Today I’m talking to award-winning actor, comedian, and writer, Hugh Dennis. Best known for BBC1’s critically acclaimed sitcom OUTNUMBERED, he has also played an emotionally tortured Bank Manager in the BAFTA-winning show FLEABAG, Toby in the sitcom, NOT GOING OUT, and was an ever-present panellist on BBC 2’s long-running weekly satirical show MOCK THE WEEK.  Hugh has also been a regular for over 25 years on BBC Radio 4, both writing and presenting their Friday night comedy THE NOW SHOW. In our conversation, Hugh (whose real name is Pete, by the way) shares… - Why he thinks allowing a bit of self doubt is a good thing. - How his job at Unilever helped keep him grounded - And what having a bishop for a father taught him about performance.

Today I’m talking to Genevieve Shore, a serial non-executive Director who has held Board level positions within organisations across several industries, territories and cultures.  Her credit roll of organisations includes Santander, Arup, Moneysupermarket, Lego Education, STV and the RFU.  With her sporting background - having played international Rugby for England and winning the World Cup in 1994 - it’s no surprise that Genevieve is currently Chair of the Women’s Premier 15 Ltd. At the same time, she also chairs the North Highland Initiative - a non-profit organisation established because of King Charles III's commitment to support the people and businesses of the North Highlands.  In our conversation, Genevieve shares - What she means by positive pressure  - Her experience of toxic workplace bullies - And how teamwork in the changing room trained her for the boardroom.

Today I’m talking to Calum Clark, ex-international Rugby Union player turned high-performance psychologist.  Having started on the rugby trail aged just 15, Calum turned professional three years later and spent fourteen years playing at the highest level He turned out for three different Premiership clubs as well as England. In that time he experienced the highs of winning 3 Premiership titles and 2 European Cups and the lows of career-threatening injuries, disciplinary setbacks, and various off-field issues. Realising there was a lack of professional support, guidance and expertise to help navigate such things, he completed the first of two Psychology MScs alongside the final years of his playing career. He then became Head of Player Development and Wellbeing at Saracens, before going on to become their Head of Psychological Performance, with a number of his clients, including Ben Earl, going on to excel at the 2023 Rugby World Cup in France. In our conversation, Calum shares… - The importance of drilling - as an individual and as a team. - How we all need a north star… - And which pressure was worse - playing for England or finishing his Psychology thesis.

Today I'm thrilled to welcome back Mollie Pearse, Meta’s Head of Marketing for EMEA, for round two of our insightful conversation on "Better Under Pressure." Mollie's journey from entrepreneurial beginnings to leading teams at top organizations like IMG, Octagon, HSBC, and LinkedIn before landing at Meta showcases her remarkable leadership and dedication to 'audience-first' marketing principles. Outside of work, Mollie's passion for pushing boundaries shines through her pursuits in ultra-distance sports, where she explores the depths of human potential while raising funds for charity. As our discussion unfolded, it was clear that there were too many valuable insights to fit into one episode, so we're back for more! In this episode, Mollie delves into: - The challenging decision to step back from a 24-hour endurance race and the importance of listening to one's body and mind. - Her approach to fostering a sense of belonging within teams, grounded in shared human experiences and authentic connections. - A pivotal interview experience where she embraced her unique strengths and dared to 'play her game.' If you missed our initial conversation, be sure to catch up before diving into this one! Connect with Mollie: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mollie-pearse-09842b28/?originalSubdomain=uk

Today I’m talking to Mollie Pearse, Meta’s Head of Marketing for EMEA. Having started her career as an entrepreneurial businesswoman and quickly learning the power of true ‘audience-first’ marketing, she has since led teams at IMG, Octagon, HSBC and LinkedIn before arriving at Meta. Mollie inspires her teams to think differently about commercial goals, enabling them to surpass expectations. When she isn’t doing that, she’s out exploring the limits of human potential by running, swimming and cycling ultra-distances to expand her comfort zone and raise money for charity. As I spoke with Mollie, it soon became abundantly clear there were far too many nuggets to squeeze into a single 50 minute podcast, so we broke it into two conversations. In this, our first conversation, Mollie shares… - How hating sport as a child helped her gain power over her environment… - What she learnt from swimming in open water through jellyfish… - And why we should all have our Personal Board of Directors.

