Life Beyond The Numbers

"There's only one person who's truly, truly in control of our lives and it's ourselves and it's okay to spend some time focusing on what's important to us." Nikki Hill.   This episode is full of ways to enhance self-awareness. We talk about discovering our boundaries, the things that matter to us, as a way to give ourselves a sense of calm, peace, enabling us to enjoy our life and have the energy...

"Everything's okay. And if everything's okay, what's the problem? And actually, it's a very fulfilling place to be; everything's okay." Alan Creedon.   If you ever feel tortured by your own thoughts this episode is for you as Alan Creedon and I delve into talking about our minds in a world of 'shoulds' and 'doing'. Alan explains how to find stillness, connections, how to be and how to use your min...

"We always say: to design for many, you have to design for some and to design for some, you have to design for one." Kaveh Sadeghian.   Kaveh Sadeghian would love to hand over a series of beliefs and systems to the next generation that might undo some of the industrial era and set them up with a little bit more success in terms of integrating their purpose and themselves and their work. We talk ab...

"We've got to take ownership of our leadership with our people because we're leading people." Kiki Kirby   People are at the heart of what Kiki does. As this episode was recorded at the beginning of summer (UK) Kiki and I kick off chatting about the importance of taking rest - not just during the summer but on a daily basis. Kiki has overcome many things in life - her mother died when she was 13,...

"Teams are built on how tense moments are handled." Jenny Ashmore   Jenny Ashmore and I chat about the similarities between business and sports especially when it comes to high-performance. Jenny feels that there are some profound techniques we can learn from sport that can easily translate into the workplace - how goals are set, fostering a sense of belonging, dealing with tensions and stress and...

"It's going to be hard to form a habit, but once you do it becomes non-negotiable and that shifts things for you. But like you said, baby steps, baby steps, add in small little things everyday." Rebecca Cheetham.   Can you live a life where you feel good about it? Can you wake up in the morning and feel positive about what you're going to do that day? Can you build strong relationships? Can you en...

"So, I want you to be a sommelier to your body!  But to do that we have to practice. You start with really fundamentals. How do I know what joy is?" Steve Haines.   Steve's fourth book, Touch is Really Strange, was released in April 2021. Steve explains the science of touch. We talk about how in social groups where there's an equality touch is supportive and helps the process of working as a team...

"It's not about where you start. It's about the potential you show others that will determined where you finish." Lọ́lá Béjidé   Lọ́lá is an early career strategist and we talk about how, as you navigate your career, do you figure out the best way to step up and stand out with your skills, talents, potential, and you demonstrate it all. We cover the difference between culture fit and culture add,...

"...understanding your strengths and also understanding other people's strengths is the key to effective communication, effective relationships and avoiding some of the conflict that can happen, especially in the workplace..." Nicholas Jemetta.   Nicholas Jemetta is merging his two worlds of digital technology geekery and mental health and wellbeing. In 2018 he shared his mental health story and i...

"I think that's a key component of public speaking, a key component of communication and a key component of confidence because the more you listen in the better your answers and your statements become the more powerful and influential and respected you become." Carlos Gimeno.    Carlos Gimeno thinks there are two things that everyone should know about before they join the workplace, yet no school...

"And I know those results have really just materialised from that dynamic of putting people first." Luke Kyte.    Those results include: Team retention: 97% team retention over the last two years.  Revenue & profit: increased 40% and 60% respectively  Annual leave: Since the introduction of unlimited holiday, annual leave has increased an average of 37% in the team  Sickness: per person has droppe...

"And I'm interested, fascinated by, both how businesses work and how people work in them. And it's great to see things move and to see some things go back two steps before they go forward". John Shinnick.    John Shinnick dropped out of university to get away from accounting. He wanted to work with people - but he found his way back to accountancy after a cousin of his told him: "Numbers don't mak...

