The Inclusion Bites Podcast

Moreen Pascal joins Joanne Lockwood to explore what it means to “free our minds” from the norms, assumptions and internalised beliefs that keep oppressive cultural and institutional practices in place. Drawing on her Caribbean heritage and the influence of her parents’ generation, Moreen frames inclusion and belonging through a political and social justice lens, connecting personal identity with w...

Joanne Lockwood speaks with Lysette Offley, founder of Genius Material and the Genius Principles, about why not belonging can be profoundly painful and how it affects learning, confidence, and performance. Lysette shares personal experiences of feeling caught between groups at school and how those early signals of exclusion shaped her understanding of inclusion versus belonging. Together, they exp...

Sam Mitchell joins Joanne Lockwood to talk about why “autism rocks,” sharing how autism shapes his creativity, preference for structure, and day-to-day experiences navigating social cues. He reflects on being misunderstood, the impact of exclusion, and what it means to feel included—whether in friendships, hobbies, education, or work. Sam also discusses turning his podcast into a wider advocacy mi...

Claire Richmond introduces the “scavenger mindset” as a way for leaders to uncover untapped talent and capability already present in their teams and organisations. Drawing on her experience building a grassroots regeneration initiative with no budget or formal resources, she argues that starting with “nothing” can create freedom, innovation and new forms of collaboration. The conversation explores...

Joanne Lockwood speaks with performance coach, psychotherapist, and workshop facilitator Shelley Bridgeman about what it really takes to “dare to be you” — not as a slogan, but as a practice of peeling back protection, facing fear, and choosing a more truthful way of living. They explore how fear often shows up as fear of failure or rejection, and how people learn to numb pain or avoid being seen....

Joanne Lockwood is joined by public speaking coach Lisa Braithwaite to unpack what she calls “outright optimism” and how it fuels a pushback against narrow, outdated ideas of what “professional” is supposed to look like. They explore authenticity in public speaking and in everyday working life, including the pressure to appear polished on social media, the pull of perfectionism, and the fear of be...

Nicole Hardiman, a software and data engineer, reflects on two decades in tech and the persistent lack of gender balance she’s experienced—often being the only woman in the team, and at times the only woman in the building. She and Joanne Lockwood explore why representation still matters: when teams don’t reflect their users, products and decisions can miss the mark. They discuss how technology is...

Joanne Lockwood is joined by intergenerational consultant Henry Rose Lee to unpack the myths and stereotypes different age groups hold about one another at work. They discuss how labels like “Baby Boomer”, “Gen X”, “Millennial” and “Gen Z” can be useful as learning tools while also becoming limiting when used to pigeonhole individuals. The conversation explores what drives perceived generational d...

Khakan Qureshi reflects on growing up feeling different and on the edges of multiple communities, from school playground dynamics and gender expectations to the pressures of culture, faith, and community norms. He describes how not fitting neatly into perceived boxes shaped his confidence, relationships, and sense of belonging, and how those experiences followed him into adulthood and the workplac...

Joanne Lockwood speaks with trainer, consultant, and disability inclusion advocate Esi Hardy about what it really means for people to feel welcome, valued, and able to belong. Esi explains that inclusion is a felt experience, shaped by whether environments remove barriers or force people to constantly adapt, self-manage, and compensate. Drawing on Esi’s lived experience as a wheelchair user, they...

Joanne Lockwood is joined by Andrew Pain to discuss why domestic abuse must not be tolerated, drawing on Andrew’s experience as a long-term victim in a former marriage and his subsequent campaigning work. They explore how domestic abuse can affect people of all genders and can include more than physical violence, including coercive control, economic abuse and gaslighting. Andrew explains gaslighti...

Hung Lee, curator of Recruiting Brainfood, joins Joanne Lockwood to unpack the pressures many people feel to assimilate when living in a country where their ethnic background is not considered “native”. Drawing on his childhood experiences of bullying and attempts to “fit in”, Hung describes how early rejection can create a powerful drive to belong — and how that drive can lead to two unhelpful ex...

