership as a Leader in the People world.

In this episode, we talk about allowing space for creativity in professional environments, and Cassidy's journey in finding her authentic voice.

She's put in the hard yards of gradually getting her voice out into the world, and this episode has so much wisdom she learnt through those experiences weaving all the way through. 

Cassidy’s story is rich with insights into building resilience. She speaks candidly about moments of doubt and how she navigated them with grace, transforming setbacks into opportunities for growth.

The path to true leadership is paved with moments of vulnerability and resilience.

From the moment I became aware of Cassidy in cyberspace, I knew I had to share her with all of you. Her willingness to share both triumphs and struggles is truly beautiful. 

Join us as we discuss building the skills for self advocacy, reframing setbacks through a growth mindset and showing up as yourself at work.

Finding your purpose is an unfolding path.

It is an evolving journey for every person, but some find it harder than others.

So how do you navigate your life as it changes? 

In short, it takes building your repertoire mental health resources. But that is easier for some of us than others.

This episode's guest has spent her life supporting the mental health of others, and joins Women Who Lead today to discuss psychological safety and workplace wellbeing for women.

Ngozi Cadmus is a TEDx speaker, social entrepreneur, psychotherapist and social worker. Her work as founder of Frontline Therapist has helped over 2000 in the last three years, providing accessible and affordable psychological therapies to disadvantaged communities. As co-founder of HappiWorkers, Ngozi's work helps to increase the representation of Black women in leadership across sectors and advocates for improved mental health equality in minority communities.

Join Ruth and Ngozi as they discuss the barriers faced by many of us in leadership, navigating the harder seasons of life and strategies to build a toolkit of resources for mental health support.

Resources mentioned in this episode:
www.ourtimetobloom.com 

www.ngozicadmus.com

I've got a question for you friend...  

What is your soul nudging you to do? 

Because ultimately sis, this is the million dollar question that will give you the direction you are looking for.

In this episode, I have the wonderful Bryony Williams, Founder of the Glass Female, with me to discuss how to become more in tune with ourselves and self aware, discussing the deep programming that affects our confidence and clouds our belief in our gut judgement.  

Bryony's work empowers women to take up space in leadership roles, working towards a more diverse board for decision-making in companies.   

We chat about intuition, balancing our feminine and masculine energy, the impact of community in finding your life path, and more.

Thank you for being here. If you have any feedback, comments or suggestions, I'd love to hear from you at ruth@ourtimetobloom.com.

Charu Malhotra is an OG of the Talent world. She and I have been knocking around in this space for a looooooong time, and she has worked with some incredible businesses during her career.

I invited Charu onto the pod to provide a special perspective for those of you in Talent (well and beyond!), because I want to make sure you get every ounce of inspiration to be all you can be at work and in life.

✳️ The importance of values when it comes to speaking up at work, let this bit push you into finding your voice and taking up space
✳️ The real challenges in recruitment around self esteem and feeling like a service provider, but only to remind you of the magic you bring!
✳️ AI is here, does it give us a chance to dial up on our human-ness, what might you want to change in order to evolve with it?
✳️ The magic that happens in your career and life, when you let yourself be just who you are

There's also a brilliant interlude, baked in the middle of our conversation somewhere, but one that you won't want to miss, all about challenging conversations, go find it!

Thank you for being here. If you have any feedback, comments or suggestions, I'd love to hear from you at ruth@ourtimetobloom.com.

As I say in the start of this episode, when I saw Saira Gangji posting online and felt her energy, I knew I had to say hello. There are so many elements within the HR arena that we are just expected to know how to do well, workplace investigations is one of them. 

