Beyond the Noise

What happens when productivity becomes more important than humanity?

In this episode of Beyond The Noise, we sit down with Scott Shepherd, Founder of Wildward Institute and host of the Hopeful by Nature podcast, to explore leadership, community, mental health, decision-making, and the growing disconnect many people feel from themselves, each other, and the world around them.

Drawing on more than 15 years of experience in outdoor, environmental, and experiential education, Scott shares lessons from working with schools, conservation organisations, government agencies, and refugee communities.

Together, we discuss:

• Why despondence may be a bigger challenge than burnout

• What outdoor leadership teaches us about decision-making and consequences

• The difference between power over and power with

• Why workplace culture often overlooks basic human needs

• The connection between nature, wellbeing, and leadership

• How community creates resilience, belonging, and hope

This conversation is for leaders, founders, professionals, parents, and anyone navigating an increasingly disconnected world.

Guest:
Scott Shepherd

Founder, Wildward Institute
Host, Hopeful by Nature Podcast

Website:
https://www.wildwardinstitute.net/

Connect with Scott on LinkedIn:

Listen to Hopeful by Nature:
https://open.spotify.com/show/033hSHBTnQghtWI68ktJNk

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Beyond The Noise is hosted by Anastasija Lynch and Khurshid Zaynutdinov.

Connect with the hosts:

Anastasija Lynch
https://www.linkedin.com/in/anastasija-lynch-coach/

Khurshid Zaynutdinov
https://www.linkedin.com/in/khurshidz/

Most people only see the final decision.

They don’t see the pressure behind it.
The competing agendas.
The negotiations.
The personalities involved.
Or the human side of power.

In this episode, we speak with Zarina Bakenova — executive leader, board director, and former senior government & external relations executive across organisations including Mastercard, Shell, and major international ventures in Central Asia.

We explore:
• how high-stakes decisions actually get made
• what happens behind closed doors between business and government
• influence, negotiation, and stakeholder management
• executive presence under pressure
• being underestimated in leadership environments
• why preparation matters more than confidence alone

A grounded conversation about leadership, complexity, pressure, and the reality behind important decisions.

Guest:
Zarina Bakenova
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/zarina-bakenova-a772b73/

Referenced in this episode:
“Lean In” by Sheryl Sandberg

Hosts:
Anastasija Lynch
https://www.linkedin.com/in/anastasija-lynch-coach/

Khurshid Zaynutdinov
https://www.linkedin.com/in/khurshidz/

Beyond the Noise Podcast

What happens when people no longer feel safe to speak honestly at work?

In this episode of Beyond the Noise, we speak with Dr Chris Whitaker, coach, disability and inclusion specialist, and co-founder of Purple Advantage - about psychological safety, leadership blind spots, workplace culture, fear, communication, and the hidden emotional cost of constantly adapting yourself to fit into systems.

This conversation goes far beyond disability inclusion.

We explore the human side of leadership:

• fear in workplaces

• emotional safety

• diversity of thought

• invisible pressure

• communication under discomfort

• belonging

• workplace culture

• resilience

• why silence is often misunderstood by leaders

Dr Chris Whitaker shares insights from his work helping organisations create more inclusive environments and why small shifts in leadership behaviour can have a profound impact on people and performance.

Guest:
Dr Chris Whitaker
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/drwhitaker/

Purple Advantage:
https://www.purpleadvantage.com/

Book referenced:
Disability: The Basics — Tom Shakespeare

Hosts:
Anastasija Lynch
https://www.linkedin.com/in/anastasija-lynch-coach/

Khurshid Zaynutdinov
https://www.linkedin.com/in/khurshidz/

Beyond the Noise is a podcast exploring leadership, psychology, pressure, identity, decision-making, resilience, and the human side of ambition.

Most leaders believe they’re making rational, well-thought-out decisions.

In reality, many decisions are shaped by stories that were never fully questioned.

In this episode of Beyond the Noise, Anastasija Lynch and Khurshid sit down with strategist and advisor Dina Vince to explore how hidden narratives influence leadership, strategy, and decision-making.

They discuss why questioning is one of the most underrated leadership skills, how assumptions quietly shape outcomes, and what happens when leaders step back and challenge the story they’ve been operating from.

