She Leads Collective Podcast: stories, allyship and confidence tools for women

Send us Fan Mail What sits beneath success… when it no longer feels like enough? In this reflective solo episode, Mary Gregory closes Season 2 of the She Leads Collective Podcast by exploring the deeper patterns that have emerged across this series of conversations. From identity shifts and invisible pressure, to systemic bias and the “undiscussables” that quietly shape how we lead—this episode br...

Send us Fan Mail What happens when the story of being a “good mother” becomes impossible to live up to? In this honest and powerful conversation, Mary Gregory is joined by entrepreneur, speaker and F*** Mum Guilt founder Leila Green to explore motherhood, identity, work, masking, unrealistic expectations and the hidden pressures women carry when they return to work after having children. Together...

Send us Fan Mail What happens when you’ve done everything right in your career, delivered results, built credibility, and yet still find yourself wondering, is this really it ? In this episode of the She Leads Collective Podcast , Mary Gregory is joined by Deboleena Dasgupta , a senior people, culture and change leader with a 25-year career in global banking, including leadership roles at HSBC, St...

Send us Fan Mail What if the way we’ve designed work is quietly undermining the performance we say we want? In this episode, Mary is joined by journalist, speaker and leadership consultant Harriet Minter —founder of The Guardian’s Women in Leadership section and partner at Leap Leadership —to explore why “always-on” has become normal, what it’s doing to our brains and culture, and how we can build...

Send us Fan Mail When we talk about gender equity at work, we often focus on bias, representation and leadership behaviour. But equity according to whose cultural rules? In this episode, I’m joined by Victoria Rennoldson , best-selling author of Become a Global Leader and founder of Culture Cuppa. Victoria specialises in cultural intelligence and global leadership, helping organisations navigate c...

Send us Fan Mail As International Women’s Day approaches, the invitation in this episode is to reflect on this year’s theme: Give to Gain . But what happens when women are already giving — generously, consistently, and often invisibly? In this honest and deeply human conversation, Mary Gregory speaks with senior leader and long-time collaborator Sinead Laverty about: The moment Sinead realised she...

Send us Fan Mail What if women’s safety stopped being framed as something women have to manage — and started being treated as a societal responsibility we all share? In this episode of the She Leads Collective Podcast , Mary Gregory is joined by Amy Watson , social impact entrepreneur and founder of HASSL — a global movement and social enterprise tackling harassment and violence against women at t...

Send us Fan Mail What does it really mean to be a resilient leader — and how is that different from simply being resilient and pushing through? Mary Gregory is joined by Alex Webb and Skye Deane , co-founders of Resilient Women Leaders , for a warm, practical conversation about navigating career headwinds , rebuilding confidence, and leading sustainably through uncertainty, change — and even crisi...

Send us Fan Mail What happens when success comes at too high a cost — and your body forces you to stop? In this powerful and deeply human conversation, I’m joined once again by Lee Chambers , this time to explore his own leadership journey — one shaped by ambition, adversity, caregiving, and profound personal transformation. Lee shares how burnout and serious illness in his twenties led him to rel...

Send us Fan Mail What if one of the most powerful things a leader can do isn’t to fix others — but to understand themselves first? In this episode of the She Leads Collective Podcast , I’m joined by Lucy Philip , winner of Best Female Leader at the Best Business Women Awards, founder of Purposefully Blended (now celebrating 10 years), former nurse, coach, and single parent to three children. Lucy...

Send us Fan Mail Part 2 of 2 episodes with Penny De Valk. Why are organisations still losing talented women — and why does this pattern persist, even when leaders genuinely want things to change? In this second episode of a two-part conversation, Mary Gregory and Penny De Valk move beyond individual leadership journeys to examine the systems shaping women’s experiences at work today. Drawing on Pe...

Send us Fan Mail Why are so many talented women still walking out of organisations — despite decades of investment in leadership development, diversity initiatives and good intent? In Part 1 of this two-part conversation, Mary Gregory is joined by Penny De Valk — former MD, CEO and Board Director, and now a global leadership development expert working across the UK, New Zealand and the US. Penny s...

Send us Fan Mail In this opening episode of Season 2 of the She Leads Collective Podcast , Mary Gregory reflects on why this podcast still matters — and why now. At a time when there’s a growing narrative that “enough has been done” on gender equity, Mary explores the gap between perception and lived experience. Drawing on her decades of leadership experience and years of coaching women leaders an...

