Before 2025 clocks out, we’re pulling up the chair (& our mics!) for a cozy, honest, no-filters reflection on the year that flew, stretched us, and quietly changed us in ways we didn’t see coming😌

In our final episode of Season 6 for the year 2025, we crack open the Year Compass and reflect about the highs that grounded us, the plot twists we didn’t sign up for, and the lessons we’re choosing to carry (and leave behind).

We get into:

🌱 The moments of joy that kept us sane

💛 Navigating uncertainty, road bumps, and “what now?” seasons

🧠 Small wins, personal growth & protecting our mental wellbeing

🏃‍♀️ Discipline, resilience, and learning when to push vs. let go

🚦 Choosing peace and a more rested, intentional 2026

If this episode hits close to home, come reflect with us in person.

We’re hosting an exclusive in-person workshop on Building Influence, designed for those who want to step into 2026 with clarity, confidence, and presence ✨

🎟️ Early bird extended til 25/12 so save your spot for our in-person event here 👇🏻

https://luma.com/gikysqau

📘 Download the Year Compass here:

https://yearcompass.com/ & tag us when you tune into this ep with your own reflections of 2025!

CONNECT WITH US HERE:

✨Instagram: @actsplorethispodcast

✨Tiktok: @actsplorethispodcast

✨Youtube: Actsplore This Podcast

✨Apple Podcast: Actsplore This on Apple Podcasts

✨Email: [email protected]

✨Buy us a coffee: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/actsplorethis

Today, we speak to Jimmy McLoughlin OBE , former Special Advisor to the UK Prime Minister on business, technology and entrepreneurship. Jimmy now hosts Jimmy’s Jobs of the Future, one of the UK’s top careers podcasts, and is the founder of Boxlight, a creative video agency.

In this conversation, Jimmy shares his remarkable journey: from shaping business policy at No.10 to swapping Downing Street for diapers, becoming a stay-at-home dad, and eventually building a podcast that grew from a few hundred listeners to over 91k subscribers.

We dive into:
✨ What a day in the life of a Special Adviser to the Prime Minister actually looks like
✨ The biggest leadership lessons from his years inside No.10
✨ How he built a community and audience from the ground up
✨ The future of jobs and the real impact of AI on the workforce
✨ How Jimmy would approach building a career if he were starting today

CONNECT WITH US HERE:

✨Instagram: Actsplore This Podcast 🎙 (@actsplorethispodcast) • Instagram photos and videos

✨Youtube: Actsplore This Podcast - YouTube

✨Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/02xWljGMOwQEyKWRFFvN3e?si=f869d84b31464d6b

✨Apple Podcast: Actsplore This on Apple Podcasts

✨Email: [email protected]

✨Buy us a coffee: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/actsplorethis

Julia Korn is an executive career coach and the founder of the Women’s Leadership Accelerator, a community dedicated to the growth of female leaders. A self-described recovering people-pleaser, Julia has reshaped the career coaching landscape, earning recognition as a Business Insider Most Innovative Career Coach. 

She’s also a sought-after Forbes Contributor and was featured on global platforms such as BBC World News and Fox Business News, Her TEDx talk, Break Up With “Should” In Your Career, was named a TED Editors’ Pick of the Year. 

In this episode, we talk about:  

• Why the word ‘Should’ can be toxic for ambitious professionals

• Pivoting with purpose and building a career that feels aligned and authentic 

• Turning off autopilot and how we can shift from passively living to actively choosing

• How to build a “personal board of directors to maximize career success 

So if you’ve ever found yourself wondering, “Is this really it?”,  this conversation might be the reminder you need that you’re so much more than your job title.

Link to Julia’s TEDX Talk: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TgrcyGWYYPE&t=44s

Find out about the Women’s Leadership Accelerator: https://juliakorn.com/

CONNECT WITH US HERE:

✨Instagram: Actsplore This Podcast 🎙 (@actsplorethispodcast) • Instagram photos and videos

✨Youtube: Actsplore This Podcast - YouTube

✨Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/02xWljGMOwQEyKWRFFvN3e?si=f869d84b31464d6b

✨Apple Podcast: Actsplore This on Apple Podcasts

✨Email: [email protected]

✨Buy us a coffee: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/actsplorethis

Is meaning and fulfilment at work a universal need, or just a nice to have?

In this episode, Frank Koo, Founder & CEO of Nextplay, joins us to explore what it really takes to design a career that feels both successful and significant.