This conversation is for leaders, founders, and professionals who want to think more clearly, make better decisions, and lead with greater awareness.

What you’ll learn:

• Why leaders often operate from unexamined assumptions
• How stories influence decision-making and strategy
• The role of questioning in clear thinking
• Why success frameworks don’t always transfer
• How to create space for better decisions

Connect with Dina Vince:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dinavince/Website: www.dinavince.com

About the hosts:

Anastasija Lynch: https://www.linkedin.com/in/anastasija-lynch-coach/Khurshid Zaynutdinov: https://www.linkedin.com/in/khurshidz/

At one point in this conversation, a CEO says something that sounds extreme but is probably not as uncommon as we think.

That moment opens up a much bigger discussion.

In this episode, we sit down with Dali Gamha (founder and CEO of Psynarios) to explore what actually drives behaviour at work and why so much development doesn’t translate into real change.

We get into:

• why people believe they’re being rational when they’re not
• why patterns repeat, even after training
• and what sits underneath behaviour in high-pressure environments

A grounded conversation about how people actually operate at work, beyond the surface.

Connect:

Dali Gamha
https://www.linkedin.com/in/dali-gamha/

Psynarios
https://psynarios.com

⁠https://www.linkedin.com/company/psynarios/

Beyond the Noise:

Anastasija Lynch
https://www.linkedin.com/in/anastasija-lynch-coach/

Khurshid Zaynutdinov
https://www.linkedin.com/in/khurshidz/

Why do people follow leaders… even when they don’t fully understand why?

In this episode of Beyond the Noise, we’re joined by Laurence Barrett, founder of Heresy Consulting and author of Coaching the Unconscious.

We explore what really drives leadership beneath the surface, beyond strategy, performance, and logic.

This is a conversation about identity, meaning, and the hidden patterns shaping how we lead.

Laurence Barrett
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/laurence-barrett/
Website: https://www.heresyconsulting.com/

Books:

• Coaching the Unconscious
• A Jungian Approach to Coaching

BOOKS MENTIONED

Coaching the Unconscious – Laurence Barrett

A Jungian Approach to Coaching – Laurence Barrett

Cracking Coaching Codes – Karen Foy

Karen Armstrong - A Short History of Myth

ABOUT THE SHOW

Beyond the Noise explores leadership, decision-making, and what really drives human behaviour, beyond surface-level advice.

On the surface, everything can look like it’s working.

Career moving forward. Responsibilities handled. Life… on track.

But underneath, many people are running on empty and don’t realise it until something starts to slip.

In this episode, we explore why capable, driven people often neglect themselves, how that shows up over time, and what actually makes a difference when your schedule is already full.

This isn’t about discipline or doing more.
It’s about where that discipline is going and what it’s costing you.

In this conversation:

• Why successful people often deprioritise themselves
• The hidden cost of always pushing through
• How self-neglect starts to impact leadership and decisions
• Why motivation isn’t reliable and what works instead
• Simple, realistic ways to start shifting things

Guest

Derek O’Riordan is an educator of over 20 years and the founder of Ascend Fitness. He works with busy professionals to help them stay healthy without overhauling their lives and hosts The Healthy Movement Podcast.

Connect with Derek:

https://www.linkedin.com/in/fitness-coach-health-wellness-teacher/

https://www.youtube.com/@HealthMovementPodcast

Connect

Anastasija Lynch
https://www.linkedin.com/in/anastasija-lynch-coach/⁠

Khurshid Zaynutdinov
https://www.linkedin.com/in/khurshidz/

About Beyond The Noise

Conversations for people who are doing well on the outside but know something needs to change on the inside.

Networking often feels forced, transactional, or uncomfortable.

In this episode of Beyond the Noise, we speak with networking and philanthropy expert Kotryna Stankutė-Jaščemskienė about why traditional professional networking advice often fails and what actually helps people build meaningful professional relationships.

Kotryna has spent years helping professionals develop authentic networking strategies that feel natural rather than performative. Through her work with international leaders, entrepreneurs, and global communities, she has seen how curiosity, generosity, and intentional follow-up create networks that truly matter.

In this conversation, we explore how professionals can navigate networking events without feeling fake, why introverts may actually have an advantage in building strong relationships, and how authentic curiosity often opens more doors than self-promotion ever will.

