Anatomy of a Leader with Maria Hvorostovsky

This episode is personal. Maria Hvorostovsky sits down with the man who repaired her heart - Mr Toufan Bahrami, one of the world's leading cardiac surgeons and the only surgeon in the UK performing fully endoscopic mitral valve repair. With over 4,000 procedures and multiple world firsts, he is the surgeon other surgeons refer their patients to. What starts as a conversation about heart surger...

You have 23 seconds before your doctor interrupts you — what do you say? If you’ve ever felt dismissed, rushed, or unsure how to explain your symptoms, this episode will change the way you speak so you’re actually heard. In this episode of Anatomy of a Leader, Maria Hvorostovsky sits down with Penny Parkes, author of How to Talk So Your Doctor Will Listen, to explore how patients can communicate c...

Two heart surgeons looked at the same heart and gave me opposite advice. One said plan surgery. The other said wait. At 42, in the best shape of my life, I was diagnosed with mitral valve prolapse with severe regurgitation. And suddenly I had to answer a question I never expected to face: 👉 Do I operate now — or can I safely wait? This is Part 2 of my heart story. In this episode, I break down ex...

I never thought heart disease would be part of my story. At 42, in the best shape of my life, I was diagnosed with mitral valve prolapse and severe regurgitation. What started as a strange episode during a workout turned into months of fear, waiting, uncertainty, and eventually heart surgery. This is Part 1 of My Heart Story. In this episode of Anatomy of a Leader, I share what it was really like...

What happens when a kid who didn’t speak English and didn’t touch a computer until 15 goes on to lead some of the biggest AI and automation programmes in the world? Meet Danilo McGarry — a global AI expert, automation pioneer and digital transformation leader who has worked across organisations like Citigroup, UnitedHealth Group, Royal Bank of Canada and Alter Domus, helping companies redesign how...

What happens when extreme ambition meets an unregulated nervous system? In this episode of Anatomy of a Leader, Maria sits down with John Skelton — co-founder of cult concept store LN-CC, former buyer at Selfridges and Harrods, and founder of mental health project Hearted — to explore what really happens behind high-performance careers. John shares how he rose fast inside the fashion industry, hel...

After being made redundant with two young kids, Elizabeth Willetts couldn’t find a flexible, senior role, so she created one. She founded Investing in Women — a platform helping women find flexible, part-time and meaningful work. In this episode, Maria Hvorostovsky talks to Elizabeth about how recruitment is changing, why flexible working is the key to closing the gender pay gap, and why ‘you cann...

Join the waitlist get Anatomy of a Leader Diary: https://bit.ly/4qkvC3M How did Jane Means go from wrapping gifts at her kitchen table to working with Chanel and Dior? In this episode of Anatomy of a Leader , host Maria Hvorostovsky speaks with the “Queen of Gift-Wrapping” about building a luxury business from scratch, going viral on social media, and creating sustainable designs for high-profile...

On June 19th, 2025, my heart was stopped. And restarted. I had robotic heart surgery to repair a valve, but what it healed went far beyond the physical.  This short video is about what breaks us open… and how we begin again. This is not just a story about surgery, it’s about identity, rebirth, and the quiet strength it takes to come back different. Regular programming will resume in September, as...

Pre-order Anatomy of a Leader Diary here: https://stan.store/mariahvo/ 📖 Buy me a coffee: https://buymeacoffee.com/anatomyofaleader ☕️ —- Work-life balance is a lie. In this episode, I open up about my recent health challenge - a heart condition called mitral valve prolapse - that forced me to completely rethink how I work, live, and lead. I share how the Anatomy of a Leader brand is evolving an...

Buy the book: https://amzn.to/3WLo8cXThis week I welcome back Alison Cork— lifestyle expert, author and former food critic transformed her life by losing five stone and reclaiming her health. Inspired by her journey, she wrote “Fit and Fabulous Over 50” to show you how to rewire your second act! If you want practical health tips or motivation to make the most of your second act (or even your first...

Meet Mary Ann Sieghart. She’s the former Assistant Editor of the Times, Ted speaker and author. She’s here to expose why women are not taken as seriously as men and show us how to close that gap for good. If you care about understanding and dismantling the biases that hold women back—and creating a more equal and fair world—this is an episode you can’t afford to miss. Timestamps:00:00 - Introducti...

BUY THE BOOKS: The Crazy Busy Cure - https://amzn.to/3W7WuGB Badly Behaved People - https://amzn.to/3DUSKlx   Happy New Year, my fellow leaders! The holiday season can leave us feeling overwhelmed, and as we dive into 2025, let’s ditch the phrase, “I’ve been crazy busy,” for good. I’m thrilled to bring you this conversation with Zena Everett—a leadership coach, dynamic speaker, and author of Mind...