I love that she brings so much love and humanity to something that can be a really hard moment in time for humans as Founder of hrology. Join us as we unpack: 

✳️  The fact that if you were ever on the fence about the value of values, after this episode you will be running to grab my free values exercise here

✳️  That one of the biggest challenges in relationships is when you don’t know yourself well enough, it’s so hard to lead others when you don’t

✳️ How to approach workplace investigations with humanity and integrity, and not contribute to the trauma that already exists

✳️ And how to do all that taking all the parties involved in the process with you, really creating the right vibe with leaders

There's also a brilliant interlude, baked in the middle of our conversation somewhere, but one that you won't want to miss, all about VALUES! Because we love them.

Thank you for being here. If you have any feedback, comments or suggestions, I'd love to hear from you at ruth@ourtimetobloom.com.

I first connected with Naomi Trickey as I kept hearing about how amazing she is, and they all were right! She's generous with her time, heart-led with her counsel, and really is a Chief People Officer to know.

She is the master of a career pivot, but describes her move into the People world as like she was coming home. I love the idea of humans from different background entering the HR profession, and if that's you, you will love this!

Join us as we cover:
✳️ How to stop constantly proving your worth as an HR leader
✳️ How much freedom you get from being at the top table, and how much influence you can have in steering the strategy
✳️ How to harness the power of agile to unlock creativity

There's also a brilliant interlude, baked in the middle of our conversation somewhere, but one that you won't want to miss, all about recovering your creativity - which trust me, you want to do!

Thank you for being here. If you have any feedback, comments or suggestions, I'd love to hear from you at ruth@ourtimetobloom.com.

Daryn Edgar is a phenomenal 2nd time CEO (and counting). I was lucky enough to get to work closely with her, and I've made it my business to keep her in my world ever since.

She brings a lot of heart into how she leads, but balances it with commercial acumen and decisiveness. And boy did she bring the goodness for us gang.

This episode is for you if you want to know about:
✳️ How to step into leadership in a way where your heart is right in the middle of it, getting past feeling like you always have something to prove.
✳️ The importance of the women you surround yourself with, and how to make mentorship what you really need it to be
✳️ How important it is to ffind your sweet spot and try to work as much as possible within that - I like to call it the zone of genius!

There's also a brilliant interlude, baked in the middle of our conversation somewhere, but one that you won't want to miss. It tells you the stages of career development, so you can take a breath and see where you want to be.

Thank you for being here. If you have any feedback, comments or suggestions, I'd love to hear from you at ruth@ourtimetobloom.com.

Saná Rasul Walker is the woman you meet once and feel like you've known her forever. She also founded a truly amazing community for women in HR called HR Girlfriends that you have to be a part of.

What I love about her is just how much accountability and honesty she leads with. For me, that's everything and honestly, was one of the biggest ways I learnt how to start to step into myself.

This episode is for you if you want to know about:
✳️ How to overcome fear and use it as a catalyst rather than something that holds you back
✳️ How we can be soooooo bad at taking care of and investing in ourselves as women in HR, and she's right!
✳️ What we can do to build ourselves up and take up space at work, but in real and tangible ways

There's also a brilliant interlude, baked in the middle of our conversation somewhere, but one that you won't want to miss. It helps with things like burnout so look out for it!

Thank you for being here. If you have any feedback, comments or suggestions, I'd love to hear from you at ruth@ourtimetobloom.com.

This is a really special episode my friends. I managed to assemble four brilliant women who have gone through the Bloom programme together for a conversation about what it means to be a woman in HR.

We have Hanna Smith, Natasha Norman, Allison Anti and Gemma Lockhart. I am so thankful for their honesty, and humility... and for the fact they they chose to empower themselves and Bloom.

This episode is for you if you want to know about:
✳️ That as a People leader, it is okay to be the heart of an organisation... it's more than okay actually, it is badass!
✳️ That rather than building confidence, it's more about rebuilding it - we lose confidence through our experiences as women but we used to have it
✳️ How to bringing your authentic energy as a People leader and learn how to take up space at the leadership table.
✳️ Overcoming the negative perceptions of HR in the workplace, things like being called HR robots

There's also a brilliant interlude, baked in the middle of our conversation somewhere, but one that you won't want to miss. See if you can find it. 

