Cat's Pajamas Conversations

In this episode of Communicate Well, Carrie-Ann Wade talks with Sofia Cann about her experiences of Long CoVid and how this has impacted her life and her work.

Sofia is a head of marketing and communications for three arts venues and a freelance publicist. She specialises in marketing and communications aw well as programming and producing events. She works with both businesses and individuals. Sofia is also a publicist for a number of familiar music, screen and stage personalities.

As well as highlighted the physical and mental health impacts of CoVid-19 and Long CoVid, Sofia also touches on the perimenopause and generally how we can benefit from talking more about our health and wellbeing in order to seek support and to help others. 

Huge thanks to Sofia for sharing her experiences. If you want to find out more about Sofia's freelance work you can visit www.canncommunications.co.uk and you can connect with Sofia on Twitter via @sofiacann1, on Insta via @canncommunications or on LinkedIn. 

In this episode of Cat's PJs Convos Communicate Well mini-series, Carrie-Ann Wade talks candidly with Phil Woodford about his experience as a stroke survivor. This is a real emotional rollercoaster, you will laugh and you will cry. Phil is so honest about the impacts on his life, both physically and mentally. (Trigger warning - there is mention of suicide).

Phil is the Director of Corporate Affairs at University Hospitals of Morecambe Bay NHS Foundation Trust and has over 20 years experience in marketing and communications. He is also about to publish his first book, 'From Prostitutes to Prime Ministers, My Words, My Life, My Experiences; A Memoir.'

If you would like to find out more about Phil visit www.philwoodford.co.uk and you can contact Phil on Twitter at @phil_woodford

In this episode of Cat's Pajamas Conversations mini-series, Communicate Well, Carrie-Ann Wade talks with Kate Jarman about Flex NHS. Kate is the Director of Corporate Affairs at Milton Keynes University Hospital NHS Foundation Trust and co-founder of Flex NHS.

Flex NHS is a support and resource network that promotes and enables flexible working in the NHS. Carrie-Ann and Kate talk about the advantages of flexible working, both for individuals and organisations, how to make this work and what some of the perceived barriers are.

For communications professionals, flexible working, in whatever shape or form that may take, supports work-life balance, wellbeing and productivity. Have you thought about how flexible working might help you? Hopefully this episode will support you to reflect on this and maybe start a conversation that enables you and your team to work differently.

Find out more about Flex NHS and join the conversation via @FlexNHS on Twitter or @FlexNHS on Instagram. 

In this episode of our Cat's Pajamas Conversations mini-series Communicate Well, Carrie-Ann Wade talks with Sally Northeast, Darren Caveney and Georgia Taylor about Comms Unplugged. These three amazing communicators are the trio behind Comms Unplugged, a weekend designed to support comms pros with their wellbeing, development and learning. Find out more via www.commsunplugged.co.uk

A bit about Sally:

A bit about Georgia:

A bit about Darren:

We think you can tell that this is a passionate bunch and we are not surprised they are collaborating on Comms Unplugged, giving back to the communications community. 

Welcome to the first episode of our Cat's Pajamas Conversations mini series, Communicate Well. In this series we talk to communications professionals about all sorts of issues relating to health and wellbeing.

In this episode, our founder Carrie-Ann Wade talks with Rachel Royall, founder of Blue Lozenge, about what it is like to be a living organ donor.

Rachel is a leader in healthcare communications and engagement. She’s founder and MD of Blue Lozenge, a strategic consultancy in healthcare focusing on support for Integrated Care Systems and complex projects. She has led Board level communications for complex organisations including IBM, NHS, HMRC, Cabinet Office, Department of Health and Social Care and local government. She is also a visiting lecturer at Quadriga University of Science and Technology in Berlin.

Thank you so much to Rachel for sharing her story of living organ donation so candidly, not only sharing her own experiences but also offering advice to others who may want to find out more.

Follow her on twitter @RachRoyall or find Rachel on Linked In. You can find out more about Blue Lozenge via www.bluelozenge.co.uk 

And to find out more about organ donation visit www.organdonation.nhs.uk

In this final episode of our Businesses Built on Passion series, our founder Carrie-Ann Wade talks about the story behind Cat's Pajamas, what drives her and how Cat's Pajamas will grow in 2021.

Thank you to everyone who has supported Cat's Pajamas this year. Here's to a happier, healthy 2021 for us all.

In episode five of our Businesses Built on Passion series, Carrie-Ann Wade talks to Claire Thomas about her business Life Skills With Mrs T. Claire shares her purpose and passion, as well as some of her own journey, that has led her to set up her own business.

Life Skills with Mrs T is a place where skills can be learnt that can help you flourish where you’re at. A place where you can find the ability to dream again and learn how to meet these dreams through life coaching and learning self-leadership.

To find out more about Claire and her business visit www.lifeskillswithmrst.co.uk

In this episode of our Businesses Built on Passion Carrie-Ann Wade has the privilege of talking to the fabulous Trisha Chauhan, founder of Level Up London.

With a focus on women from diverse backgrounds, Level Up London creates brave, safe and uplifting spaces for women to find themselves and gain clarity in their journeys personally and professionally. With a focus on women's empowerment and through intersectional life coaching, Level Up London supports women to move forward in their jouneys.

Find out more about Level Up London on Instagram via @_leveluplondon_ and look out for the website launch in December 2020.

In this special episode of Cat's Pajamas Conversations, Carrie-Ann Wade talks with Lee Griffith, coach and founder of Sunday Skies, about coaching and mentoring.

This episode was recorded for release on our Cat's Pajamas #SmallBiz100 day on 24 November 2020. We are taking this opportunity not only to promote small business owners but to share our news about the changes we are making at Cat's Pajamas to move towards the provision of mentoring programmes for communications professionals.

Carrie-Ann and Lee talk about the difference between coaching and mentoring, how they have made use of both during their own careers and the importance of investing in your own development.

If you would like to find out more about Lee an Sunday Skies you can visit www.sundayskies.com

There is a teeny tiny swear word in here so use your headphones if you are around little people or the easily offended!

In the third episode of our Businesses Built on Passion series, Carrie-Ann Wade talks to David Martos and Itseoritseno Onuwaje, co-founders of House of Cinn. House of Cinn launched in July 2020 not only to deliver scrumptious cinnamon buns to people at home, but more importantly to support rough sleepers in London and help break the cycle of homelessness.

House of Cinn has partnered with Street Cafe with the aim to build supportive communities around those who are rough sleeping.  They have a buddy and back-to-work system in place to help the beneficiaries back into a supportive work environment, with jobs at House of Cinn when they’re ready for employment.

This is one serious business built on passion and David and Itse have a real sense of purpose about what they are aiming to achieve, we dare you not to feel inspired to spread a little kindness.

Find out more via www.houseofcinn.co.uk