Life Beyond The Numbers

#98 The Best Deal - James Meads

"It's about working together based on your strengths to be able to get the best deal out of the supplier or to get the best relationship out of the supplier." James Meads
 
James Meads is a location-independent digital nomad. We chat about his choice from a cost-of-living perspective. And James asks why wouldn't we, given a choice, live somewhere where rent/mortgage and taxes are lower without risking any detriment to your quality of life? Of course you also need a professional background and skill set congruent to you doing that. His biggest challenge was finding enough remote-based work to be able to pay the bills, which ultimately led him down the route as more of a content creator. He now has an online media start-up and is passionate about shining a light on all the innovation and technology that's out there that can make day-to-day working lives easier by digitizing. James talks about procurement from the perspective of a business and explains the benefits of having people who have the knowledge and skills to buy, to get the best deal, to get value for money and to be of added value to a business. 
 
James Meads is the Founder of ProcurementSoftware.site, an online media platform for all things digital procurement. His passion for all things procurement tech came from the frustration of feeling like a well-paid admin assistant during his 16 years in corporate procurement. He passionately believes that procurement processes should be intuitive and the software must be user friendly. He loves being active in the mountains, by the sea, discovering good wine, smelly cheese, and avoiding cold weather. Currently location independent, he spends most of the year in the mountains of Bulgaria but escapes somewhere warmer during ski season.
 
Connect with James
On LinkedIn
Through his website
Listen to Procure Tech Podcast 
 
Resources Mentioned
Purchase to Pay Network 
Procure Tech Podcast episode with Melissa Drew
Procure Tech Podcast episode with Joël Collin-Demers

#97 Your Preferences - Becca Brighty

"I think there should be some sort of law that before you leave compulsory education, you have to do a psychometric on your preferences and how you respond to pressure." Becca Brighty
 
Becca Brighty is an organisational psychologist and we talk about some approaches, behaviours and preferences that are common in the workplace. First we cover failure. Becca promotes a fail fast culture and has developed her own 'Fail for Good' model based on the Kaizen (change for good) model. And she shares some ways to reframe failure as an everyday part of life, by asking
(1) What can I learn from this, and
(2) What great things are in my life because things didn't go according to plan. 
We spend some time going in-depth into imposter syndrome, confidence, inner confidence and why on every leadership program confidence isn't the first thing that's discussed. We talk about workplace engagement and the responsibility leaders have towards employees being engaged and happy at work. Becca believes there's no real reason why people should be miserable at work and aligning an individual's preferences, values, strengths and things they don't enjoy with those of the organisation and the role is the way forward. And Becca shares what she is learning following a recent ADHD diagnosis. 
 
Becca Brighty is an organisational psychologist and business coach, passionate about making a real difference to people’s working lives and organisational productivity. At Brighty People she helps businesses and employees discover long-term workplace happiness and success. Her powerful blend of organisational psychology and human behaviour analysis helps businesses and their employees find their best workplace fit between employer and employee - matching the right people to the right culture and roles. She is also trained in various personality testing, including Harrison Assessments. Her experience includes working as an Occupational Psychologist for the NHS. She also co-founded a values-based recruitment app. And Becca has also managed her own struggles with anxiety and imposter syndrome and knows how it feels not to believe in your own ability and how to challenge and overcome this thinking.
 
Connect with Becca
Her website Brighty People
On LinkedIn
 
Resources Mentioned
People and Culture Forum
Amy C. Edmondson and Psychological Safety
Imposter Syndrome Resources
Episode 96, Feeling Different with Siun Prochazka 

#96 Feeling Different - Siun Prochazka

"Basically you grow up feeling different or knowing you're different - it's not something that other people always pick up around you and it might come across as, 'oh, they're a bit slow' or 'they don't care' or 'they're a daydreamer' or, all of that. And those messages you pick up on them because you're wired to fit in." Siun Prochazka
 