This week I've collated some stories related to the workplace from episodes that went out between January and April 2021.  First up is Kevin Ashley, #32 Serial Entrepreneur, who shares his secret to building a successful business Next Gib Bulloch, #28 Breakthrough, talks about dignity at work and shares a cautionary tale Next Megan Haupt, #25 Your Career Story, shares her unique perspective on how...

Do you ever think about your breath or breathing?  Do you notice when it quickens or slows?   This week's episode is a little different as we share three breathing techniques kindly prepared for us by Gavin Andrews, MD of HeartMath UK. Gavin was a guest a couple of weeks ago, episode #38. There is a short bit for me first on my own awareness of breath and then I briefly introduce the three techniq...

"I think if we did ask each other: Does what you do make you happy? It does stop someone in their tracks to go well, why am I pursuing a certain path? Is this the right reason for me to pursue it? Because I think we're much better in delivering our gifts and talents when we're in a space of happiness and joy." Glin Bayley.   Glin Bayley went into accounting and finance because it was something she...

"Coherence is not relaxation. It's a state between activation and relaxation, which is optimal for your performance. So you feel calm and focused. You can do stuff. You can think, you can engage in things." Gavin Andrews.    Gavin Andrews introduces us to the HeartMath system - a system that combines technology with ancient wisdom. We talk about the techniques of connecting with our own hearts to...

"I think we are on the precipice of releasing and freeing ourselves from the shackles of conventional capitalism. I call it Life Capitalism." Paul Stephenson.   Paul Stephenson is a hearts and minds individual, a visionary and work-life architect. He shares his vision for the work-life transition that is unfolding from the world of being a slave to the spreadsheet where the corporate environment t...

"...understand how powerful the people dimension is and how investing more time in it, more growth and development, more attention to it earlier you can up your game and you can do much more successful projects and bigger projects." Talita Ferreira.   Talita's passion is to change the business world one analytical professional at a time and starts us off with a story about how she learned to adapt...

"We're into that instant gratification. Like we see what we want and we want it  now. But the reality is for things to last, it takes a bit of time to get there." Tony Pound.   Tony Pound takes an holistic approach to his work. As well as planning for a financially resilient future he can help people become healthier so that enjoy their health with some wealth or their wealth with their health! We...

"If you think about staff engagement, staff satisfaction. Well, if those people aren't happy, they're going to leave. Same with your customers. People are not going to hang around, so they're not financial indicators, but they do have financial impact eventually." Rebecca McCaffry.   Rebecca and I talk about people and money being the lifeblood of business with a focus on the people side. The lang...

"All your problems come with a head and two arms and two legs. Then you have two people coming together and you have four people coming together and you can square the number of problems and challenges because you've different personalities, you have different attitudes and you have different backgrounds." Billy O'Connor.   Billy explains to me why he sees himself as a 'why merchant' and as someon...

"From a business point of view, you need to have the willingness to continuously learn and remain open and then be willing to pivot. And this is where I see a lot of people fail so often as they fixate on a framework of what success looks like to them. And when they come up to a blocking point they don't know how to just pivot and change". Kevin Ashley.   Kevin Ashley is one of the founders of Jav...

"We've got a lot to offer beyond just giving a set of accounts to somebody. And it comes down to the fundamental fact that we're all people at the end of the day and it's all about relationships and building those relationships..." Robin Kiziak.   Robin and I discuss storytelling - with words and numbers. Robin illustrates the power of bringing numbers to life with a story about why a particular s...

"When people are able to pause and are given permission to pause by their leaders and they know the necessity of pausing, in terms of their brain being so much more productive and you'll be so much more engaged and so much more successful after a pause. And then that's where the magic happens." Lisa LLoyd.   Lisa and I talk about putting the human factor back into workplaces and treating people li...

"The very first training course I delivered I thought this is it. I have actually found my thing. This is what I was put on this planet to do. I just cannot explain the explosion of happiness inside when I'm delivering training and just working so hard with different individuals". Andi Lonnen Andi Lonnen chats to me about how she discovered her love for training and how she infuses that training w...