Keeping It Real with Jac and Ral

…How did she talk me into this one??? Kylie Minogue's documentary on Netflix dropped and Ral decided we should do an episode on it. Not for the sequins, but for the sparkling career strategy Kylie has put in place! Turns out the girl next door built her whole reinvention playbook on advice from two bad boys: Michael Hutchence and Nick Cave. Not exactly who you'd expect to hand out career w...

Ever held on to something which wasn’t working because you felt you’d “invested” and your fear of what was next outweighed your current shitshow?   In this episode Ral shares some personal stories of letting go and how it helped her to go forward way more than if she’d stayed put!   Jac reminds us hope isn’t a strategy and why we should all embrace uncertainty because it’s not about our mistakes…...

"Follow your passion." Sounds inspiring, right? Wrong. Jac and Ral reckon this might be the worst career advice and they're not sorry about it.   In this episode, they unpack why passion is wildly overrated as a career compass, what mastery has to do with it, and tackle the two big questions: What's the difference between loving your job and being passionate about it? What happen...

Find out why cancelling this one thing as a leader loses you the most money…   In this episode Jac & Ral dive deep into a massive blind spot for many leaders: the appreciation gap. While nearly 60% of managers believe they regularly recognise their team, just over a third of employees say they actually receive that recognition.   Ral and Jack unpack why traditional leadership styles have taugh...

Feeling tension, friction, or total exhaustion at work, but can’t quite put your finger on why? It might not be the workload… it might be a misalignment of values.   In this episode of  Keeping it Real , Jac and Ral tackle the real culprit behind career unhappiness, when your personal values clash with your job, your leadership, or even your clients. Sharing raw, firsthand experiences, they break...

Oh, the joy. Your work bestie - the same one you shared eye-rolls with in the Monday morning status update, just got promoted. And yes, they are now your boss. Deep breaths…   Jac and Ral are here to save your career (and your sanity). In this episode, we tackle the awkward, ego-bruising reality of what happens when a peer becomes your manager.   What we unpack: For you: How to congratulate your c...

In a world rapidly dominated by technology and AI prompts, how do you actually stand out?   It’s getting better at being human.   In this episode we dive into the newly developed  Future Fluency Index  to explore the single biggest blind spot in corporate AI adoption: how we activate human potential in an alien world.   We unpack why "decision integrity" and "moral courage" are the ultimate modern...

The Enhanced Games begin this week, so to mark the moment we’re revisiting Ral’s fascinating conversation with Aron D'Souza — the man taking on the Olympic establishment. In this bonus rerelease, Aron explains why he believes the current system is broken, why banning performance enhancement is hypocritical, and why the Enhanced Games could completely redefine elite sport, human performance, and ev...

Running around like a headless chicken doesn’t make you a better leader, it just makes everyone else dizzy. In this episode, Jac and Ral get brutally honest about the ultimate leadership superpower: absolute calm in the absolute chaos.   They dive deep into why your team doesn’t need a stressed-out "saviour"- they need a steady anchor. We’re breaking down how to stop absorbing everyone e...

Hoping your hard work will be noticed, appreciated and rewarded? Unlikely to happen. In this episode Jac & Ral break down one of the biggest myths in your career - the belief that great work speaks for itself. If you want to step into your next promotion, lead with authority, or simply get the recognition you deserve, you have to become your own best advocate. We share practical ways to intent...

In this latest episode Jac & Ral teach you how to humanise your application to stand out from the sea of AI-generated, generic slop. The cover letter shouldn’t be a summary of your CV; it's the bridge that gets you an interview to see if the role is a "fit for both of us". They also introduce you to a cool framework they developed called PROVE – and the key things NOT to do when...

Is your CV putting recruiters to sleep? Has AI made your resume so polished and generic it’s practically invisible? In a follow-up to "The CV is Dead" episode, Jac and Ral deliver the 8-step formula to craft a future-focused, value-demonstrating document that increases your chance to land the interview. They go deep on how to build a killer resume by: •     Ditching the boring, chronolog...