Today I’m talking to Tendai Wileman, Chief of Staff and Director of Organisational Change at Guy’s & St Thomas’ NHS Trust. Tendai grew up in Zimbabwe and went to university in South Africa, before completing an MBA at Warwick Business School. Over two decades, Tendai has held various corporate and operational roles in healthcare, and has spent the last 10 years leading large-scale change within and across functional and organisational boundaries.  She is a sponsor of the LGBT+ network at Guy’s & St. Thomas’ and is passionate about diversity and inclusion, believing strongly that ‘that which unites us all, is greater than that which separates us’.  In our conversation, Tendai shares… - Her desire to keep learning and saying ‘Yes’ to the Discomfort Zone - Finding the balance between the external and the internal - And the questions she asks her NHS team when they are all under pressure

In this episode, I’m talking to Neil Mullarkey, a unique communication expert. You may recognise him from his performances in 'Whose Line Is it Anyway' and two 'Austin Powers' movies. He still performs most Sundays with the Comedy Store Players, Europe's top improv troupe, which he co-founded with Mike Myers. But he now travels the world bringing the skills of theatre and especially improv, focusing on creativity, collaboration and leadership to clients including EY, Deloitte, Vodafone, Accenture and Unilever.  His new book, *In The Moment*, was published by Kogan Page in June 2023. https://neilmullarkey.com/inthemomentbook Mike Myers describes it as ‘a creative masterclass for every moment.' Matt Brittin (President of Google, Europe, Middle East, Africa) says, ‘Neil’s model and how he applies it in different ways is really simple yet powerful. In a world that's more volatile and uncertain than ever, businesses need leaders who can be agile, adaptive, innovative. Neil's always promoted this brilliantly , but without the business jargon. ’ Visit http://neilmullarkey.com/ (And, yes, Mullarkey is his real name)

In this episode, I’m talking to Emma Dagnes, Chief Executive of Alexandra Park and Palace, an iconic public building towering over north London that is over 150 years old, was the original home of BBC Television and is now home to world sporting events, indoor and outdoor concerts and festivals, a theatre and even an ice rink. It’s also where I have pushed buggies and walked with my family and my dog over the last 25 years. Of Emma’s 25 years working across entertainment, recreation and leisure, both in the public and private sectors, the last twelve have been at the Palace - helping to lift the organisation to be a recognised and respected cultural destination. Before becoming CEO, she led the growth of the trading subsidiary as Managing Director and then became Deputy CEO of the Charity, overseeing an award-winning restoration that cost £27 million.  In our conversation, she shares - How she learned that her dyslexia was a superpower - Why the original Alexandra Palace Theatre was worth its multi-million restoration  - And the impact of seeing your purpose play out every day.

In this episode, I’m talking to Edith Bardin – Global Insights Manager at Shell. The word Global is very apt when referring to Edith. Born in Luxembourg - and consequently speaking 5 languages - her two decades building ‘global consumer insights’ expertise have taken her all sorts of places, including northern Europe, the UK, Canada and even Mauritius.  She now is a worldwide authority on everything from decoding consumers’ minds in retail, entertainment and packaging - to embracing the evolving landscape of air travel and, most recently, e-mobility. In our conversation, Edith shares... - What she discovered about her efficiency at work after she’d had children. - What doing a charity swim taught her about herself. - And how it affected her growing up as ‘an unexpected triplet’