🎄✨ Merry Christmas, everyone! ✨🎄Wishing you a holiday season filled with warmth, love, and joy. Whether you’re celebrating big or keeping it cosy, we hope your Christmas is full of special moments with the ones you love. This week, I sat down with my little elves - my kids! - to chat about all things festive. We talked about the house hierarchy, what they would do if they were in charge of Chr...

https://form.typeform.com/to/eDtmkFff: Join the waitlist for Anatomy of a Leader events. Gen Z isn’t the problem—it’s the way we manage them. We’ve heard it all: Gen Z is lazy, entitled, and lacks work ethic. But are they really the issue, or have we just not figured out how to lead them effectively? This week, I’m excited to welcome back Heather Elkington—leadership coach, TEDx speaker, and socia...

https://form.typeform.com/to/eDtmkFff: Join the waitlist for Anatomy of a Leader events. Meet Aigul Ahmetshina. She’s a Kazan-born opera star and the youngest mezzo-soprano to perform Carmen at the Royal Opera House. Aigul is here to show you that no dream is too big. Timestamps: 00:00 - Introduction 03:01 - How it All Started 18:06 - Building a Technique and Finding Her Voice 19:12 - Facing Doubt...

Download CV Template and Action Verbs List here: https://stan.store/mariahvo What should I include in my CV to showcase my achievements? How can I present my experience in a way that stands out? What keywords should I use to get noticed by recruiters? How do I tailor my CV to a specific position? Do any of these questions sound familiar? If that's the case, this episode is definitely for you. I’ll...

https://form.typeform.com/to/eDtmkFff: Join the waitlist for Anatomy of a Leader events Meet Dani DMC. She’s an influencer, plus-size model and confidence activist. She’s here to show you that confidence starts from within, and what real self-love looks like. If you want to learn to love yourself, need some confidence tips or just a confidence boost, then this episode is for you. Timestamps: 00:00...

https://form.typeform.com/to/eDtmkFff: Join the waitlist for Anatomy of a Leader events Meet Alyne Tamir aka Dear Alyne - digital nomad, former content creator and first ever woman to own a luxury resort in the Maldives. She is here to tell you that you too can reinvent your life. If you’re looking to reinvent yourself, then this episode is for you. Timestamps: 00:00 - Introduction 02:40 - Who is...

Join the waitlist for Anatomy of a Leader events:  https://form.typeform.com/to/eDtmkFff Hannah Holland is the founder and CEO of HLD Talent. She’s here to spill insider secrets on how to dominate the digital, podcast, and broadcast space. If you want to understand social media better, or are trying to get a talent agency to notice you, then this episode is for you. Timestamps: 00:00 - Introductio...

Vote for us here: https://www.britishpodcastawards.com/voting This week’s guest broke into the acting industry in her 40s. All thanks to social media. This week I revisited my chat with Clara Batten, TikTok comedy content creator, actress and author of “Gin and Phonics”. Clara tells me about the differences of being an actor then and now, how social media can bring exciting and unexpected opportun...

Vote for us here: https://www.britishpodcastawards.com/voting This week I revisited my chat with Louise Howells, a leadership coach and entrepreneur. In this episode we talk about how being promoted doesn’t necessarily mean you should lead, and why your team is the most important thing as a leader. Louise also offers some tips on the do’s and don’ts for new managers. If you’re a recently promoted...

Vote for us here: https://www.britishpodcastawards.com/voting The Olympics have just come to an end, which reminded me of a conversation I had with former sweep rower and Olympic gold medalist, Grace Prendergast. If you’re mourning the end of the Olympics, or even if you’re trying to find your passion or thinking of transitioning careers, then this episode is for you! Grace Prendergast: LinkedIn:...

Vote for us here: https://www.britishpodcastawards.com/voting This week, I revisited my chat with Aaron Knightley, an investor, TikToker and business owner, where we talk about when and why you should quiet quit, why a lot of people hate their jobs, learning financial literacy and how to avoid falling down the rabbit hole of chasing a higher life. If you’re sick of your 9 to 5 or need to learn how...

Vote for us here: https://www.britishpodcastawards.com/voting You can’t lead if you can't take care of yourself. This week I revisited my chat with Angela Cretu, the former CEO of Avon, where she talks about choosing not to do it all, nurturing your support network and taking reset moments. If you’re overwhelmed, anxious, burnt out or all three, and need some positivity as well as tips on how...