Coach Class

In this episode of Coach Class I had the privilege of sitting down with Dave Birss — writer, educator, keynote speaker, and former creative director — to explore curiosity, creativity, and the sensible use of AI.

Key Takeaways

• From childhood curiosity to creative leadership:
  Dave traces his fascination with innovation to visiting the John Logie Baird Museum as a child. That early spark led him through careers in music, comedy, photography, and advertising before becoming a thought leader in creativity and AI.
• AI is only as good as your thinking:
  Dave created a prompting framework within weeks of ChatGPT’s launch, emphasising that the goal isn’t to use “magic words” but to get the right information out of your own head. Good prompting = good briefing. Lazy prompts, like lazy briefs, produce poor results.
• Curiosity vs. complacency:
  Dave warns that technology can degrade as much as it can uplift — pointing to the dark web and social media as examples of innovations that started with good intentions but became harmful. He fears AI could follow a similar path unless guided by human purpose and ethics.
• Human skills matter more than ever:
  At the Gen AI Academy, Dave teaches organisations to amplify autonomy, mastery, and purpose (from Dan Pink’s Drive) rather than eroding them with AI. He argues that people now manage assistants — meaning everyone must learn to brief, judge, and think critically.
• Judgement is the superpower:
  AI can start users at “adequacy,” but if we skip the struggle and learning that build neural networks, we risk losing cognitive depth. The future divide won’t be between rich and poor — it’ll be between those who augment their brains and those who outsource their thinking.
• AI projects often fail because they’re human problems, not tech problems:
  60–80% of AI projects are abandoned. The issue isn’t software — it’s leadership, strategy, and misunderstanding motivation. “Choosing the tech is easy; integrating it is the challenge.”
• Realism over hype:
  Dave rejects “futurist” labels, calling himself a realist. He believes AI’s economic bubble will burst but its workplace role will endure. His mission: help organisations harness AI sensibly — using it to amplify, not replace, human creativity.

Stand Out Quotes

• “Prompting isn’t magic — it’s briefing. And most people are terrible at briefs.”
• “AI starts you at adequacy — but you can’t grow from there.”
• “We must build humans who thrive in the age of AI, not just workers who use it.”
• “Technology has yin and yang — it can uplift or it can degrade. The choice is ours.”

Closing Thought

The episode ends on a mix of realism and optimism: it's a privilege to be able to celebrate Dave’s ability to make complex ideas relatable and it reminds me to stay curious, critical, and brave — using AI to amplify, not replace, your own thinking.

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In this episode of Coach Class, I welcome back Stephen Waddington – “Wadds” – one of the UK’s most influential thinkers in public relations. A former agency leader, CIPR president, and prolific blogger, Wadds is now immersed in a PhD at Leeds Business School, exploring the age-old question: how can PR prove its value and earn recognition as a true management function?

Together, we unpack the personal and professional journey behind this research. Wadds reflects on the discipline and sacrifice of pursuing a PhD, the frustration of knowing that many of the answers already exist, and the humility of building incrementally on the work of those who came before. He shares how COVID-19 briefly elevated the role of PR to the management table, and why the profession still struggles with definitions, measurement, professionalism, and recognition compared to fields like law or finance.

The conversation also explores deeper themes of self-doubt, resilience, and legacy. Wadds talks about moving from uncertainty to determination, the importance of gratitude, and the emotional experience of acknowledging mentors such as Dr Jon White. He recalls how writing — and not sending — a letter of thanks helped crystallise his sense of purpose, reminding him that he isn’t alone in facing these questions.

We also discuss what it means to “be taken seriously” as a profession, drawing on quotes from Jon White (“there’s no such thing as bad theory, only theory that hasn’t been challenged”), Logan Roy (“you are not serious people”), and Alan Bennett (“keep on keeping on”). These provocations highlight the gap between theory and practice, and the urgent need for PR to embrace knowledge, standards, and repeatable processes if it is to stand alongside other professions.

Finally, Wadds explains why his current survey matters: it’s a rare opportunity to capture contemporary evidence about the state of PR worldwide. He urges in-house public relations and corporate communications practitioners in any sector, at any level, working in the UK to take part, helping to build the evidence base that will shape the industry’s future.

This is a candid, passionate, and often emotional conversation about what it takes to push a profession forward — step by step, contribution by contribution — and why the baton now being carried by Wadds could make a generational difference to the field of public relations.

Take part in Stephen’s research here.