In this episode, I’m talking to Tom Hall, Vice President and General Manager of LEGO Education International. Having previously held leadership positions at Pearson and Penguin Random House UK, Tom is experienced in leading global teams through complex change management programs and creating partnership ecosystems. As a trustee of AQA, the UK’s leading assessment provider, and a former board member of the British Educational Suppliers Association, it’s no surprise to learn that Tom is passionate about the impact education can make for individuals and society around the world and is dedicated to using LEGO Education solutions to deliver STEAM learning to empower teachers and students. - In our conversation, Tom shares… - What he does in order to check out on Friday feeling calm - What it’s like leading in a cultural melting pot - And why you’re only as good as the system you’re operating in. Connect with Tom👇 LinkedIn: Hall Tom Twitter: @tomjhall

In this episode, I’m talking to Tom Sherrington – education consultant and author. With 30 years' experience as a teacher and school leader, Tom is now teaching teachers, through his ground-breaking series of WalkThru books – which, at the last count, are being used in 50 countries around the world. Everywhere from Brighton to Brazil, from Norwich to New Zealand. Tom also coaches through his blog, teacherhead.com, which has thousands of followers. Tom is in demand worldwide and works with hundreds of schools and colleges providing training and consultancy support to improve the quality of teaching.  As such, he is a regular keynote speaker at many education conferences and festivals.  In our conversation, Tom shares: *What the students did to him as a supply teacher *What an exhausted colleague did when the next class was arriving *And why - when he couldn’t see the wood for the trees - Tom went to see the trees… in the wood.

In this episode, I’m talking to Lara Milward, a NeuroLeadership Coach and athlete who has co-founded businesses in Leadership and Fitness.  She has worked in gender equality with Shine for Women and is a mentor for Resurgo. The official coach of Virgin’s Strive Challenge, Lara practises what she preaches - moving every day to challenge both mental and physical muscle and believes we all need to treat our mental muscle just like our physical muscle; giving it challenge, fuel, rest and recovery. In our conversation, Lara shares... The power of a starting gun,What happened when she tried her first mountain climb up the MatterhornAnd what she learnt about herself from witnessing her child in intensive care

Today, I’m talking to Marcia Gay Harden. An actress with 40 years’ experience on film, TV and Broadway, Marcia has won many awards including an Oscar and a Tony in a career that lists cult films like Miller’s Crossing, Pollock and Mystic River. She’s featured in (and been nominated for) many of her performances in TV shows like, The Newsroom, Uncoupled and - one of my personal favourites - The Morning Show.   Outside acting, her book, The Seasons of My Mother: A Memoir of Love, Family, and Flowers details her bond with her mother as they travelled the world, and how they dealt with her mother's Alzheimer's disease.  She is a vocal supporter of LGBTQ+ and is on the advisory board of Hearts of Gold, a New York charity that supports homeless women and their children. In our conversation - which is longer than normal by the way - Marcia shares: - Why her children go mad when she takes her work home - What the young Marcia would do when her father was coming home - And why, for her, the key to freedom is preparation.

In this episode, I’m talking to Daniel Priestley, entrepreneur, author and speaker.  Since the age of 21, he has started, bought and sold multiple businesses in training, publishing, IT services and tech.  He’s written best-selling books like Key Person of Influence, Oversubscribed and Entrepreneur Revolution - and is known for his work on entrepreneurship and business development, offering practical advice to entrepreneurs on scaling their business, personal branding and becoming influential within their industries.  In our conversation, Daniel discusses... The pressure of going through a buy-outWhat it’s like when your business goes from zero to a million in 12 monthsAnd why it should all be ‘fun and games’.

In this episode, I’m talking to Charlotte Cox, President Emea at Pentland Brands. With over 20 years of commercial experience - during which time she has had leadership roles for sporting brands like Canterbury of New Zealand, Mitre and Speedo – Charlotte has won regional awards such as Business Woman of the Year in 2019 and was a Future is Female European winner in 2020. Charlotte’s ambition is to get more people to support their mental and physical well-being by increasing participation in sports and outdoor activities. She’s also been instrumental in the development and delivery of the Pentland Brands global diversity and inclusion strategy.  In our conversation, Charlotte shares… What stopped her from picking up the telephone as a childHow team sports show up in businessAnd how she managed to reel in one of her colleagues with fishing

