The Discomfort Practice

In this episode of the Discomfort Practice, I talk with Nik Govier, the Founder & CEO of Blurred - a fast growing global management, sustainability and communications consultancy based in London. She is a regular feature in PR Week's Top 10 Power List and was named PR Communicator of the Year in 2021. But the last five years have been a whirlwind of personal challenges and change, from leaving her...

In this solo episode, I reflect on the chaos, the confusion and the landing back in Spain after 3.5 happy months in Mexico. I wonder 'Did I do the right thing in coming back here?' muse aloud about 'Why am I here?' and navigate through my own process of feeling like I've landed in chaos... and I'm not sure why. I share a reading from the School of Metaphysics, where each Module I study as I go thr...

In this episode of the Discomfort Practice, I talk with entrepreneur, author and someone I'm rather a big fan of, Margaret Heffernan. We chat about Margaret's sixth book Uncharted, which lays out an inspiring picture of what can lie on the other side of uncertainty - which is a discomfort we as humans naturally avoid. We also dive into her own practice of surrendering to experiencing discomfort, b...

I sat down to intentionally record this episode without any notes and with minimal preparation, because I felt strongly this was a message that needed to come through me. It's one I needed to articulate and it's something someone out there needs to hear. The message is this: turn off the external noise so you can hear yourself and tap into your own wisdom. I've been given wise counsel and channele...

In this episode of the Discomfort Practice, I talk with Dan Schnur. We chat about the discomfort of his career trajectory: going from being one of the top Republican political strategists and campaign officials in the US to leaving and not affiliating with any political party. (In a bi-partisan political system where you've been a big player, that's a big move.) Dan gives an elegant master class i...

In this episode of the Discomfort Practice, I talk with my former client, friend and general badass Selina Donald. Selina has done so much already in her life, so prepare yourself to be inspired to think differently. She has worked on large-scale events, such as the Olympic and Para-Olympic opening and closing ceremonies and Vivian Westwood's climate revolution. She worked on England's 2018 World...

How can you create habits that support you through times of stress, that help you to create milestones in your day and life, to function optimally? In this solo episode I share ways in which I have created more rituals over the past year and talk listeners through the science-based approach I teach clients to set habits. My intention in recording this solo is to help others consider how they might...

In this episode of the Discomfort Practice, I talk with innovator and designer (among many other things) Leyla Acaroglu. We chat about how small incremental changes are not enough any more to save society from climate change impact, but instead need to change systems and approaches to regenerate our planet, in order to survive. We discuss how important design is in creating that change and take li...

In this episode of the Discomfort Practice, I talk with political scientist and economist Pilar Garrido. We chat about her experience leading a sustainable economic development policy in Costa Rica for a green and inclusive economy, as well as designing innovative financial instruments for critical public investment projects. We will also get into what adaptation for climate change is. Pilar leads...

If you've listened to some of my recent solos and interviews, you'll have picked up that I'm on the cusp of entering a new stage of life. I've packed up my life in Barcelona, put my things in storage, finished up my academic year as a Professor and am headed to Mexico on a one-way ticket in just a few days. The preparation for leaving one stage of life and stepping into the next has gotten me thin...

In this episode, I chat with a young leader who got me excited and optimistic about the future. Daze Aghaji is a climate justice, regeneration & well-being activist with a fascinating story and a skill at delivering it. You are in for a real treat with this interview, as. Daze shares how growing up with an awareness of climate change has shaped her and Generation Z. We talk about how climate chang...

In this episode, I chat with the Founder & CEO of IONATE, inventor Matthew Williams. He is a systems architect by nature, mechatronic engineer by education, design leader and facilitator by passion. Having spent his career in the front seat of global systems-engineering companies, Matthew is equipped with a unique insight on how to build the most efficient electrical systems. Sustainability and wh...

In this solo episode I 'think out loud' about what has been coming up for me during a time of stress and anxiety, as I transition from one stage of life to the unknown of the next. Prompted by a recent podcast episode by Shaman Durek on 'witnessing all parts of ourselves,' I ask myself and you, the listener, questions like: What do you default to when you're anxious? What parts of your shadow side...

