Shani was a journalist who has written and edited for The Economist, Bloomberg News and the Wall Street Journal.

Since leaving journalism a decade ago, Shani has gone on to become an instructor on LinkedIn Learning and Udemy, where his online writing courses have attracted more than 1 million students worldwide.

Shani has also in coached TEDx speakers, taught journalism at UTS and edited copy for the likes of Microsoft, IBM, and PwC.

Shani is currently writing a book that explains the craft of writing to non-specialists, and he is also working on a memoir sharing how he healed himself from terminal cancer, which he was diagnosed with four years ago.

Shani recently launched The Alchemy of Writing Podcast on Spotify in which he explores the art of good communication with experts in writing, sales and public speaking.  

Episode Notes

00:00 Intro 

Join us in celebrating the 150th episode of '10 Lessons Learned'! In this special milestone episode, we look back at the journey, hear from previous guests, and gather insights from the dedicated team behind the podcast. From valuable lessons in entrepreneurship, networking, and leadership to discussions on technology and change, this episode is packed with wisdom. Featuring contributions from Robert Hossary, Siebe Vanderzee, Diana White, Jeffrey Wang, and Yi Wang, this episode is a heartfelt tribute to five years of sharing knowledge. Watch highlights from past guests and learn why '10 Lessons Learned' continues to be a vital resource for managers, leaders, and lifelong learners.

Aye Kari Soe is a consultant, human rights advocate, and European-accredited lobbyist. Born in the Tham Hin refugee camp in Thailand to parents who fled a dictatorship, she settled in the Netherlands at the age of 7.

Recognized by the United Nations and leading global corporations, Aye Kari Soe is a dynamic public speaker dedicated to advancing gender equity, financial empowerment, and sustainable development. She co-founded Fembitious, an initiative empowering woman to invest and achieve financial independence. She also established the Worldwide Burmese Students Academy, which provides Burmese students with critical educational resources while contributing to the broader fight for freedom and justice in Burma.

As the founder of Soe Consultancy, Aye Kari Soe leads efforts in ESG compliance and human rights advocacy. Through her consultancy and auditing work, she collaborates with industries to align their practices with international human rights standards and the UN Sustainable Development Goals, striving to humanize the private sector while promoting sustainable business practices.

Episode Notes

Lesson 1: The Power of Childhood and Core Beliefs

Lesson 2: The Power of Environment

Lesson 3: Everything is Connected

Lesson 4: Modern Slavery and the Fight Against Injustice

Lesson 5: Purpose and Fulfillment in Career and Life

Lesson 6: The Complexities of Humanity

Lesson 7: The Role of Pain in Growth

Lesson 8: Resilience is Built Over Time

Lesson 9: The Importance of Spiritual and Emotional Well-being

Lesson 10: Small Actions Lead to Big Changes

Jas Purewal

Jas Purewal is a research scientist in the UK and a pioneering figure in the world of analog space missions. Jas’s career journey, from an early fascination with space at the Kennedy Space Center to leading the largest analog space mission project globally, exemplifies the dynamic interplay between passion and innovation in the space industry.

Growing up in Warwickshire, Jas’s path was influenced by her British Asian heritage, with a strong emphasis on education and learning. Her work today bridges cultures and scientific disciplines, bringing together diverse teams to simulate and prepare for future space missions.

Dr Sian Proctor

In September 2021, Dr. Sian Proctor made history when she became the first African American woman to pilot a spacecraft—and not just any spacecraft. Dr. Proctor was selected to pilot Inspiration4, the first all-civilian orbital mission to space.

A scientist and geology professor at South Mountain Community College, Dr. Proctor is also a science communicator, an artist, and the founder of Space2inspire, which is rooted in her life goal to inspire others to produce art and strive for equality, inclusion, and diversity through space exploration or their own personal work.

Episode Notes

04:34 What is an Analog Astronaut?

06:59 Question: What Was Your First Command Role?

10:11 Question: How Do You Handle Conflicts?

22:03 Question: What Is One Essential Skill Needed For A Successful Mission?

33:34 Question: What was your most Challenging Mission?

39:02 What Is Your Biggest Life Lesson?

Mimi Nicklin is an internationally bestselling author and the multi award winning Founder of the world’s widest-reaching organisational empathy training & engagement platform, Empathy Everywhere. A top 5-rated podcast host of her show, ‘MiMi YouYou’, she is omnipresent in the media, and on event stages, globally.

Mimi specialises in Listening-Led Leadership, psychological safety and D&I. She is an experienced organisational coach, and a well-known thought leader advocating for the global movement to balance humanism and capitalism in our workplaces. She has 60,000 followers with an organic reach of over 50,000 weekly on social media, and has trained 12,500+ professionals in Fortune 500 organisations globally, focusing on the future of multi-generational leadership.

A truly global leader, she has recently been awarded Malaysian Female Leader 2024 and Top 45 Sri Lankan Leader awards. She is as charismatic as she is passionate and she is set on reconnecting the corporate world, one organisation at a time.

Episode Notes

03:58 Lesson 1:     Nothing Extraordinary Ever Came from a Comfort Zone

07:07 Lesson 2:     Patience Is Our Most Under Valued Asset in Business Life

10:37 Lesson 3:     Silence Really is Golden

16:28 Lesson 4:     We Need Nothing More Than We Need Connection

22:50 Lesson 5:     There's No Such Thing as Work Life Balance

26:14 Lesson 6:     There Can Be No Inclusive Diversity If There Isn't First Empathy

31:36 Lesson 7:     You Have to Be Comfortable with Being Alone

40:00 Lesson 8:     You Don't Have Time, You Create It

44:02 Lesson 9:     Focus on the Life You Love Already & Not Creating A New One You Might Love More

47:34 Lesson 10:   The World is Lonely, Be Generous

Ana is an executive in Consumer Product Goods, in private and Fortune 500 global businesses in Tech, Toys, Juvenile, Food and Health and Wellness. She’s

known for scaling businesses in new markets, for advising companies on strategy and innovation, for her pragmatic approach to crisis and for building strong cultures and teams. 