Thank you for being here. If you have any feedback, comments or suggestions, I'd love to hear from you at ruth@ourtimetobloom.com.

Kelly Vickery is Founder of The Mother Connection, and does amazing work to help us learn how to navivate the working world as women around maternity.

And boy is it shocking. Real talk, every woman I have coached who has been in and around motherhood has been penalised in some way. This episode does two things; first supports us as women, and secondly, helps us to get better at empowering and supporting other women.

This episode is for you if you want to know about:
✳️ The motherhood penalty, what it is and why we should ALL care about it
✳️ How our expected best self can get in the way of feeling enough - I really felt this and I am sure you will too
✳️ Matrescence; how it is a whole thing, and how we often marginalise it
✳️ The dominant power that work can have in our life, and how we can rebalance to be a little more of who we really are

There's also a brilliant interlude, baked in the middle of our conversation somewhere, but one that you won't want to miss as it helps you know what to do if you feel like you are experiencing these things. 

Thank you for being here. If you have any feedback, comments or suggestions, I'd love to hear from you at ruth@ourtimetobloom.com.

As Bloom has evolved to serve women in HR, Jessica Zwaan was the obvious choice for a podcast guest. She embodies many of the things that we don't dare to let ourselves be; bold, opinionated and exactly who she is.

That is how I know just how much you will get from this episode, without even asking.

It is literally packed with nuggets of inspiration. This episode is for you if you want to know about:

✳️ The fact that if you aren't getting feedback it doesn't mean there isn't any... you owe it to those around you to help them feel safe enough to give it to you

✳️ Helping us to truly understand what we mean by people as a product, and how we can lean into it as People people

✳️ The brilliant idea of redefining employees as a subscription model; how long they subscribe for is up to us!

✳️ How we can build honesty around how we measure performance in the workplace, and support everyone to win

There's also a brilliant interlude, baked in the middle of our conversation somewhere, but one that you won't want to miss. It helps with starting thinking of everything in life and work as an experiment.

Thank you for being here. If you have any feedback, comments or suggestions, I'd love to hear from you at ruth@ourtimetobloom.com.

Dannique Blake is a truly special human. We connected a couple of years ago online, and immediately saw ourselves in each other. Don't you just love it when that happens?

Dannique is a powerful thinker in the People and Culture world, but I love the radical responsibility she encourages us to take for our role in things.

This episode is for you if you want to know about:

✳️ The fact that leadership is an energy and you already have more power in your life and career than you think you do

✳️ How to build powerful, meaningful, beneficial relationships at work

✳️ How to know when it is time to leave a company, and that the best exits start at the beginning - yep, you'll want to hear more on that for sure!

✳️ The importance of having people who know who you are... with folks like Dannique, I don't have to mask any parts of myself... listen to the beginning and you can hear my ADHD running wild, interrupting with excitement - it's a blessing to get to be free sometimes!

There's also a brilliant interlude, baked in the middle of our conversation somewhere, but one that you won't want to miss. 

Thank you for being here. If you have any feedback, comments or suggestions, I'd love to hear from you at ruth@ourtimetobloom.com.

Oooooo I just love this episode so much. Jenn Fenwick is an Executive Coach and leadership expert with deep, and I mean deeeeeep, experience of talent development.

She knows exactly what it takes to grow and develop in your career. She supports leaders to let out the magic, the ideas and the energy that is inside them, especially if they are starting out in a new role.

We cover things like:

✳️ Building your brand and reputation in order to grow, embracing your next level identity along the way

✳️ How to onboard yourself in a new role, even when the learning curve is a steep one

✳️ How important it is to be aware of our own demons and how they can get in the way of us truly being great

✳️ How companies can support leaders to be more successful, and that the sink or swim approach is an outdated practice for leaders

There's also a brilliant interlude, baked in the middle of our conversation somewhere, but one that you won't want to miss. It helps with things like burnout so look out for it!

