The Inclusion Bites Podcast

Joanne Lockwood is joined by Clare Payne, a law firm partner, tribunal judge and mediator, to explore what it really means to embrace your full potential—personally and in the workplace. Clare reflects on her fast rise in the corporate legal world, the frustration of repetitive leadership conversations, and what she learned by comparing organisations that had similar diversity “numbers” but very d...

Joanne Lockwood is joined by confidence coach and inclusion consultant Katie Allen to explore what it really means to “talk, not tell” in inclusion work. Together they unpack why people get stuck in ambiguity and fear saying the wrong thing, and how psychological safety can disappear the moment a conversation moves from business topics to subjects like racism, identity, or gender. They dig into in...

Joanne Lockwood is joined by Sheena Yap Chan to explore what persistence really looks like behind the scenes—moving past the myth of overnight success and continuing to take action through rejection, setbacks, and self-doubt. Sheena shares how confidence can be rebuilt by understanding the root causes of fear and limiting beliefs, including childhood experiences, trauma, and cultural expectations....

Joanne Lockwood speaks with LinkedIn and social selling expert Sam Rathling about what resilience looks like when life becomes dominated by hospital appointments, uncertainty, and recovery. Sam shares her breast cancer diagnosis and treatment journey, including the emotional impact, the physical toll of chemotherapy, and the lesser-discussed challenge of what happens when treatment milestones are...

Joanne Lockwood is joined by somatic trauma worker and educator Lorie Solis to explore “Claiming Each Other” — Lorie’s approach to building resilient relationships when charged, values-led conflict shows up in our closest circles. Together they unpack somatics as a whole mind-body practice and how emotional charge, threat responses, and a sense of dignity and belonging shape the way we argue, with...

Joanne Lockwood is joined by workplace culture innovator and conflict resolution expert Maria Arpa for a wide-ranging conversation about how conflict can become a route to compassion rather than retribution. Maria challenges adversarial approaches that focus on “winning” and argues for connection before correction, creating the conditions for people to be heard, receive empathy, and rebuild trust....

Joanne Lockwood is joined by technology and digital recruitment specialist Luke Morrisen to explore what inclusivity can look like in today’s digital working world, grounded in Luke’s personal journey and his experience placing people into tech and recruitment environments. Luke describes struggling in traditional education, leaving home young, and later discovering that he learns differently. Bec...

Caroline Praveen shares how moving from India to the United States as a child reshaped her confidence, sense of self, and connection to her mother tongue as she learned English. She describes the long, uneven path from feeling like an outsider to becoming fluent, and the unexpected cost of that fluency: struggling to speak her native language and feeling a shift in identity. Joanne and Caroline ex...

Joanne Lockwood is joined by workplace inclusion specialist Toby Mildon to explore his path from technology transformation into equality, diversity and inclusion work, and what it takes to make EDI feel practical rather than intimidating. They unpack why so many leaders feel anxious about “getting it wrong”, how that fear can create inaction, and what helps: clearer organisational purpose, emotion...

Joanne Lockwood is joined by Liv Maudsley, co-host of The School Run podcast, for a wide-ranging conversation about growing up in a hyper-connected world and what it takes to stay grounded in it. Together they explore how different generations relate to social media, the pull of algorithms, and the difficulty of separating fact from opinion in an environment shaped by targeted content and misinfor...

Joanne Lockwood is joined by Valentina Jaramillo to discuss what the future of gender equity should look like when it moves beyond a strict women-versus-men framing. Valentina explains key distinctions between sex assigned at birth, gender identity, and gender expression, and shares why gender equity must include nonbinary, agender, and gender nonconforming people rather than leaving them out of w...

Joanne Lockwood is joined by Sharitta Marshall, founder of Visionary Development Consulting, for a wide-ranging conversation about what “equity in action” really looks like inside organisations. Sharitta challenges the myth of meritocracy and unpacks how privilege and systemic inequities shape who gets access to opportunity, resources, and decision-makers. Together they explore why equality-based...

Joanne Lockwood is joined by psychologist and holistic life coach Lina Jankauskaite to explore how reframing our interpretations of people and events can reduce frustration and create more empowered choices. Using everyday examples like road rage, conflict, and technology stress, they unpack how language shapes thought patterns—and how small shifts in wording can move us from a passive, disempower...