Siun Prochazka talks to me about people who are neurodiverse with a particular focus on ADHD. Siun spent a large part of her career working with people with Autism and ADHD. And then at 35 she received an ADHD diagnosis. She talks about the impact of that her on personally and how it has shaped her professionally too. We spend time talking about how neurodiversity might show up in the workplace and Siun says: "All behaviour is communication" and we cover behaviours like perfectionism, masking, time blindness, impulsivity and more. Siun also explains the concept of rejection sensitivity dysphoria (RSD) - dysphoria means unbearable - and how with ADHD rejection and criticism, even perceived, can make you feel like your brain is being held hostage. We also talk about steps employers can take like having a strengths based approach and asking about behaviours, not making assumptions. Siun explains the different types of ADHD and how children might display these types and what it is like to grow up feeling different. 
 
Siun Prochazka founded Uniquely Wired Coaching and is an ADHD coach who works with adults and youths online, in person and in workplaces. She is passionate about supporting people with ADHD to become experts in their own unique wiring and learning to live life through their strengths. She spent much of her earlier career working with adults and young people with Autism, ADHD and other forms of neurodiversity in schools and in William Morris CampHill Communities. Following an ADHD diagnosis at 35 Siun retrained, first as a Life Coach and later, as an ADHD coach. 
 
Connect with Siun
Uniquely Wired Coaching website 
Uniquely Wired ADHDCoaching on Instagram
 
Resources Mentioned
Lisa Feldman Barrett
ADHD Ireland 
ADHD UK
CHADD USA
 
 

#95 Lessons Learned - Julian Roy

"a lot of the research ... was based around lessons learned. And one of the key things that came out of it is businesses, organisations, almost have a blueprint now. They've got something in place whereby if something did happen again, they would be prepared." Julian Roy
 
Julian Roy joined me to chat about research he undertook for his MBA thesis on the challenges faced by leaders during the pandemic. The common thread running through his research is empathy. Some leaders were forced into becoming more empathetic and had to learn how to do so. And as Julian says, the only way we become empathetic is by building trust and authentic relationships. We chatted about how middle and senior managers, in particular, just had to crack on, often forced to put on a brave face. We covered aspects of corporate culture, communication, connection and community. We talk about the benefit of hindsight, learning what matters most / what motivates people, office interactions and a hybrid work-life. He also found one thing that encompasses much of the research: if you look after your people, they will look after the numbers.  
 
Julian Roy is a Personal Development Consultant and Sales Trainer. He has recently completed an MBA at Salford. For his thesis his research focused on the challenges faced by sales leaders during the pandemic. Julian provides clients with tailor made training, guidance, mentoring and support and the necessary tools and support for them to broaden their perspective and open their minds, enabling goal achievement. Empowering others to realise their own self-worth and self-belief is a career driver for Julian.  
 
Connect with Julian
On LinkedIn
 
Resources Mentioned
Start with Why by Simon Sinek 

#94 This Feelings Business - Steve Haines (From the Archives)

“Feelings aren't a beacon of eternal truth. They're a negotiation. They're always real because they are a perception inside of you, but it doesn't mean that they are accurate, useful, or true they're things that need to be negotiated. We can reframe them and construct them differently.” Steve Haines
Steve Haines takes us in-depth on the transformative power of learning to connect with our bodies with the use of some great metaphors. He explains that the biggest decision we're making in a moment is “Am I safe or not?”  Steve explains that everybody gets triggered but we can learn how to reframe our feelings - how to have a feeling rather than the become a feeling. Steve says that the biggest predictor to a happy and healthy life is movement and the good news is “the best exercise, is exercise you're going to do”. 
 
Steve Haines has been a bodyworker for over 20 years, runs regular clinics in London and Geneva and teaches all over the world. He is the author of the award winning ‘Anxiety Is Really Strange’, part of a series of graphic books that includes ‘Pain Is Really Strange’, ‘Trauma Is Really Strange’ and 'Touch is Really Strange". Understanding the science of pain and trauma has transformed his approach to healing. He has studied Yoga, Shiatsu, Craniosacral Therapy, and Trauma Releasing Exercises TRE®.
 