Thank you for being here. If you have any feedback, comments or suggestions, I'd love to hear from you at ruth@ourtimetobloom.com.

From the moment I saw Elaine Lin Hering posting online, I knew I'd found someone special. As I got to know her better, her wisdom is beyond expectation. She conveys a sense of dignity, empathy and an invitation to take ownership. As Author of Unlearning Silence, landing in 2024, she speaks the wisdom of what it means to hold yourself back.

And boy do we hold ourselves and our voices back, right sisters...?

Join us for the final episode of season one, as we go deep together to explore:

• How to unlearn silence and self censorship, and build the muscle of self advocacy.
• Practical examples of noticing your patterns of silence day to day and learning to honour your needs.
• How to reinvent your relationships in a more intentional way so that all parties win.
• Plus a little of how to negotiate and navigate conflict for good measure!

I love this from Elaine; 'I as a sovereign individual have agency to have my own thoughts. What do I think? That’s the start of finding your voice.'

There's also a brilliant activity, baked in the middle of our conversation somewhere. Look out for it!

Thank you for being here. If you have any feedback, comments or suggestions, I'd love to hear from you at ruth@ourtimetobloom.com.

Some women just radiate light. Leslie Greenwood is that person. As Founder of Chief Evangelist, Leslie knows pretty much everything there is about creating community.

[Plot reveal: creating community around you is the ultimate career power move.]

Who better therefore to help us on the path to building our own...?

In this powerful yet candid conversation, Leslie and I discuss:

• An honest reflection of the moments we hold back and lose ourselves at work, because most of us aren't immune to doing so.
• The power of saying no and leaning into doing so.
• How to become intentional about how you want to live in this next stage of your life.
• And of course, how to build community for others, even if it doesn’t feel natural to you.

From Leslie: 'It’s okay to be a square peg, just be mindful of how much you try to fit it in the round hole. What are the trade offs you are making to continue on the path you are on?'

There's also a little interlude, baked in the middle of our conversation somewhere, but one that you won't want to miss. It is one of the things I swear by, look out for it!

Thank you for being here. If you have any feedback, comments or suggestions, I'd love to hear from you at ruth@ourtimetobloom.com.

Women empowering women, that's what Patricia Hadden stands for and personifies. She supported me in my own career, and I'm sure for countless other women too.

In fact, she was literally the inspiration for me to forge my path to the top table. She's now doing amazing things at Google, and the example she sets of integrating motherhood with a phenomenal career is truly inspiring. If you have ever struggled with balancing different roles you fulfil, you will love what she shares with us all on boundaries. There is so much goodness in this conversation:

• That leadership is not a rank or a title, it's an energy, and even starting out in your career, you have the potential to lead.
• The hierarchies that exist within organisations, and that frankly, you can find spaces that operate differently.
• The real challenges that we face as women, taking up space at the leadership table, and how we build the muscle of doing so.

From Patricia: 'My role as a leader is bringing out the best version of the people in my team, so that they get to do their best and most impactful work.'

There's also the chance to grab my values exercise, baked in the middle of our conversation somewhere, but one that you won't want to miss. It is one of the things I swear by, look out for it!

Thank you for being here. If you have any feedback, comments or suggestions, I'd love to hear from you at ruth@ourtimetobloom.com.

You know what folks, more than anything, speaking to Abi Williams leaves me feeling like I can do anything. She's brave, she's bold and brilliant.

Abi is the Founder of Lead not Lag, with over 20 years experience, much of that in leadership with companies like Oracle, Meta, LinkedIn to name but a few, but my goodness her take on leadership and taking up space is not to be missed. 

There is so much fire in this conversation y'all, including:

• How to find your way on your own journey to confidence and knowing your value.
• How speaking up goes beyond our own discomfort, to be in true service for others and for future generations.
• How different is good! Your authenticity is your competitive advantage, find it and use it. 
• How you can have a million mentors without them realising it, let's call it stealth mentorship.