With a career spanning IBM, Oracle, Pearson, and most recently as Head of Asia of Talent & Learning Solutions at LinkedIn, Frank shares how he made the leap from corporate leadership to entrepreneurship, and what he’s learned about purpose along the way.

You’ll discover:

• Why purpose isn’t found overnight but built over time
• How Frank’s SPICE Model (Stimulation, Purpose, Income, Connection, Esteem) can help you find meaning in your work
• The trade-offs between income and impact and how to navigate them
• Practical tips to future-proof your career at any stage

Whether you’re a fresh graduate, a mid-career professional itching for change, or a seasoned leader redefining success, this episode will leave you rethinking what fulfilment at work truly means.

CONNECT WITH US HERE:

✨Instagram: Actsplore This Podcast 🎙 (@actsplorethispodcast) • Instagram photos and videos

✨Youtube: Actsplore This Podcast - YouTube

✨Apple Podcast: Actsplore This on Apple Podcasts

✨Email: [email protected]

✨Buy us a coffee: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/actsplorethis

We’ve all heard the career advice: “Find a mentor.”

But here’s the twist.

Mentorship alone won’t always get you the big opportunities.

That’s where sponsorship comes in.

In this episode, we sit down with Rosalind Chow, Associate Professor at Carnegie Mellon, to unpack what really makes sponsorship such a career game-changer.

Rosalind walks us through:

🔠 The ABCDs of sponsorship—Amplify, Boost, Connect, Defend

📢 Why “good gossip” can supercharge your visibility

🎬 How a single story (hello, Sal Khan + Bill Gates) can change your trajectory

🏢 The subtle but critical ways sponsorship differs from mentorship

🚀 How you can actively cultivate sponsorship opportunities in your own career

Whether you’re a rising professional looking to get noticed, or a leader hoping to lift others as you climb, this conversation will help you see sponsorship in a whole new light.

🎧 And stick around until the end: we’re giving away a signed copy of Rosalind’s book The Doors You Can Open to 3 Actsplore This Podcast listeners!

CONNECT WITH US HERE:

✨Instagram: Actsplore This Podcast 🎙 (@actsplorethispodcast) • Instagram photos and videos

✨Youtube: Actsplore This Podcast - YouTube

✨Apple Podcast: Actsplore This on Apple Podcasts

✨Email: [email protected]

✨Buy us a coffee: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/actsplorethis

What if confidence at work starts in the bedroom? In this provocative conversation, entrepreneur Jingjin Liu challenges the myths that women must be “likable” to lead. From becoming the “triple only” in a male-dominated German boardroom to launching Asia’s first sexual wellbeing hub, Jingjin shares how respect, not approval - fuels true influence.

We explore the hidden cost of the good-girl script, why asking for what you need at home is a rehearsal for boardroom power, and how redefining success after burnout reshaped her mission.

Jingjin Liu is a trailblazing entrepreneur driving women’s inclusion and social justice across Asia. Founder of The ELEVATE Group, she’s reshaping workplaces and leadership, building real opportunities for women at every level of society. A serial entrepreneur, she co-founded ASBO Drives (acquired in 2019) and launched ZaZaZu, Asia’s first sexual wellbeing hub.

Watch Jingjin's Ted talk here: Want to be confident at work? start in the bedroom

CONNECT WITH US HERE:

✨Instagram: Actsplore This Podcast 🎙 (@actsplorethispodcast) • Instagram photos and videos

✨Youtube: Actsplore This Podcast - YouTube

✨Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/02xWljGMOwQEyKWRFFvN3e?si=f869d84b31464d6b

✨Apple Podcast: Actsplore This on Apple Podcasts

✨Email: [email protected]

✨Buy us a coffee: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/actsplorethis

In a world that often celebrates the loudest voice in the room, what happens when you lead with quiet confidence instead?

💡 We discuss:

✨ Why being quiet doesn’t mean being invisible

✨ The dangers of overvaluing charisma in leadership

✨ Practical ways to grow influence without changing who you are

✨ The power of appreciating fully and adapting purposefully

✨ What organizations miss when they overlook quiet talent

✨ And how visibility can be reframed as service, not self-promotion

RSVP Here: Actsplore This with Megumi Miki - Melbourne Edition (Community Meet Up)

CONNECT WITH US HERE:

✨Instagram: Actsplore This Podcast 🎙 (@actsplorethispodcast) • Instagram photos and videos

✨Youtube: Actsplore This Podcast - YouTube

✨Apple Podcast: Actsplore This on Apple Podcasts

✨Email: [email protected]

✨Buy us a coffee: ⁠⁠https://www.buymeacoffee.com/actsplorethis

Layoffs are among the most difficult and disorienting experiences we face in our careers, and yet, they remain one of the least openly discussed. In recent months, it’s been hard to scroll through LinkedIn without seeing the ripple effects of widespread job cuts, especially across the tech industry.