Connect with Steve:https://bodycollege.net/ +
https://www.facebook.com/bodycollege/ +
On Twitter and on Instagram
And have a listen to episode 47
 

#93 Jet Lag - Emily Brown

"I grew up with a family myth about jet lag. We're Italian, my father's Italian 100 percent. And we would sit around the dinner table and just like chat and he would always tell the story of my foster brother, who the summer of 1971 was kidnapped and travelled non-stop Intercontinental for about four months. And then his grandmother suddenly died during the journey in a luxury hotel in Amsterdam." Emily Brown
 
Emily Brown had a love-hate relationship with her last job - she had a lot of purpose but was missing out on family life. So she quit. And began to write. She talks about her most recent work on the biography of jet-lag inspired by a family event in 1971 - her foster brother is related to the most fatal sufferer of jetlag, Sarah Krasnoff. This event has been widely reported and written about through the years but her brother's story had never been told. She is co-authoring this book with her Mom. And going beyond the looking at jet lag through the lens of flying only to draw parallels to how jet lag might be showing up in other parts of our lives. We talk about sleep, natural light and balance.
 
Emily Ross Brown has studied jetlag since 2015 and holds a Masters of Science in Hospitality Management. Brown was a 2000 Addy Award team recipient and has had her ideas featured by The Baltimore Sun. Brown was a feature writer for spinrecords.com (owned by Ice-T) and has been published in numerous Maryland publications. Brown began blogging about non-traditional career transitions in 2016. She is the author of two children’s books, a musical and the co-author of Biography of Jetlag, an historic nonfiction narrative. When not writing or caring for her family, Brown is a community organizer and leader, and a political advocate for education equity. 
 
Connect with Emily
Through her website 
TheJetLagProject on YouTube
Email her on emily@thejetlagprojectatgmail.com
 
Resources Mentioned
Lena Dunham
Jamie Lee Curtis
Little Bird by Camilla Way
Paul Virilio on Jetlag
Liz Diller 
Shawn Coyne The Story Grid Podcast
The Global Soul by Pico Iyer
Will Smith at the 2022 Oscars
 
 
 

#92 A Common Goal - Dougal Freeman

"And the tension sometimes in the office was palpable. And to get things done you had to start to think about how to keep people on a common goal, despite some of the rivalry or politics that people brought with them to the office." Dougal Freeman
 
Dougal Freeman was working in Iraq during the second Gulf war and narrowly escaped the Canal Hotel bombing in 2003. Based in Jordan with Care Australia he talks about some of the realities of humanitarian work and about the kidnapping and subsequent murder of his boss. Dougal's experience is far from ordinary and he paints a vivid picture of his work-life in agri-businesses in Africa and in the commercial and not-for-profit sectors. He is so much more than the number's person and we talk about understanding people and getting people working toward a common goal, particularly when tensions are high. We also talk about impact, value addition and value destruction and how crucial it is that people in management and teams really care about what they do. 
 
Dougal Freeman is an accomplished CFO with more than two decades of global experience spanning the private sector, NGOs and not-for-profits. He has worked extensively across Africa and the Middle East for major international charities, food and agribusiness organisations, and then held Deputy CEO and Finance Director roles in public health consultancy and for a Nobel Prize-winning charity in the UK. He worked with Global Alliance for Improved Nutrition (GAIN) in Switzerland as CFO for six years. Currently he is the outgoing CFO and board member for Oxford Policy Management (OPM), an international development consultancy, where he leads finance strategy and operations, and plays an integral role in the broader growth and performance of the organisation.
 
Connect with Dougal:
On LinkedIn
 
Resources Mentioned:
Ol Pejeta Conservancy
Photographer Ami Vitale
Uhuru Flowers, Kenya
Hawala System
Canal Hotel Bombing, Iraq, 2003
Margaret Hussain kidnap and murder
Access to Nutrition Index ATNI

#91 Mental Fitness - Kirsty Ritchie

"We chose the term mental fitness because in our mind, it's positive because we think of it in connection with our physical fitness. And our hope is that one day we consider going to a psychotherapist in exactly the same way as we wouldn't think twice about going to a personal trainer." Kirsty Ritchie
 
Kirsty Ritchie and I chat about mental fitness. Kirsty says our ability to be the best person we can be requires autonomy and our own self power. We chat about how living our values is key in order to be who we are. And we chat about bringing back humanity and human conversations to the workplace and making sure that workplaces are psychologically safe places to be, allowing us to thrive. Kirsty goes through some of the signs of toxic workplaces and kindly shares her own experience of bullying and harassment at work where, she says, there was ignorance and tolerance of poor behaviours. And we talk about trust and Kirsty introduces a trust equation. 
 
