Life Beyond The Numbers

#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

#88 A Lifeline - Paul Wright

"A pacemaker is not a death sentence or even a life sentence, it's a lifeline. My role is to send the ladder down for other people. And that gives me a lot of satisfaction. Whether that's heart health, helping people who are going through the trauma of looking for work or people who've failed exams I've been there." Paul Wright
 
Paul Wright and I talk about finding purpose and how it might not always be something you are aware of early in your career. Paul had a pacemaker fitted in 2018 and he wondered about the purpose people of people who work at Medtronic ... and with some LinkedIn magic he found out! Paul shares how he has a different perspective on life and the impact that had on him personally and professionally. We chat about looking for work after 18 years in one organisation and what experience counts. Paul talks about helping others through mentoring, in communities and on LinkedIn and says if his experience isn't shared, it's just hindsight. We chat about his two keys to success (i) being brave in career choices and (ii) being yourself. And we talk about telling your story and creative writing. 
 
Paul Wright is a management accountant with over 20 years' post-qualification experience. He gathered senior leadership experience in a large, global energy company before moving into practice, supporting small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in an advisory capacity. Today, Paul continues to provide part time finance director support whilst pursuing a number of voluntary activities. Paul is married to Nicola, a head teacher, and has two grown-up daughters.
 
Connect with Paul
On LinkedIn
 
Resources Mentioned
Earl Bakken "One Man's Full Life" and Medtronic
Legacy by James Kerr
NASA purpose
Toastmasters International 
Episode 3 'Proud to be an Accountant' with Michelle Heer
 
 

#87 Susan Speaks - Susan Ni Chriodain

"I have wanted to do a solo episode for I don't know how long now. And it's something that I've really, really struggled with or battled with and found daunting." Susan
 
In this first solo episode I focus on voice, the gift of voice. I open up about my own thoughts around using voice, particularly in the service of others. I talk about the tension between the desire to do something and the challenge of doing it. And I share some of my writings on voice and the importance of speaking up, speaking out or just speaking. We don't need a loud voice to be heard. We only need to speak.
 
Numbers don't inspire us, people do. And this episode is inspired by so many people. I'm grateful to you all - those of you I've been lucky enough to meet and speak with and those of you whom I've never met but whose words encourage me nevertheless. And a special thank you goes to Kerry. You were right, I just had to start close in. 
 
Connect with Susan
Check out my website
On LinkedIn 
On Twitter
On Instagram
 
Resources Mentioned:
Greta Solomon, Heart, Sass and Soul. And guest on episode 80
Cassandra Speaks by Elizabeth Lesser
Nat Hunter, An Edge Walker, Episode 82
David Whyte and in particular his book Consolations: The Solace, Nourishment and Underlying Meaning Of Every Day Words
Episode 84, Sibling Special
Coaches Rising Training 
Alison Jones, Making Connections, Episode 58

#86 Bodily Intelligence - Madelaine Golec

"We don't have enough social practices or social norms around how to deal with our emotional and bodily intelligence. It's not something that is integrated in the way that we are being. And we are seeing on one side a great awakening where people are beginning to understand, wow, there's so much here that I didn't see, feel, connect with." Madelaine Golec
 
Madelaine and I begin this conversation exploring a quote from Thomas Hübl: "Movement is intelligence in action." We are both curious about presence, consciousness and bodily intelligence. How do we tune into the wisdom of our bodies, the meanings and purpose of sensations, feelings and emotions. We settle on anger as an example and that takes us to Will Smith at the Oscars and the slap that was felt around the world. Madelaine explains why she thinks we need a new paradigm of welcoming in our emotional and bodily intelligence, not to take over from our thinking but for all of them to work together in unison. We talk about the possible implications of disconnection from our bodily intelligence. And we discuss getting curious and doing our own inner work when we might rather bypass having to feel things or believe we can think our way into feeling differently. 
 
Madelaine Golec is a pelvic health physiotherapist and owner of a multidisciplinary clinic in Mississauga, Canada. As part of her professional development and growth she dove into the realm of trauma work, Poly-vagal theory and Somatic Experiencing to help her clients discover what is keeping them from achieving their health goals. She is now interested in applying these techniques in the business realm, to support deep inner work for entrepreneurs, business owners and professionals, who want to discover their patterns of self-sabotage/blockage preventing them from achieving their goals. Her approach focuses in what she calls, BQ: Body Intelligence, which is about tapping into the wisdom of the body, nervous system and subconscious through presence, attunement and relational healing. Rather than focusing on the content of the problem (story), she focuses on the context (what is happening in the body and nervous system as you engage with the problem). What is the patterned response that shows up in the body when you have to do something uncertain and unpredictable and she supports the nervous system into more regulation where the person can be more open, trusting, innovative and creative in their responses. She believes it is time to stop giving all our power to the IQ: Thinking Mind and open up to the vastness that lies beneath the Mind. 
 
Connect with Madelaine:
Website: BQ for Business COMING SOON! Email: info@bqforbusiness.com
Podcast Living A Better Life
On Instagram
TikTok handle is @madelainegolec
LinkTree
 
Resources Mentioned:
Episode 154 with Susan Living A Better Life
Thomas Hübl website
Coaches Rising Trainings
Will Smith at the Oscars

#85 Letting Go - John Purkiss (From the Archives)

"I realised, okay, so I've done all this left-brain clever stuff like accounting, finance, languages, strategy, marketing, dah, dah, dah. I feel suicidal. So clearly I am missing something. My father was in sales, my brother is in sales and I realised there were people who were far less academic than me who were leading much happier lives and were not trying to kill themselves." John Purkiss. 
 
John Purkiss finds himself drawn to anything that helps change the world in a positive way including in business, photography and writing books. Working as a headhunter John uses his training in banking and finance every day and shares the value of going beyond that to be far more effective. We talk about being present, the power of letting go and how letting go does not mean giving up but helps you become more powerful. Work-life balance John believes is a misnomer - how can you balance one thing that is part of the other?
 
John Purkiss studied economics at Cambridge University and has an MBA from INSEAD. He began his career with The First National Bank of Chicago, Mercury Asset Management and OC&C Strategy Consultants. John then co-founded a software company and worked in sales and marketing, in the UK, Belgium and France. He joined Heidrick & Struggles, where he set up and ran the CFO Practice in the London office and was promoted to partner. John is now a partner with August Leadership. He is the author of How To Be Headhunted, Brand You and The Power of Letting Go. www.johnpurkiss.com
 
Connect with John
On LinkedIn
On Instagram
Resources:
http://www.johnpurkiss.com/books/ 
http://nithyananda.org  
A Rich Man's Secret: An Amazing Story For Success, Ken Roberts
The Power of Now: A Guide to Spiritual Enlightenment, Eckhart Tolle
Headspace - Meditation and Sleep Made Simple