If you’ve ever felt uncomfortable with traditional networking culture, this episode will change how you think about building professional relationships.

• Why most networking advice feels unnatural
• The biggest mistakes people make at networking events
• Why introverts can be excellent networkers
• The role of curiosity in building meaningful relationships
• How vulnerability creates deeper professional connections
• Why networking should focus on giving rather than taking
• The importance of intentional follow-up
• How strong networks are built over time, not in a single meeting

Kotryna Stankutė-Jaščemskienė is a networking strategist and philanthropy leader focused on connecting people, ideas, and opportunities.

She mentors professionals on how to build authentic networks through mentorship, corporate training, and group programmes designed to help people discover their own natural networking style.

Kotryna also leads the Marius Jakulis Jason Foundation, a philanthropic initiative attracting global talent, academics, and entrepreneurs to Lithuania to share knowledge and build impact.

Previously, she served as Director at Global Lithuanian Leaders, an international professional network connecting Lithuanian professionals around the world.

LinkedInhttps://www.linkedin.com/in/kotryna-stankute/

Website
https://www.kotryna.network

Collab Circle
https://www.kotryna.network/en/collab-lab

Podcast Hosts

Anastasija Lynch

Executive Coach
LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/anastasija-lynch-coach

Khurshid Zaynutdinov

Executive CoachLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/khurshidz/

Beyond the Noise is a podcast exploring leadership, resilience, decision-making, and the human side of success through conversations with leaders, experts, and thinkers from around the world.

New episodes are released biweekly.

If this episode resonated with you, follow the podcast and share it with someone who might need to hear it.

What does leadership really look like inside one of the world’s most iconic brands?

In this episode of Beyond the Noise, we sit down with Gulshanoy Tolipova-Gourdin, former Marketing Director at LEGO, for an honest conversation about creativity, culture, pressure, and the leadership lessons rarely discussed.

We explore:

✨ The reality of working inside LEGO
✨ Playfulness vs performance pressure
✨ Leadership, feedback & psychological safety
✨ Culture shifts in fast-growing organisations
✨ And the moment she said “no” to LEGO

This is not just a conversation about a dream company.
It’s a conversation about being human at work.

Guest:Gulshanoy Tolipova-Gourdin
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gulshanoy/

Hosted by:
Anastasija Lynch
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/anastasija-lynch-coach/

Khurshid Zaynutdinov
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/khurshidz/

🎙 Beyond the Noise — Conversations on leadership, mindset, and navigating success without losing yourself.

Leaders are expected to make decisions before things are clear.
This episode explores what it actually takes to carry that responsibility.

In this episode of Beyond the Noise, we speak with Umid Akhmedov — former Microsoft leader, board-level advisor, and founder of an AI startup fixing broken e-commerce delivery systems across Central Asia and the Caucasus.

This is a grounded conversation about leadership when:

• information is incomplete

• outcomes are uncertain

• rejection is frequent

• and responsibility doesn’t pause for clarity

Umid reflects on his transition from corporate leadership to startup life, what truly transfers between the two worlds, and what leaders often underestimate about emotional regulation, pressure, and decision-making without validation.

Rather than leadership theory or startup hype, this episode focuses on the internal work of leadership — holding uncertainty, separating signal from emotion, building culture, and staying pragmatic when nothing is guaranteed.

Topics covered:

• Making decisions with incomplete information

• Why clarity often comes after action

• Emotional regulation as a leadership skill

• Rejection, resilience, and investor pressure

• Growth mindset vs fixed mindset in leadership

• Why past success can quietly replace curiosity

• What leaders must carry so others can function

This episode is for senior leaders, founders, and decision-makers navigating complexity without easy answers.

Books & References

• Think Again — Adam Grant

• The Attributes — Rich Diviney

• Mindset — Carol Dweck

• Sense & Respond — Jeff Gothelf & Josh Seiden (Sense–Learn–Adapt loop)

• Trust and Inspire — Stephen M. R. Covey

• Energy Rising — Julia DiGangi

  
  

Umid Akhmedov

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/umidakhmedov/

• Article: https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/ai-action-tezbor-zfonf/

Hosts

• Anastasija Lynch: www.linkedin.com/in/anastasija-lynch-coach

• Khurshid Zaynutdinov: https://www.linkedin.com/in/khurshidz/