In this episode, I’m talking to Amanda Brennan, a coach and trainer of actors in Film, Television and Theatre. She runs an MA course in Screen Acting at Central School of Speech & Drama and is the author of two books, The Energetic Performer, published in 2016, and The Craft of Screen Acting, due out in 2024.  Amanda has also produced films that have been screened at the Raindance, Sundance and London Film Festivals.  She has most recently coached actors in TV shows like The Crown and Sex Education as well as forthcoming films like The Yellow Tie starring John Malkovich and Miranda Richardson. In our conversation, Amanda discusses… What she learnt from standing in the rain for half an hourWhat she can tell from looking at someone’s feet…And why the training for actors can be applied to all of us /everyone to perform better under pressure.

In this episode, I’m talking to Andy Salmon CMG and CBE who was a Royal Marine for 36 years.  A former Commandant General Head of service, his front-line work included the Falklands War, Sierra Leone, the Kurdish humanitarian crisis in Northern Iraq, the Civil War in Angola and lastly as Commanding General of Coalition Forces handing over Basra in 2009. Between 2011 & 2013 he built the crisis-management centre for NATO and was responsible for finding forces for their global operations including Afghanistan. Since retiring, he has founded Journey Through Conflict, a multi-media theatre company that creates performances to help alleviate suffering in people from myriad conflicts. He also takes elements of the performance into businesses to coach them in co-creating journeys to success. In our conversation, Andy reveals:  Why he used to carry around a crash helmet without having a motorbike,Why he believes in ‘Enforced Rest’And what memorable tactic he used to make sure his troop was awake before a big attack.

In this episode, I’m talking to Laura Try, a business founder who left it all behind to become an extreme adventurer. Having owned a beauty salon for nine years, Laura made the decision, aged 29, that her values no longer served her, and she wanted something different. Very different. The hunger for experiences and challenge meant firstly entering multi-day adventure races, then rowing 1,800 miles around Great Britain and, most recently, an attempt to be the fastest women’s boat rowing 3,000 miles across the Atlantic Ocean. In our conversation, Laura discusses  - What she means by Type-2 fun, - How you get around different personalities in a boat race, - And what she learned from trying to ignite a Bow Drill fire.

In this episode, I’m talking to Tamsin Addison, a member of the Irish Equestrian team for over 10 years now, who has enjoyed international wins on multiple horses, was placed in the top ten in the last European championships and became a Paralympian at the Tokyo Olympics Starting her career as a psychologist and undertaking a PhD on Pain in Sport, Tamsin was at the same time diagnosed with parosteal sarcoma in her right upper arm.  Determined not to let bone cancer hinder her passion for horse riding, Tamsin became the first person in the world to regrow an arm bone. After working in the corporate world for 20 years,  she was tempted to ride for her country and didn’t look back. She now runs her own business rehabilitating horses after injury or surgery and combines that with competing at national and international equestrian events. In our conversation, Tamsin reveals: Why she changed her phone passcode to a specific number in the futureThe mental and physical toll it took to re-grow her right armAnd what happened when someone told her that her horse was watching Netflix

Today, I'm having a conversation with Adam Garfunkel, a true pioneer in the world of sustainability. With an impressive 35-year career dedicated to creating positive change, Adam brings a wealth of knowledge and experience to the table. As a former campaigner and communications advisor, Adam has been at the forefront of driving sustainable practices across various industries. Now, as the co-owner of Junxion Strategy, an international consultancy firm, he is on a mission to help leaders shape the success stories of the purpose economy. Beyond his remarkable professional accomplishments, Adam's personal life is equally fascinating. Married with two daughters, he calls north London his home, where his family roots run deep. When he's not working towards a sustainable future, Adam finds joy in indulging in delicious food, cheering on his favourite football team, and cold-water swimming adventures.  During our conversation, Adam shares: What he learnt from Mr Patni while working in a vegetarian Indian restaurant. The importance of striving for something magnificent that makes the world a better place. What he gets from plunging into open water at three degrees above zero.