Also from Abi: 'Success is a calculated step. There’s times where we all go into that zone where we forget our strengths and forget who we are, that’s where mentors come into play.' 

There's also a visualisation, baked in the middle of our conversation somewhere, one to help you find your path. Look out for it and tell me where it takes you. 

Thank you for being here. If you have any feedback, comments or suggestions, I'd love to hear from you at ruth@ourtimetobloom.com.

Sophie Theen and I first met huddled in Spitalfields Market in London, trying to make sense of the leadership roles we found ourselves in. Since that moment we both found the means to carve out the most authentic version of ourselves at those top tables... and it has been reeeeeeeal haha. 

Join us as we share that realness with all of you. 

Soph is Startup Advisor and Founder Coach at Chief of Stories and Author of The Soul of Startups: The Untold Stories of How Founders Affect Culture. She felt like the perfect person to talk to about how to take up space as a women in leadership. We covered: 

• How to overcome the struggle of losing yourself in a new environment and build authenticity to really find ourself in that new place.
• How to embrace how you like to work and claim it in the workplace, and build powerful relationships with your peers.
• How to move from perfectionist to 'good enough'-ist.
• How to negotiate a higher salary, without negotiating a higher salary.

There's also a brilliant activity, baked in the middle of our conversation somewhere, all to do with building powerful relationships at work. Ping me if you find it!

As ever, thank you for being here my friend. If you have any feedback, comments or suggestions, I'd love to hear from you at ruth@ourtimetobloom.com.

Don't be like Jo Dalton and me. We both spent years trying to conform, being who we thought we needed to be.

In Jo's case, she realised what was happening and realised it was time to build her own table. So she did. And somewhere in that process she gradually started to let more of her authentic self out. And thank goodness that she did, because when you hear the wisdom she shares on this pod, you will learn just as much from her as I have.

Now Jo doesn't just have her own executive search business, she's also an Investor, Board Member and is truly passionate about supporting women to level up in our careers and lives. Join us as we go on that journey and learn together:

• How leadership is an energy, when we start acting like a leader, the rest of the world starts seeing us as one
• How essential it is to craft your career narrative and make it into something that is compelling and worthy of your excellence
• How to negotiate not just for more money, but also negotiate for the season of life you are in - what do you need right now?
• How to become intentional and overcoming burnout, and creating a sustainable way of being that supports longevity

There's also my negotiation commandments, baked in the middle of our conversation somewhere, see if you can find them and LMK what you think!

Thank you for being here. If you have any feedback, comments or suggestions, I'd love to hear from you at ruth@ourtimetobloom.com.

All too often I hear of women getting stuck in one profession and feeling like there is no way out.

Zoe Peden schools us all on mastering career pivots here, and I love it so much.

If you are listening to Bloom and vibing with it, my guess is that just like Zoe and just like me, you are a questioner too - whether or not you are questioning things right now as much as you could be. If you aren't, let this episode be the inspiration that you need to become intentional about how you are spending your time and what you are investing in... and I don't just mean money!

Join us as we get to experience the twists and turns of Zoe's career as we talk about:

• How Zoe weaved her beautiful tapestry of a rich and diverse career, and how you can too!
• Being a maverick spirit and feeling like you don’t fit in, how to channel that and create a life that feels free
• The beautiful journey of becoming who you really are, and the magical signs from the universe that light your way
• How we have to be in the driving seat of our career and life; making sure that we are informed in areas of weakness so that we can become powerful advocates for ourselves and adversaries to others

Recommended books 'Never Split the Difference' by Chris Voss with Tahl Raz and 'Design Your Life' by Bill Burnett and Dave Evans.

There's also a brilliant activity, baked in the middle of our conversation somewhere, but one that you won't want to miss. It is taken from Design Your Life and I love it. Look out for it! Thank you for being here.

If you have any feedback, comments or suggestions, I'd love to hear from you at ruth@ourtimetobloom.com.