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In this episode of Coach Class I caught up with Jane Kenyon MBE — a serial entrepreneur, intuitive coach, and unapologetic champion for women and girls. Jane shares her extraordinary personal journey: from a traumatic upbringing and being abandoned at 16, to thriving in corporate life, reinventing herself as an entrepreneur, and ultimately founding Girls Out Loud – a social enterprise that empowers teenage girls to find their voice, speak up, and make bold, informed choices.

💡 Key Themes 

• 💥 A Life Shaped by Adversity
  • Jane opens up about being “daddy’s girl” in a wealthy but emotionally volatile home.
  • Kicked out at 16 and abandoned by her father, she became fiercely self-reliant.
  • Her early trauma became the foundation of her resilience and empathy.
• 📈 Corporate Burnout to Purpose-Driven Entrepreneur
  • After rising fast in the corporate world (with multiple degrees and an MBA by 28), Jane hit burnout.
  • She reinvented herself as a coach, then founded Girls Out Loud in 2010 after a powerful pilot project with at-risk girls in Blackpool.
• 👧 The Two Groups Who Slip Through the Cracks
  • High-risk girls: Experiencing trauma, abuse, grooming risks, or teenage pregnancy.
  • “Middle girls”: Not excelling, not failing — often completely invisible. These girls hold huge untapped potential, but get little attention from schools or services.
• 🧠 Mentoring That Changes Lives — Both Ways
  • The Big Sister programme pairs each girl with a woman who “has been there, done that.”
  • Mentors are trained not just to support, but to reflect on their own lives. The process transforms the adults as much as the girls.
  • As Jane puts it: “You can’t model confidence or boundary-setting for a teenage girl if you’re not doing it yourself.”
• 📱 Social Media Isn’t the Root Cause — It’s the Amplifier
  • Social media magnifies existing issues like misogyny, body image pressures, and peer toxicity.
  • Pornography, violence, and grooming are now normalised online. Jane believes society handed kids this world without any real guidance or boundaries.
• 🚸 Schools and Parents: Who’s Responsible?
  • Jane calls out both systems: schools are overwhelmed, and many parents are disengaged.
  • She urges parents to “get on the bus” — have regular, meaningful conversations and understand the digital worlds their kids inhabit.
• 🏫 What Needs to Change
  • Better, braver sex and relationship education.
  • Trauma-informed schools where teachers are emotionally present.
  • Stronger parental involvement and better role-modelling from adults.
• 👑 Building a Legacy
  • Jane recently received an MBE, recognising decades of tireless work.
  • She’s now focused on scaling Girls Out Loud and ensuring it can thrive beyond her leadership.
• 🔥 Why She Keeps Going
  • It’s the messages from former mentees that keep her fire burning — hearing that “you changed my life” or “I wouldn’t be here without this programme” reminds her the struggle is worth it.
• 💬 Call to Action
  • Whether you're a potential mentor, fundraiser, coach, or supporter — get involved. Girls Out Loud is actively seeking volunteers, role models, and regional partners.

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In this episode of Coach Class, I was joined by Amanda Downs — commercial leader turned coach, facilitator, and soon-to-be author of Stepping Up to Sales Leader.

Using the Japanese concept of Ikigai — your reason for being — as a guiding theme, Amanda reflects on what lights her up, how she helps others grow, and why leading a commercial team is a bit like tending a garden.

Expect rich conversation on:

• How purpose, values, and integrity guide Amanda’s work
• The link between psychological safety and leadership success
• Why sales is about value, story, and service — not pressure
• How to spot a career crossroads and start unravelling your metaphorical jumper
• Her love for gardening, and why it’s the perfect metaphor for people development

Amanda also shares the lessons she’s learned from Dare to Lead by Brené Brown, how she helps leaders rediscover what they’re good at, and why vulnerability is the new superpower.

This episode is for anyone who’s led a team, faced a fork in the road, or simply wants to do meaningful work with integrity and heart.

🔊 Soundbite:

“Selling and helping people to buy things is not a dirty word… It’s the lifeblood of what makes economies boom or fail. And the most authentic way to sell? It’s to find the value and turn it into a story you can tell.” — Amanda Downs

📌 Useful Links:

• Connect with Amanda on LinkedIn
• Learn more about The Uspire Group
• Watch for Amanda’s upcoming book Stepping Up to Sales Leader (coming 2026)

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🎧 Please consider sharing Coach Class with someone who’d enjoy it — and leaving a review on your podcast platform. It genuinely helps more people find the show.