In this insight-filled and actionable episode, we’re joined by Lorraine K. Lee, award-winning keynote speaker and bestselling author of Unforgettable Presence: Get Seen, Gain Influence, and Catapult Your Career. Lorraine shares her own story of navigating an unexpected layoff, and how it became the launchpad for a rewarding chapter of her career.

A trusted voice on presence, influence, and personal branding, Lorraine has equipped leaders at Zoom, Amazon, McKinsey, and Cisco with the tools to go from invisible to unforgettable — and now, she’s sharing her practical wisdom with us.

You’ll walk away with:

• A behind-the-scenes look at how Lorraine rebuilt her confidence and career post-layoff

• Practical tools for navigating career transitions with resilience and clarity

• The EPIC framework to elevate your presence and tell your career story with impact

• Strategies to advocate for yourself with authenticity in uncertain times

Whether you’ve been affected by layoffs or are simply seeking a mindset shift for your next career move, this episode is filled with actionable insights to help you move forward with  purpose.

Buy Lorraine's book here: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Unforgettable-Presence-Influence-Catapult-Career/dp/1394281722

CONNECT WITH US HERE:

✨Instagram: Actsplore This Podcast 🎙 (@actsplorethispodcast) • Instagram photos and videos

✨Youtube: Actsplore This Podcast - YouTube

✨Apple Podcast: Actsplore This on Apple Podcasts

✨Email: [email protected]

✨Buy us a coffee: ⁠https://www.buymeacoffee.com/actsplorethis

What happens when a former corporate exec walks on stage in a bathing suit... in front of 120 professional women? 🔥

Penny Locaso — Happiness Hacker, Harvard writer, TEDx speaker, and authentic leadership trailblazer — did just that to prove one bold point: true change starts where your comfort zone ends.

In this raw and revealing conversation, Penny takes us behind the scenes of her midlife awakening moment, the true motivation behind her quest to redefine success in her own terms and why self-compassion is the leadership skill we need more of, in our world today.

We also explore:

💥 How she turned public fear into a power move that still echoes today 🌀 Why the "perfect path" is a myth — and why your zigzag might be the key to fulfillment 🧭 What it really takes to rewrite your definition of success (hint: it involves grief, grit, and one hell of a truth bomb)

 💡 How action — even messy, imperfect action — creates the confidence you're waiting for

From grief to growth, bathing suits to boardrooms — this episode is a masterclass in becoming unapologetically you.

Witty Warning: Listening may cause spontaneous courage, clarity, and the desire to radically rethink your personal definition of success.

Remember: If you’re listening and something in this conversation lit a spark — don’t rush past it. Take a beat, sit in that discomfort, and see where it wants to take you.

Resources: 

1. Expert Checklist

2. Apply to be part of the ‘If not you, when who?’ leadership research project 

CONNECT WITH US HERE:

✨Instagram: Actsplore This Podcast 🎙 (@actsplorethispodcast) • Instagram photos and videos

✨Youtube: Actsplore This Podcast - YouTube

✨Apple Podcast: Actsplore This on Apple Podcasts

✨Email: [email protected]

✨Buy us a coffee: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/actsplorethis

In this episode, we’re sharing six mindset shifts that have helped us navigate change, growth, and new chapters. These aren’t just surface-level reframes, but meaningful shifts that have shaped how we show up in our work and personal lives.

From embracing the discomfort of being a beginner, creating space for reflection, to leaning into difficult conversations - we reflect on what it really takes to grow with intention in the midst of life transitions.

 In this episode, we explore:

• Why it’s okay (and even necessary) to be bad at something new

• How stepping away from constant productivity can unlock creativity

• What happens when we lead with curiosity

• And why action often creates clarity—not the other way around

We’d love to hear your mindset shifts too: what’s been helping you level up lately, in whatever season you're in? Connect with us on Instagram @actsplorethispodcast and join the conversation.

PARTNER SPOTLIGHT:

This episode was brought to you by Woon Advisory, your trusted partner for talent acquisition. Head to http://woonadvisory.com and hit the ‘Contact Us’ button for a complimentary Talent Strategy Session with Charles - make sure you mention ‘Actsplore This Podcast’ in the email title.