As a transformative leader at Belkin, she led her division in four continents, with a team of 40.

As CEO of Element of Choice, her entrepreneurial acumen was instrumental in scaling the business from inception to a robust enterprise with double-digit growth, navigating the complexities of a highly regulated industry with finesse.

Ana's recent venture into launching b.box in the USA exemplifies her agility and forward-thinking approach, achieving a 3.5-fold increase in Amazon business and significant supply chain enhancements.

Currently, Ana leverages her extensive experience as Board Co-Chair of the Membership Committee for Women Execs on Boards, as an Executive Advisor for Eleven Canterbury and as an Operator at Halogen Ventures. 

Ana is an Accredited Board Director from UCLA Anderson School of Business and holds an MBA from the same institution, along with certifications in Women on Boards Corporate Governance from Harvard, AI Essentials from Stanford, AI & ML: Leading Business Growth at MIT and ESG from Competent Boards. Her global perspective is augmented by dual citizenship in the USA and EU, fluency in English and Portuguese, and proficiency in Spanish.  

Episode Notes

06:07 Lesson 1: Harness the power of social connections

Elena is the founder of DevelopMental Safety and a Strategic Resilience Facilitator. Elena’s goal is to create a ‘mentally healthy workplace’, where people feel valued and safe to speak out. She develops bespoke training and coaching to support leaders and to grow team resilience using the Working with Resilience Toolbox.

Elena is also a Kayaking Coach and a competitor in the sport of slalom kayaking. who was intrigued by the effect of the mind on the body. Elena believes that performance management in sport is much closer to real life than you would believe.

She also founder Courageous Women Global Community, as she had to find enormous courage to speak out about how she was abused in the past. Elena created a nurturing space for professional women to share their challenges, grow their capabilities and inspire others.  

Episode Notes

02:18 Lesson 1: You're A Long Times Deed

04:05 Lesson 2: You Can Be Softer and Still Be Successful

08:26 Lesson 3: Accept What You Can't Get

11:31 Lesson 4: You Don't Have To Tell Someone When They're Wrong

13:57 Lesson 5: It's A Gift To See Ourselves from Others' POV

21:51 Lesson 6: “You’ve got a tongue on your heed.”

29:32 Lesson 7: Tap into Dadiri that deep inner listening to use your intuition

32:13  Lesson 8: Thought Creates

34:47 Lesson 9: Learn To Know Your Own Worth

Myrto Legaki is a Leadership and Corporate Wellbeing Consultant, Keynote Speaker and founder of One Breath Mindfulness Center. She collaborates with major organizations around the world such as AbbVie, Novartis, Microsoft, Google, Roche, GlaxoSmithKline, MSD, Phillip Morris, and Nestlé, empowering leaders, executives, and teams in unlocking their full potential through leadership trainings that integrate neuroscience, psychology, and mindfulness techniques.

With 15 years of experience as a management consultant and marketing manager in New York, London, and Athens leading diverse teams in high-performance environments, Myrto brings a wealth of practical insight to her work.

A sought-after speaker around the world, Myrto delivers engaging keynotes and workshops on core leadership skills, wellbeing, mental health, diversity and inclusion, and mindfulness.

She is a certified mindfulness and MBSR trainer from the University of Massachusetts and Brown University and a systemic psychotherapist in training at the Athenian Institute of Anthropos (AKMA). Her academic background includes an MSc degree in Finance from the University of Piraeus and an MBA in Leadership and Communications from Boston University

Episode Notes

06:54 Lesson 1: Own your journey, or someone else will

In this heartwarming episode of '10 Lessons Learned,' the host, Robert, is joined by the legendary Santa Claus. Santa shares five essential life lessons that have shaped him through centuries of spreading joy and hope. He emphasizes the importance of giving over receiving, the magic of kindness, cherishing traditions, maintaining a sense of wonder, and the power of gratitude.  

Through touching stories from his travels, Santa illustrates how these lessons create deeper connections and bring lasting happiness, reminding us that these teachings are valuable all year round, not just during Christmas.  

Episode Notes 

 00:43 Lesson 1: The Joy of Giving 

01:54 Lesson 2: Believe in the Magic of Kindness 

03:18 Lesson 3: Cherish Traditions 

04:56 Lesson 4: Never Lose Your Sense of Wonder 

06:07 Lesson 5: Gratitude is the Greatest Gift 

Huw is a professional speaker, executive mentor and is an expert in transformational change.

He has worked with almost 100 organisations across multitudes of industries including media, banking, NFPs, pharmaceuticals and public service.

After years at a top-tier consulting firm, he led the scaling of several boutique professional service firms including the 5x revenue growth of one startup.

Huw also serves as a practicing non-executive company director and chair.

Episode Notes

04:20 Lesson 1:      Think and Dream Big.

06:19 Lesson 2:      Seek Adversity and Discomfort.

14:40 Lesson 3:      Be Sceptical About Fads and Bad Ideas.

25:12 Lesson 4:      To Be Exceptional, You Must Stand Out and Be Different.

29:15 Lesson 5:      Tolerance of Uncertainty Is a Leadership Superpower.

34:19 Lesson 6:      Embrace Acceptance and Forgiveness.

38:53 Lesson 7:      Make Yourself Useful.

43:30 Lesson 8:      Shape the Experience Others Have of You.

47:05 Lesson 9:      Framing Is a Powerful Lever of Influence.

49:42 Lesson 10:    Life Is a Team Game.