🎧 In this episode of Coach Class, I’m joined by someone I’ve admired for years — Sarah Fothergill, now Vice President at HH Global, the world’s fastest-growing marketing execution company.

Sarah and I reflect on our shared time at Asda — a place that was far more than just a job. It was a boot camp for leadership, values, resilience, and finding your voice. We explore the people who influenced her most, including Katherine Paterson, Rick Bendel, and Chris Mcdonough — and the lessons they passed on that still shape her leadership style today.

From her early days faxing house plant orders to stores, to creating Walmart’s global marketing academy, and now managing a multimillion business at HH Global, Sarah’s journey is packed with hard-won insight, humility, and heart.

💬 What We Talk About:

• The Asda culture: why it was so formative — and why it still matters
• What Sarah learned from leaders like Rick, Katherine and Chris
• Taking a leap: going from corporate to India to founding her own agency
• Setting up Walmart’s International Centre of Marketing Excellence
• How she leads today with empathy, honesty, and a coaching mindset
• Advice for anyone starting out — or looking to reinvent themselves
• Why leaving a company well is just as important as how you join
• The unexpected joy of giving back through her work with Forget Me Not Children’s Hospice

🧠 One to Remember:

🔗 Connect with Coach Class:

• Hosted by: Dom Burch
• Follow the show, leave a review, and share it with someone from your own Asda era.

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🎧 Please consider sharing Coach Class with someone who’d enjoy it — and leaving a review on your podcast platform. It genuinely helps more people find the show.

In this episode of Coach Class, I caught up with executive coach and chartered engineer Sam Williams, whose personal journey through late-diagnosed ADHD and perimenopause has redefined how she leads, coaches, and lives.

What started as a 30-second BBC appearance turned into a profound moment of reflection for Sam—one that prompted her to confront long-held beliefs like “I’m lazy” or “I’m in decline.” Through coaching, curiosity, and compassion, she’s learned to rewrite these inner narratives and reclaim her identity on her own terms.

Together, Sam and I explore:

• What Sam calls "belief admin"—and how it can unlock headspace for transformation
• The hidden intersections of neurodivergence and hormonal change
• How we can reframe perimenopause as a “midlife software update” instead of a decline
• Why building a relationship with yourself is foundational to resilience
• Practical ways men can be better allies to the women in their lives

Whether you’re navigating change, coaching others through it, or simply trying to make sense of your inner voice—this is a conversation full of insight, empathy, and empowerment.

🔗 Links:

• Connect with Sam on LinkedIn
• BBC Documentary 

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In this reflective and energising episode, I had the pleasure of reconnecting with my former Asda colleague Melissa Hill, now on a well-earned career break after 16 years at Walmart. Together, we explore what it really means to pause, reset, and be intentional about the next chapter.

🔑 Key themes:

• The reality of high-pressure comms roles in global corporations
• Embracing horizontal leadership and active listening
• Rediscovering human connection after stepping off the corporate treadmill
• Viewing yourself as a “corporate athlete” who needs to rest and recover
• Planning a meaningful career break with purpose and structure
• Letting go of identity wrapped up in job titles and learning who you are outside of work

Melissa shares her “three Ps” for her sabbatical: public service, personal housekeeping, and purposeful enrichment of the mind — and offers candid reflections on what she’s learning while travelling across Europe, including surprising insights from Beirut and spontaneous reunions in Bradford.

This is a must-listen for anyone considering a career pivot, feeling burnt out, or simply seeking inspiration on how to live and lead with more intention.

💬 “The minute you step away, you realise — it wasn’t the job that made me. I made the job.” – Melissa Hill

🔗 Listen on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your audio fix.

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🎧 Please consider sharing Coach Class with someone who’d enjoy it — and leaving a review on your podcast platform. It genuinely helps more people find the show.

In this episode of Coach Class Kate Levy shares her remarkable career journey from child actress to award-winning executive producer and creative leader. With years of experience spanning TV, branded content, and B2B production, Kate has shaped powerful stories across sectors—and guided teams through high-stakes creative projects.