In this episode, I chat with Leadership Coach and Founder of Inspire My Day – Tiffany Cheng. Tiffany shares what she learned from growing up in China and the disappointment she felt from her parents; who left her with her grandparents because she was not a boy. We talk about the work/life culture difference she has found living in Belgium, and the discomfort of juggling her corporate goal led care...

In this episode, I am super excited to welcome back, Traver Boehm. This is his second time in this podcast - and that is because he is awesome (which you will discover when you listen). Traver founded the UNcivilized men's movement, and is inspiring millions of men around the world to shift their experience of masculinity by combining the primal masculine with the divine masculine, combining stren...

In this solo episode, I warmly welcome you to Season 4 of the Discomfort Practice podcast. As always, in this new season, you will find conversations with creatives, activists, leaders, scientists and a host of others about conscious discomfort, the role it's played in their lives and the value of discomfort in us moving forward as a society. But what's going to be a new 'take' on discomfort – and...

As with all of my solo episodes of The Discomfort Practice, in thise one I share what's on my mind just now, and it's the most personal I've gotten yet. In fact, I even get a bit weepy. I talk about walking into The Void - the shapeless, undefined unknown in which all things are unclear. It's a bit anxiety-inducing at times, but it's also the place where evolution and transformation take place. I...

In this episode of The Discomfort Practice, I sit are with someone who has truly 'walked his talk' - and is still walking it in a very impactful way. Paul Dunnis a four times TEDx speaker and was one of the first 10 People in Hewlett Packard Australia. After starting at HP - one of Australia's first computer companies - he founded the Results Corporation, where he's worked with more than23,000 bus...

In this episode, my guest is someone whose work I have followed for a while and am always impressed by. She's also part of a 'power couple' I admire deeply. Kim Polman is an international public speaker, a polymath, and a citizen of the world. She's an American by birth, has lived all over the world and has lived in London (where she's now based) for many years. She's been an environmentalist for...

I've been on a roll with solo episodes, after admitting they are part of my discomfort practice. And then I met the summer 2022 heatwave in Europe. Barcelona summers are usually brutal, but this one has been particularly rough. But it's also been quite clarifying. Having very little energy creates utility: what do I actually want to put my energy into? Extreme weather, discomfort, pressure - all o...

Back due to popular demand, here's a bonus meditation for you. I lead you through a meditation on the question 'What do I need to give myself?' Whether you're tired and stressed or feeling fine it's a great question to ask yourself regularly. Because as the great RuPaul says (I love drag queens, so here you go): 'Honey if you can't love yourself how the hell you gonna love someone else?' EXACTLY....

In this solo episode, I ask 'What do you want to suck at?' Because if you want to be good at something, you need to suck at it first. So perhaps ask yourself 'What have I always wanted to try or to be good at?' I share my thoughts on trying new things - or not! - because you're afraid you're going to suck at it. Oliver Berkman, a great writer, talks about sucking at things. The experience of sucki...

In this episode of The Discomfort Practice, I am joined by a rock star in his industry, Matt Peacock. Matt is currently a partner at a London-based strategic and creative advisory firm called Blurred, where he provides specialist counsel to clients on Environment, Social and Governance (ESG), risk, sustainability, social purpose, and corporate transparency.  Together, Matt and I discuss important...

In this episode, I'm speaking with someone I've known for many years - the fabulous Shannon Houde. Shannon is the founder of Walk Of Life Coaching, and for more than two decades, she's mentored and trained over 1000 change leaders, and used over 3000 hours with them to maximize their personal brands to advance impactful careers. She's had her own impact on the world by helping others find theirs a...

In this episode, I'm excited to speak to David Richman. David is an entrepreneur, author, public speaker, endurance athlete, and philanthropist who brings the lessons learned in his life to enrich and inspire others. He pushed out of his comfort zone as a sedentary, overweight smoker stuck in an abusive and unhealthy marriage to seek true satisfaction in his life. That meant quitting an addiction...