Joanne Lockwood is joined by Dr Manoj Krishna, a former spine surgeon who left medicine to focus on reducing human suffering through the Human Wisdom Project and his HappierMe app. Together they explore how greater self-understanding can shift how we think, feel, and behave, with ripple effects for relationships, conflict, and society. Manoj argues that many of our biggest challenges—stress, anxie...

Joanne Lockwood is joined by Ellen Edenbrow to examine what inclusive healthcare looks like in practice, and why inclusion and diversity work in health and social care is far more than performative activity. They discuss how small but deliberate changes in communication—asking open questions, avoiding assumptions, and using respectful language—can build trust and improve outcomes for patients. Ell...

Joanne Lockwood is joined by Ritika Wadhwa, founder and CEO of Prabhaav Global, for a wide-ranging discussion on Cultural Intelligence (CQ) and why it has become a practical capability for modern leadership. Ritika breaks CQ down into four capabilities—drive, knowledge, strategy, and action—and explains how the framework moves organisations beyond awareness into accountable behaviour change. Toget...

Emma Riley joins Joanne Lockwood to recount her experience of serving in the Royal Navy at a time when being gay in the military was illegal, and how that forced silence shaped her sense of belonging and safety. Emma describes the bullying, the pressure of hiding her identity, and the invasive investigation that followed after she confided in a colleague. She explains the humiliation of being sear...

Joanne Lockwood is joined by Helen Davies to explore the convergence of neurodiversity and queer identities, and what it can mean to navigate both at once. Helen shares how common the overlap can be within queer communities, and why visible, safe spaces and informed support matter for people who may be unsure about disclosing or seeking help. Drawing on her work in healthcare and her lived experie...

Heather McLellan joins Joanne Lockwood to explore what happens when health and business collide, and why many entrepreneurs overlook planning for the one risk that can stop everything: their own capacity to work. Drawing on Heather’s background in occupational health and her personal experience of a rare stroke and a blood cancer diagnosis, they discuss the practical and emotional realities of bei...

Joanne Lockwood speaks with leadership coach Dr Shelley Jones-Holt about what it really means to lead with authenticity, and why “being yourself” isn’t a free pass to be careless with impact. Shelley argues that authentic leadership starts with honesty, transparency, and the courage to ask clarifying questions instead of making assumptions—especially in moments of discomfort or difference. They ex...

Joanne Lockwood is joined by Oscar Hoyle, CEO of Blossom LGBT, to explore what it takes for Gen Z LGBTQIA+ people to thrive in a social and workplace climate that can feel hostile. They discuss why many young people hide their identity at work, and how intergenerational gaps in technology, values and expectations can make belonging harder to achieve. The conversation focuses on what creates an inc...

Joanne Lockwood is joined by DEI and storytelling collaborators Rita Hallgató and Fiona Dawson to explore what it means to “infuse empathy” into workplace inclusion efforts. They discuss how personal storytelling can help colleagues understand one another beyond surface differences, and why creating trust and psychological safety is essential if people are going to share lived experience in a corp...

Joanne Lockwood is joined by Mark Bateman, CEO of WeQual and author of Disruptive Leadership, to explore how meaningful workplace change is led from the top. They discuss what leadership looks like in practice, how leaders shape culture, and why inclusive leadership requires deliberate decisions about who gets opportunities and who is heard. The conversation focuses on gender equality in male-domi...

Joanne Lockwood is joined by Alexandra Parritt to explore how stigma around mental health and neurodiversity shows up at work, and what it takes to shift from merely coping to finding strength. Alexandra shares how masking and stereotypes can shape perceptions of capability, and why psychological safety and supportive management can make the difference between a workplace that harms and one that e...

Joanne Lockwood speaks with coach and creator Sarah Naylor about what it really means to embrace who you are — kinks, quirks and all — and why self-acceptance is the foundation for a happier life. Sarah shares how divorce and starting again pushed her into deep personal development, exploration, and the choice to stop shaping herself around other people’s expectations. They discuss fear of judgeme...