Highlights:

• Early Start in Acting: Kate began her career in front of the camera, starring in David Copperfield, I, Claudius, and Robin of Sherwood. She even appeared on Broadway with the Royal Shakespeare Company.
• Turning Point: Realising the limitations of being typecast as she got older, Kate pivoted behind the camera—starting unexpectedly with voicing astrology lines for a newspaper. That leap led to producing live broadcast content for News International in both London and the US.
• Creative Leadership: Kate emphasises a collegiate and calm leadership style—encouraging teams to pause, prioritise, and problem-solve together. She’s passionate about mentoring, especially during times of change or challenge.
• Lessons Learned: She reflects on the importance of adaptability and continuous learning—traits that have helped her reinvent her career multiple times, from launching TV channels to coaching C-suite execs on-camera.
• Future Vision: Kate is now seeking new opportunities where she can collaborate closely with others, mentor rising talent, and continue producing meaningful, award-winning content.
• On Ageism: She candidly discusses the bias older professionals face in creative industries and challenges companies to embrace experience, as long as it’s coupled with a hunger to keep learning.
• AI & Human Creativity: Kate wants to explore how artificial and human intelligence can work together—humorously noting she always says "please and thank you" to AI tools, just in case.

💬 “The only way to get experience is chronologically. But if you're still curious, open to change, and passionate about making great work—you’ve got so much to offer.” – Kate Levy

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In this episode of Coach Class, I’m joined by Ray McCaughan, a seasoned nurse and founder of Horizon Health Clinics in Skipton. With over 25 years’ experience in acute care, chronic care, and forensic mental health, Ray shares how a ride-along with his paramedic uncle in the 1980s led him from HM Treasury to a lifelong commitment to healthcare.

We explore:

• Why root causes matter more than surface symptoms in healthcare.
• How lifestyle medicine can empower people to take control of their health — physically, mentally, and emotionally.
• Ray’s innovative collaboration with two colleagues combines a "nurse, chef, and Marine" , bringing holistic health advice into workplaces through practical, actionable strategies.
• The power of small, sustained changes over sweeping resolutions.
• How walking and talking, active listening, and stoic philosophy all play a role in healing.
• Why purpose, meaning, and mindset are vital for both personal health and effective leadership.

Ray also talks about measuring success through tools like stress and wellbeing scores, and shares one case where a client’s stress level dropped from 46 to 20 in just eight weeks.

This conversation is full of insights for leaders, coaches, and anyone interested in how healthcare — and life — can be more human, more compassionate, and more sustainable.

☕ Plus: a shoutout to Skipton coffee, walking in the Dales, and why sometimes doing nothing is the healthiest choice of all.

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🎧 Please consider sharing Coach Class with someone who’d enjoy it — and leaving a review on your podcast platform. It genuinely helps more people find the show.

In this episode of Coach Class, I sat down with Kevin Gratton, whose journey through some of the most intense kitchens in the world has shaped him into a reflective, generous leader and mentor in the hospitality industry. From working under Marco Pierre White to launching his own consultancy—Samphire and Sage—Kevin’s career is rich with insight, grit, and transformation.

Key Themes:

Learning in High-Pressure Environments

Kevin talks candidly about his early days in Marco Pierre White’s brigade, the pressure-cooker environment, and what it taught him about resilience and standards.

The Shift to Leadership

We explore the tough emotional terrain of moving from being part of the team to leading it—and how this transition forced him to reevaluate how he motivated others.

Space to Reflect

A three-year stint in the Cayman Islands gave Kevin time to reset, learn a new leadership style, and put empathy and compassion at the heart of his approach.
Starting Samphire and Sage

Now focused on mentoring and menu development, Kevin’s consultancy is rooted in 30+ years of experience—but built to serve people, not just systems.
Attitude over Aptitude

Kevin shares the philosophy that skills can be taught—but attitude, empathy, and social awareness are what create lasting success in teams.

Leading on Your Own Terms

He reflects on the power of long-term relationships, trusting your own values, and the importance of leading in a way that aligns with who you are.

💡 Takeaways for Leaders & Coaches
Kevin’s experience offers important reminders for leaders far beyond the hospitality sector:

• Culture matters more than command: Leadership that relies on intimidation may deliver short-term results, but sustainable success comes from empathy, clarity, and values-based culture.
• Transitions are hard—and worth attention: Moving into leadership roles without support can perpetuate unhealthy habits. Coaching and mentoring are essential during these phases.
• Reflection fuels growth: Kevin’s transformation came not in the heat of service, but during quieter moments of reflection—something corporate leaders would do well to schedule for themselves.
• Skills get you in the door—attitude keeps you there: That 51/49 rule (attitude vs. aptitude) is as true in the boardroom as it is in the kitchen.

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