The Courageous Leaders Podcast

Is your team's growth being silently blocked by toxic positivity, hidden politics, or a culture of avoidance?  What if you could banish just one of these frustrations to unlock everyone's true potential? I put that exact challenge to three brilliant leaders in a special 'Leadership Room 101' debate. I welcomed Nishma Patel Robb (Founder, Glittersphere) , Ete Davies (EMEA EVP, D...

In this powerful episode, I sat down with Abi Wright and Jen Toll, the inspiring founders behind Festival of The Girl. What started as a grassroots idea is now a powerful movement helping girls step into their power and challenge gender stereotypes from childhood. We talked about how courage can grow from anger, why shrinking starts in childhood, and how both boys and girls benefit when we reframe...

“What’s the biggest bullshit in leadership?” Chris Hirst answers without blinking.  But you’ll have to watch to hear what he says. In this Fast & The Curious episode,Chris, former Global CEO of Havas Creative goes from sharp insight to guilty pleasures in under six minutes. ☕ A very strong opinion on herbal tea 🎸 A Nickelback moment he didn’t see coming 🧦 And the one workplace trend he’d ca...

What happens when you’ve spent years inside a failing business, then asked to take over as CEO and turn it around? For Chris Hirst, it wasn’t just a step up. It was a defining challenge that forced him to rethink everything he knew about leadership. In this episode of The Courageous Leaders Podcast, I’m joined by leadership expert, award-winning author, and former Global CEO of Havas Creative, Chr...

Many leaders still see empathy as a weakness. This is shortsighted as empathy is one of the most powerful skills to drive trust, performance, and real connection. In this episode, I explain what it means to lead with empathy and share three practical ways to integrate it into your leadership today. You’ll learn how empathy shifts behaviour, strengthens accountability, and builds a culture where pe...

What can a grizzly bear in a denim jacket teach us about leadership? More than you’d think. In this week’s Fast & The Curious, Dave takes us from Hackney to Hollywood (almost) with his usual cheeky, sweary brilliance. ⚡ What leadership advice does he swear by? ⚡ Why pink paint is his power colour ⚡ And how he ended up designing a jacket for an 8-foot bear It’s fast, funny, and full of the k...

Naughty, and unfiltered – Dave Buonaguidi, ex-adman turned full-time artist, shares how he blew up a 35-year career, lost everything, and finally found joy. From co-founding iconic agencies like St. Luke’s and Karmarama to walking away from the industry (and his marriage) at 50, Dave tells it like it is – with plenty of swearing, sharp wit, and hard-won wisdom. If you’ve ever wanted to throw out t...

Can three top leaders agree on what’s killing modern leadership? What happens when you bring together a CEO, a president, and a CCO to tackle what’s dragging teams down and how to fix it? In this special 'Leadership Room 101' edition of The Courageous Leaders Podcast, I sat down with Jessica Tamsedge (CEO, Dentsu Creative), Josh Green (CCO, House 337), and Conrad Persons (President, Grey...

What if you had to pick one emoji… to sum up your entire personality? Chloe Davies didn’t flinch. In the latest episode of The Fast & The Curious, Chloe brought the same energy she brings to every room. Bold, brilliant, and a little bit cheeky. 🎯 Watch the full F&TC episode to find out: ⚡ What would Chloe do as Prime Minister for the day? ⚡ What music track sums up her life? ⚡ What foo...

If you’ve ever questioned your worth, your purpose or your place in this world, this episode will light the way forward. Chloe Davies, Founder & CEO of It Takes A Village Collective, shares how she rebuilt her life and leadership after betrayal, burnout, and breakdown. From surviving mental health crises to winning Rock Star of the Year at the ADCOLOR Awards, Chloe’s story is raw, real and rad...

Is your leadership team quietly falling apart? Lack of trust is the silent killer of leadership teams that can contribute to eroding alignment, sparking burnout, and fuelling poor decisions. In this episode, I reveal why even the best leaders lose trust over time and share some practical, proven strategies to rebuild it. We cover the hidden traps weakening your team and the exact steps you can tak...

Sir John Hegarty or Jon Evans? What if you had to pick between two of your closest industry friends…  ..on camera? That’s exactly the dilemma we threw at Orlando Wood, CIO at System1, in his Fast & The Curious. 🎯 From neuroscience to Love Island, here’s what went down: ⚡ Would he rather be invisible or read minds? ⚡ Which side of his brain would he keep, left or right? ⚡ Would he really go...