You know when you just hear a career story that is so empowering, it makes you want to don a cape and take on the world...? This for me was that. Susan Allen Augustin in founder of Here We Flo, who create sustainable, organic Femcare products for women. She is also coming from a long career in Diversity and Inclusion with Open Society Foundations, so understands what it means to build an inclusive culture.

If you are wondering whether you might want to move into founding your own business, there is sooooo much goodness packed in this episode, as Susan shares her extremely relatable experience of how she got there. We cover things like:

• How we need more sponsorship of women and how it’s different from mentorship
• Now this is a biggie for so many of us... moving from a life of serving others to serving ourself How to start asking what we really want out of our life and career

There's also a brilliant activity, baked in the middle of our conversation somewhere, but one that you won't want to miss. It is one of the things I swear by, I would simply be lost without them. Look out for it!

Thank you for being here. If you have any feedback, comments or suggestions, I'd love to hear from you at ruth@ourtimetobloom.com.

Oooooo I just love this episode so much. Mae and Sam are both founders of Eric, but what I love about them is that they were friends first. That's right, actual best friends building a business together.

Mae and Sam are both quite different people and I love that they truly use their differences as their true advantage. And together they solving a big challenge by supporting young people to embark on more fulfilling and aligned careers.

If you want to learn more about defining your own path and identity as a woman in the workplace, this episode is 100% for you. We cover things like:

• The fact that our personality is often constructed in reaction to the environment we find ourselves in
• Defining your own path and identity as a woman in the workplace Gaslighting in careers and what we can do about it now as adults
• The importance of getting good at failure and building the habit of failing with flair

There's also a brilliant activity, baked in the middle of our conversation somewhere, but one that you won't want to miss. It is the single thing that helped me build my self esteem. Look out for it!

Thank you for being here. If you have any feedback, comments or suggestions, I'd love to hear from you at ruth@ourtimetobloom.com.

In this super special slightly longer kick off episode, we turn the tables on Ruth Penfold-Brown and Luke O'Mahoney becomes the interviewer. Luke is Founder of Sapienx, a phenomenal course and community that is changing the face of how we do HR, find him on LinkedIn here.

Expect to learn more about the lived experience of women in the workplace, and how we can all work to combat it. We go deep on the challenges faced by women, as we struggle to find our authentic voice and claim the career we really want. We also talk about Bloom, which is a leadership accelerator and community for women in HR. 

If you are a new, aspiring or established woman in leadership, or perhaps just a woman who is on the slippery slope to burnout, feeling overworked, overwhelmed and undervalued in the workplace, you are in the right place.

The goal of this podcast is to inspire and support you to build the tools to do that in a way that feels truly authentic to you and one where you truly thrive.

Join me, Ruth Penfold-Brown every week as I meet with phenomenal women in leadership and share tools, tips and frameworks to support you to build a career beyond your wildest dreams. 

Jack Villiers is a student of the school of life, a truly deep thinker and an intuitive creator, I’ve been excited to watch his transition from People and Talent roles to Founder of his own businesses, notably Lead, a leadership development course that you should absolutely check out. 

I’ve enjoyed knowing Jack in snippets over the years and I was so excited to noodle around his brain on topics like: 

🥞 The fact that for some of us, our gift is not always obvious in the beginning, and that can lead us into thinking that we don’t have one 

🦚 The switch between defining yourself through achievements, to a more intuitive way of being

🥞 The excitement around a world where more folks get to show as their fully integrated self

🦚 How everyone has a zone of genius, and if we feel like we are in the wrong place and always swimming against the tide, maybe we are

I loved getting to speak with Jack on these topics and I hope you will too!

David Reay and I first connected when we were both music nerds, with him at Sony and me at Shazam. Right away I was pulled in with his genuine warmth and made it my mission to stay in touch with him. 