“This is a disaster.” “It’s a train wreck.” “It’s all falling apart.”…or is it?  This week we call out one of the biggest credibility killers at work: catastrophising, because somewhere along the way, being dramatic became a badge of honour.   We unpack why smart leaders default to using dramatic language and what it’s actually costing you… your brand, your team, and your ability to lead when it m...

Time to hold up a mirror Keepers! Because we judge ourselves by our intentions and we judge others by their behaviour… we are good at making assumptions of others. This plays out at work regularly. In this episode we call it out, we talk about how and why it happens but importantly, we share how to navigate conflict with Ral sharing an awesome tip. She’s the mistress of not being judgey judgey and...

Slaying and serving Unc! We have learned some new words thanks to some Gen Z’s we’ve been quizzing. But the actual truth of the matter is, we have learned something we already knew…   New generations hate corporate jargon. Let’s just call it… ALL generations hate corporate jargon – it is exclusionary and often confuses, not clarifies. In this latest episode Jac & Ral share what they have learn...

We are all drinking the kool “ai”d but like all new tech, there is a risk with artificial intelligence when it comes to your career…   In this episode Jac & Ral talk about what they are seeing with their clients and what they are experiencing personally with AI – yes we are all now capable of producing more and we are doing it faster but in the flurry of efficiency we are all thinking less. An...

2026 will reward the brave, the adaptable and the strategically future-fluent. So, are you ready??   Jac has 6 predictions for our careers this year based on what she is seeing, coaching, researching and hearing from successful contemporary leaders. Ral reckons she’s on the money with these predictions and shares her experience and observations.   Whether you believe them or not, Jac & Ral are...

Inspired by this year’s International Women’s Day campaign, Jac & Ral discuss a different slant on Give to Gain… Because women already give so much!   Start by thinking about your gain. Define it, understand what it is you will or will not gain from giving. Then think about your value. How much are you worth? We can tell you it’s more than you think    Ral talks about pricing your value and sh...

She saw the future and she has made a damn fine career out of it! She also happens to be one of the leading experts on storytelling for business. That would be Ms Gabrielle Dolan!   In this episode Jac interviews Ral to really get the low down on how to tell an effective story – what to do, what not to do and how AI can be your storytelling partner if you use it correctly.   Jac & Ral share so...

If you don’t stop and smell the roses… you’re missing an opportunity for power! Because what gets celebrated gets repeated. It builds momentum and reinforces behaviours. Are you recognising milestones and stopping to celebrate them?   Jac & Ral share some great stories and a few specific examples of what you could be celebrating and why it will make a difference to your own career as well as t...

They say if you want to predict the future, then create it. And that’s exactly what Jac & Ral discuss in this episode.   Both talk about how they created the futures they wanted – personally and professionally, sharing the barriers and the opportunities and what was the key to making it happen.   An episode packed full of advice, inspiration and empowerment. There is nothing stopping you… your...

Except “only just 1 drink!” but other than that, boundaries are the GOAT.   In this episode Jac and Ral discuss boundaries, what they are, why they are critical to being successful and how to set them with purpose in mind.   Jac asks Ral about her non-negotiables and Ral shares a fantastic process you can undertake immediately which will motivate you to move forward in setting your own boundaries....

Every leader, every board member, CEO, founder, executive has f**ked up. Badly. Repeatedly. Publicly. Quietly. Expensively.   In this episode Jac & Ral share their own right royal f**k ups and what happened next…   Ral also tells us about some very well known, senior leaders and their mistakes – most worked out well and ALL learned so much about themselves and their organisations.   And Jac sh...

….And we’re back baby! With a doozy first episode because careers in 2026 don’t look like they used to.. and if yours feels flat, uncertain, or underpowered, it’s not because you’re failing. It’s because the rules have changed. In this first episode of the new year we share why 2026 is not about climbing harder, it’s about thinking differently. Jac shares the 5 key things you need to rethink, do a...

Our final episode of the year, and Ral takes us through the year that was. So many things happened in 2025… what do you remember? And what did you not even know?? Listen in to our 95th episode and final one for this year – thank you for all your support Keepers, we can’t wait to return in 2026 with many more stories, laughs and lots of learnings. Merry Christmas! --- Your support helps keep this s...