Why modern marketing is broken and how you can fix it, as a leader. Orlando Wood, Chief Innovation Officer at System1 and author of Lemon, Look Out, and Advertising Principles Explained, reveals why advertising has lost its soul and how the shift from right-brain to left-brain thinking is hurting creativity, leadership, and human connection. If you’ve felt that marketing is becoming more mechanica...

Courageous Leaders vs Uncensored CMO Podcast You’ve got to upset one person… Your boss OR your friend? Who do you choose? That was just one of the fun dilemmas we threw at Kerry Collinge, Managing Director of The Uncensored CMO, in her round of The Fast & The Curious - and trust us, she didn’t hold back. 🎥 Catch the full episode on YouTube to find out: 🪩 Whether she’d rather listen to our po...

Kerry Collinge, Managing Director of The Uncensored CMO, shares her bold journey from big brands to brave moves, and what it really means to lead without conforming. From being told she was “too much” to redefining success on her own terms, Kerry’s story is a masterclass in courage, reinvention, and staying true to who you are. We Cover: 02:22 – Kerry’s most courageous move (and why she never look...

This isn’t your typical leadership Q&A. It’s fast. It’s curious. And Scott Morrison brings the boom, with energy, honesty, and a few unexpected curveballs. (Yes, including Will Smith... and toes-for-fingers.) Yes, it gets funnier. But in between the laughs, Scott dropped some real wisdom: ⚡The #1 skill every leader should master (it’s not what you think) ⚡ The mindset trap too many leaders f...

Scott Morrison, Founder of The Boom! and former Marketing Director at Levi’s and Diesel, shares how to unblock, unlock, and unleash leadership potential by blending commercial creativity with bold action. From reframing pressure as fuel to challenging complexity in leadership, Scott’s insights will inspire you to move from strategy to impact fast. We Cover: 01:04 – What it means to be an unshackle...

Have we forgotten how to think as leaders? This is the question I’ve been exploring in nearly every coaching session lately. In this solo episode, I’m diving into why deep thinking has gone missing in modern leadership and how the addiction to busyness is holding us and our teams back. If you’re feeling stuck, overwhelmed or constantly relied upon, this episode is your call to reset. We Cover: 01:...

What happens when you put a high-velocity leader in the hot seat? Unexpected insights... Surprising confessions... We fired off rapid-fire questions at Sophie Devonshire, and she didn’t hold back: ⚡️The best piece of career advice she ever received (and why it still guides her today) ⚡️ Morning meetings or late-night strategy? She’s got a strong opinion. ⚡️If she could add an 8th step to her bo...

The best leaders don’t just manage time; they master energy and here’s how. Sophie Devonshire, CEO of The Marketing Society, shares the mindset shifts, leadership habits, and bold strategies that drive high-velocity success. Discover how to make faster decisions, embrace rejection, and lead with impact. If you want to step up as a leader, this episode is a game-changer. We Cover: 00:34 – Overcomin...

Paul Coxhill, Chief Operating Officer, LIONS & President, LIONS Intelligence , shares how taking bold leaps, navigating uncertainty, and embracing creativity shaped his leadership journey. From saying ‘yes’ to an unexpected opportunity in South Africa to driving innovation at WARC and LIONS, Paul’s insights offer a masterclass in adaptability, leadership, and business growth. We Cover :  01:04...

Kerttu Inkeroinen, Marketing & E-commerce Director at Lucky Saint, shares her unconventional career journey from Coca-Cola to scale-ups, why she quit without a backup plan, and how she intentionally shaped her leadership style. She reveals why taking risks is always worth it, how to build a career with purpose, and why leaders should be sheepdogs, not huskies. We Cover: 00:12:29 – Why Kerttu l...

Listen to the end. It's priceless. What happens when you put a creative legend in the hot seat? Unexpected answers. Hilarious moments. And maybe… a slight misunderstanding about Mo Salah’s tongue. We threw rapid-fire questions at Trevor Robinson OBE ,  And he did not disappoint: ⚡ First app he opens in the morning? Not what you'd expect. ⚡ The leader he’d have dinner with? Divine. Lite...

Trevor Robinson OBE, founder and CCO of Quiet Storm, The mind behind "You've Been Tango’d" and Haribo's iconic ads, shares his journey from feeling like an outsider to founding Quiet Storm and championing diversity. Discover his insights on courage, creativity, and building authentic relationships and learn about ‘Create Not Hate’, his initiative empowering underrepresented you...

Finding the right balance between empathy and accountability is one of the biggest challenges leaders face.  Lean too much into empathy, and performance drops. Focus too much on accountability, and you risk creating a culture of fear.  In this episode, I break down how to master this balance so you can lead with both compassion and high standards. We Cover: 00:35 – Why leaders struggle with this b...