Kirsty Ritchie FCCA MNCS Accred. started her working life as an office junior at Pringle of Scotland and after 10 years in manufacturing finance roles, she moved to Edinburgh and into financial services. Her last corporate position was in banking, where adapting to change had become a critical skill. She saw through the global crisis and witnessed the aftermath on people’s mental health and careers. After personally experiencing bullying and harrassment in the workplace, Kirsty had a strong desire to support people in crisis leading her to retrain as a psychotherapist. She now combines this with her corporate experience. Kirsty still tutors students and coaches Financial Services Apprenticeship Programme participants. She also supports the charity Place2Be, supporting primary school children in crisis.
 
Connect with Kirsty:
Mind and Mission website
On email kirsty@mindandmission.com
And on LinkedIn
 
Resources Mentioned:
Leaders in Lockdown by Atholl Duncan
 

#90 The Way You Make Me Feel - Guests from ’22

"And I've no doubt that these stories and indeed the stories that all guests share, evoke different memories, emotions, and feelings for you. And I always love to hear them. So please feel free to send me your thoughts. What were your favorite snippets? What were your favourite episodes? Who would you like to hear more from?" Susan
 
This is a compilation episode and includes snippets from the following guests
7:30 Dr. Susanne Evans on the impact of change (Episode 83)
9:00 Travis L. Scott on cognitive entrenchment (Episode 78)
10:45 Greta Solomon on being true to yourself (Episode 80)
13:10 Emma O'Brien's career corner (Episode 76)
16:45 Mason Cosby on helping others (Episode 81)
20:50 Paul Wright on mentoring (Episode 88) 
25:25 Nat Hunter on designing for the future (Episode 82)
35:05 Philip Oliver on diving for diamonds (Episode 73)
 
Connect with Susan
By email: susan@beyond-thenumbers.com
On LinkedIn, Instagram or Twitter too!
 

#89 Permission - Antonia Taylor

"This week I found myself .... I don't know if I was having a reflective moment ... but I've realised that I'm still in the habit of seeking permission and I was thinking about if I wasn't always looking elsewhere for permission I wonder what I would have achieved?" Antonia Taylor
 
Antonia Taylor left the corporate PR agency world 10 years ago to work for herself and in this episode she reflects on this journey - one of freedom and possibility. We chat about 
- what was hard to let go of: the relationship between time and money
- what she missed: not being part of a team 
- some of her learnings: she describes working for herself as the biggest self-development journey. We cover the importance of a growth mindset, knowing your values,  permission, how we all have everything we need inside, asking for help and being yourself
And we finish up chatting about a couple of her highlights. 
 
Antonia Taylor began her PR career in London agency life. She cares wholeheartedly about PR’s impact and started Antonia Taylor PR to stay front-line for her clients, building relationships that endure. Working flexibly, she brings in resource from industry peers for changing business needs; PR success is grounded in working as an extension of your team. PR is no longer just PR and Antonia recognises that businesses need a creative 360-degree comms strategy to connect with their audiences authentically. Her sweet spot is tech, professional services and scaling start-ups. Being at home more for her family – attached to her laptop and working all hours, in between hugs, ballet and football training – also matters to Antonia.
 
Connect with Antonia:
Through her website
On LinkedIn, Instagram and Twitter
 
Resources Mentioned:
Greta Solomon, Episode 80, Why Do I Have to Fake It?
London Writer's Salon
Alison Jone's Book Proposal Challenge
Phil Pallen brand strategist
Danielle LaPorte Heart Centered content
Career Comeback Article in RED Magazine