Michelle Mills-Porter joins Joanne Lockwood to explore what it means to “peel back our layers” and uncover our essence Michelle recounts being caught in the 2004 Boxing Day tsunami in Sri Lanka, and how witnessing unexpected reactions in herself and others sparked a long journey into understanding what drives human behaviour beneath the surface. She describes developing her work around core subcon...

Joanne Lockwood is joined by Iain Chapman to explore what it means to learn to talk, to listen, and to learn, especially from the perspective of someone who describes himself as a white, heterosexual man in his fifties who wants everyone to be able to be themselves. They discuss how inclusive conversations are built through curiosity, confidence, and a willingness to ask questions without judgemen...

Joanne Lockwood is joined by broadcaster and presenter Rachel Oliver, a dual UK–Australian national who describes Australia as home and reflects on the winding path that brought her back to the UK. Rachel shares how a background in nursing and an unexpected TV appearance opened a door into radio and podcasting, where she now writes and produces her own shows. At the heart of the conversation is Ra...

Joanne Lockwood is joined by leadership and sales specialist Niels Brabandt to challenge the idea that equality, diversity and inclusion is a “nice to have” in organisations. They discuss how EDI is frequently underfunded and treated as a compliance exercise, and why low-budget, click-through e-learning on unconscious bias rarely creates meaningful change. Together they explore what leaders are ac...

Joanne Lockwood speaks with Greg McCaw about how DEI work can get stuck in an echo chamber of familiar phrases that sound positive but aren’t always explained in a way that helps non-specialists take action. They explore common terms such as “bring your authentic self to work,” “allyship,” “intersectionality,” and “psychological safety,” and why organisations need to translate these into clear exp...

Marcus Cauchi joins Joanne Lockwood to explore what it takes to “stretch imaginations” and move beyond default ways of working that no longer serve people, customers, or organisations. Through stories and practical examples, Marcus argues that received wisdom often survives long after its original purpose has disappeared, and that progress depends on regularly revisiting processes and asking bette...

Andi Maratos and host Joanne Lockwood explore what it means to live “on the edge” of the mainstream, and how that perspective can make it easier to see the world differently and create safer spaces for others. Andi reflects on growing up feeling like they didn’t quite fit, “playing the game” in the corporate world, and the cost of hiding parts of their intrinsic self. They discuss the shift that c...

Briana Tucker describes what it feels like to live under constant scrutiny as a woman of colour in Wisconsin, where everyday situations can carry the risk of being stereotyped, labelled, or treated as a threat. She shares stark examples of overt racism and how assumptions about “aggression”, professionalism, and even hair and appearance shape what feels safe at work, in public, and at home. Joanne...

Joanne Lockwood is joined by coach and retreat specialist Lulu Minns to explore what “freedom for everybody” really means, and why it matters for inclusion. Lulu reflects on her former career as a criminal defence lawyer and the frustration of working inside systems shaped by privilege, bias, and entrenched gender expectations. Together, they discuss how women are often expected to tone down asser...

Mandy Hickson, a former Royal Air Force Tornado GR4 pilot, joins Joanne Lockwood to talk about being one of the first women allowed to fly fast jets on the front line and what it meant to build a career in a strongly male-coded culture. They explore the difference between fitting in and belonging, including the pressure to become “one of the boys,” the realities of life on deployment, and the impa...

Joanne Lockwood speaks with Mindy Gibbins-Klein about what it really takes to create a more level playing field so more people can be inspired and, crucially, feel able to speak up. They explore how opportunity and access are often left to chance, and why intentional action matters in environments like conferences, publishing, recruitment, and media. Mindy and Joanne discuss allyship as a delibera...

Peter Edge joins Joanne Lockwood to explore what happens when organisations fail to notice, capture, and transfer the expertise that keeps work moving. Using stories from policing, education, the NHS and specialist manufacturing, Peter illustrates how “lost knowledge” isn’t abstract—it shows up as cost, disrupted performance, demoralised teams, and repeated onboarding that drains leaders’ time. Th...

Joanne Lockwood is joined by TEDx speaker and author Antoinette Dale Henderson to explore gender through a wider lens, starting with women’s experiences of confidence, imposter feelings, and being heard at work. They discuss how early social conditioning shapes expectations of “masculine” and “feminine” power, why women can be penalised for being direct, and how skills like gravitas, clarity, and...