He remains in the People space, and together we covered big topics around the path to self actualisation and how we might get there sooner. We also spoke of: 

🥞 The craziness of the hierarchies we operate in and how we can navigate them better
🦚 Why it should be normal for us to find joy in work 
🥞 The importance of understanding the stories we are telling ourselves 
🦚 How self talk is our mortal enemy 

I loved David’s total honesty in this conversation, and hearing where he is right now is something that I am sure you will find supportive too! 

Catalina Schveninger is the definition of sisterhood. We met at an event where she saw me speaking and she put me forward for a big job on the back of it. I am just one of the many people she has done that for and I love that about her. 

She’s been a people leader for many years, and has a pragmatic approach to building companies and building our self awareness as humans also. Join us as we dance through topics like: 

🥞 How some careers are a messy journey of explorations
🦚 How relationships with others can be a big career catalyst and how we start to build our network 
🥞 How we arrive as a true leader when we are interestED rather than being interestING 
🦚 How powerful it is to hire for potential vs hiring for qualifications

I came away buzzing from our conversation, and I am sure that you will feel the same. 

Ellie Rich-Poole is The Recruitment Coach. She coaches people at a critical moment of transition, helping them to move forward with positivity. She is a true expert on careers. 

She has 25 years’ experience in HR, Talent and Head-hunting HR Leaders. She founded her business in 2016 to inspire and support others with their career development. 

I loved our conversation as we danced back and forth and looked at:

🥞 The deep introspection needed from all of us to get closer to what we really want
🦚 The power of unlocking our strengths and beginning to develop in a way that helps them to flourish
🥞 Some of the blockers to us making the little changes can get in the way of much bigger more impactful change
🦚 Brilliant insight into exercises we can do to help us figure this all out

I think you will come away with SO much value from this episode and will march immediately to Ellie’s site to grab all those freebies!

Mark Edwards is a culture change and leadership expert working with companies to affect change, he’s also a travel writer (brilliant book found here) and Ted talker (link can be found here). 

I have known and loved Mark for many years, and I love the way he’s challenged himself to lean into his strengths and move in the direction of what lights him up. I also love that he has done what he can to encourage others in a similar direction. Learning my own strengths was a huge step in me starting to thrive and realise the value that I brought. 

Join us as we cover: 
🥞 Learning to lean into our strengths and see them for the magical gifts that they are 
🦚 What happens to us when we don’t get to work in alignment with our strengths 
🥞 The importance of having someone who believes in us and who sees the strengths that we can’t see
🦚 Embracing the opportunity to be multi faceted in life and in work

I love Mark and I know you will too, and I dearly hope that you decide to explore your strengths after listening to us talk about why we think it matters! 

Elvin Turner came across my path when I was stuck on some culture work and I needed some support. Since then I have become a huge fan, and love the practicality with which he approaches how we evolve the future of work. 

Elvin is a best-selling innovation culture author, leadership coach, TEDx speaker and associate professor at several business schools. We spoke of things like: 

🥞 Figuring out who we need to be in the future to meet and exceed the goals that we are setting today
🦚 How we can invite ourselves and others into making steps towards changing the things we need to change
🥞 The human experience of work, how we relate to ourselves and others
🦚 Creativity and how we tap into it, individually and collectively 

I adored our conversation and I am pretty sure you will too. 

Perry Timms is a true thought leader when it comes to the Future of Work, but also hands on when it comes to making the changes needed happen. A self confessed idealist and optimist, he is driven by his belief that we can all do better.

He is an Author, but in his role of Founder of PTHR, he gets to test his ideas around how we get there. Let him inspire you as we cover:

🥞 The importance of finding ourselves in the work that we do 
🦚 Learning to read the signals within ourselves to establish what we really want to do and be in this world 
🥞 That we are in an age of collective intelligence, but we are yet to channel it and exploit it enough 
🦚 Applying testing when it comes to career changes, follow your passion and letting it guide you 

I came away full of ideas about how I might want to shift things in my own world, and I hope you will too.