Send us Fan Mail As we look towards the future of gender equity, we often focus our attention on women and girls. But boys and girls don’t grow up in separate worlds — they learn together, socialise together, challenge one another, and eventually work and lead together. So if we want a future that is safer and more equitable for women, we must also understand the boys who will become the men of to...

Send us Fan Mail In this Season One finale of the She Leads Collective Podcast, Mary Gregory shares five powerful leadership lessons that will shape the future of work in 2026. Drawing on 26 episodes and 24 remarkable guests, Mary reflects on the themes of humanity, allyship, visibility, the undiscussables, and the evolving definition of power in leadership. Season One of the She Leads Collective...

Send us Fan Mail What if the talent your organisation needs isn’t in plain sight? Creative maverick,  coach, producer and writer Fiona Lindsay joins me to unpack radical non-judgment , deep listening and the power of story to help people feel seen, speak with impact and thrive. This week I’m joined by Fiona Lindsay —founder of Awaken Her , creative producer, writer and globally acclaimed coach who...

Send us Fan Mail In this short International Men’s Day bonus episode, Mary reflects on why women cannot create systemic gender equity alone — and why understanding and engaging men is essential for real change. This special bonus episode marks International Men’s Day with a powerful reflection on the vital role men play in creating gender-equitable workplaces. Drawing on conversations with four po...

Send us Fan Mail What happens when someone who never liked football ends up helping to change the game—forever? Karen Dobres, former Lewes FC director and author of Pitch Invasion , joins me to share how “Equality FC” became the first club to equally resource their men’s and women’s teams, and what that taught her about leadership, allyship, and challenging the status quo. Love it or loathe it, fo...

Send us Fan Mail What if the very system we’ve been trained to succeed in is holding all of us back? Inclusive leadership and male-allyship specialist Daniele Fiandaca joins me to explore healthier masculinity, practical ways to include men in DEI, and why empathy is a leadership muscle—not a “female” trait. In this conversation, Daniele (founder of Token Man and co-founder of Hard as Nails ) expl...

Send us Fan Mail What would change if you gave yourself full permission—not just to lead—but to speak with courage, clarity and intention? In this uplifting conversation, lawyer-turned-coach, TEDx licence holder and “Queen of Joy” Ronke Kokoruwe shares how women can stop waiting to “feel confident” and start speaking from intention, presence and joy. We trace Ronke’s journey from the law to coachi...

Send us Fan Mail Are women-only leadership programmes a solution—or part of the problem? Dr Rob Sayers Brown joins me to explore leadership identity, human vs social capital, and why inclusive design must go deeper than “fix the woman.” In this candid conversation, occupational psychologist Dr Rob Sayers Brown unpacks what actually helps women (and other under-represented leaders) thrive. Drawing...

Send us Fan Mail This week on the She Leads Collective Podcast , host Mary Gregory is joined by Vanessa White , accredited Relationship and Divorce Master Coach, to mark Domestic Violence Awareness Month . Together they open up an important and often hidden conversation: how abuse at home can impact confidence, performance, and leadership at work. Vanessa shares her lived experience of domestic ab...

Send us Fan Mail Released the week of World Menopause Day (18 October) , this episode features Helen Tomlinson, the UK’s first Menopause Employment Champion . She shares why midlife isn’t a decline—it’s a power stage—and how employers can move from token gestures to real culture change.  What happens when a musical-theatre dream becomes a mission to transform workplaces for millions of women? Hele...

Send us Fan Mail What happens when the loss that shapes your life is the one the world rarely talks about? In this deeply human conversation released to mark Baby Loss Awareness Week (9–15 October, UK) , Shelley Kay —Talent & Development Business Partner and co-lead of the Gender Perspectives Network at the Adecco Group—shares her personal experience of five miscarriages and how she transforme...

Send us Fan Mail What does it take to turn good intentions into real change? In this conversation, Robert Baker —founder of Potentia Talent Consulting, board member at European Women on Boards , UN Women UK , and Women in Quantum Development , and former co-president of PWN Global —shares how to engage men as allies and build inclusive, gender-balanced cultures that last.  We explore the “aha” mom...