Do you feel it?

As you get older you want to make a change to your life. Things that once felt like your purpose no longer align.

Well, you’re not alone.

My guest in this episode has not only experienced the same thing, he has written about it in award winning fashion. Dan Kieran suffered from many phobias from agoraphobia, fear of flying, getting in lifts and more. To move through them he had to put in the work.

And every time he did, he felt more whole. As though he had discovered a missing piece of himself.

Dan talks about how he moved through the phobias and his experiences in business leading companies. As well as his second journey of individual development later in life.

“In failure, in disaster you will always find the most lifechanging realisations” – Dan

You'll hear about:

01:56 - What does success mean to Dan?

06:39 - Dan's journey to where he is today

12:43 - The symptoms showing things weren't right

18:20 - The seed leading to an authentic life

27:19 - Did Dan have any crisis moments?

33:04 - Dan or writing The Surfboard

38:30 - The impacts Dan's fear of flying has had

44:27 - You have to sit in the pain

Dan’s resources:

LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/dan-kieran-b49a3329/

Find out all about Dan and his books - https://www.dankieran.com/

Petra’s resources:

Petra’s website - https://www.petravelzeboer.com/ 

LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/petra-velzeboer/ 

Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/petra.velzeboer/

Buy Petra’s book: Begin With You: Invest in Your Mental Well-being and Satisfaction at Work - https://shorturl.at/nyDOX 

Mental health in the legal sector, does it even exist?

In this episode I am joined by ex-partner of a law firm, Helen Pamely, who speaks out against the sector’s record on mental health.

Helen challenges the pre-conceptions and norms of the industry to forge a new way. An ex-lawyer turned coach; she has lived experience at the top levels of this high-pressured environment. She discusses the radical changes needed to prioritise mental health and how the culture needs to evolve.

She calls out the practices that are compromising mental health in law firms, and the toxic cultures that enable them.

There is a real need for a more supportive and understanding work environment in law, Helen shows the way in how to achieve that.

“It’s misogyny, it’s bullying, it’s being iced out, it’s being fired. People hurt people” – Helen

You'll hear about:

00:56 - What does Helen aspire to?

01:52 - Is it possible to prioritise mental health in the legal sector?

05:33 - How Helen changed career help others

10:09 - The toxic nature of becoming a partner

13:04 - Helen on emotional intelligence

17:29 - Helen's messaging that resonates the most

19:45 - The real impact of tragic stories

24:21 - What is the radical change needed in law?

28:47 - Helen's mental health non-negotiables

Helen’s resources

LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/helenpamely/

Website - https://helenpamely.com/

Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/helenpamely/?hl=en

Listen to Helen’s podcast More Than A Lawyer - https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/more-than-a-lawyer/id1729325503 

Petra’s resources:

LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/petra-velzeboer/ 

Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/petra.velzeboer/

Buy Petra’s book: Begin With You: Invest in Your Mental Well-being and Satisfaction at Work - https://shorturl.at/nyDOX

“Men don’t talk about their mental health.”

This is the perception that my guest in this episode, Todd Hopwood, has been fighting to break.

The cultural expectations of men often mean they keep quiet about their wellbeing, a problem in itself that can do far more damage. Todd has been using his position as a leader to advocate for the mental health of his workforce by leading by example.

After posting his mental health score at work one day his colleagues began to open up to him, which led him down a path of supporting people, in particular men, to talk about their own challenges.

We discuss the challenges of showing vulnerability, and the need for trust and communication in relationships. Todd also shares his personal journey of caring for a family member with mental health issues, the barriers he faced in disclosing his struggles, and the transformative power of being open about emotions.

The conversation emphasizes the necessity for radical changes needed to support men to talk more. 

“What I wasn’t planning for was that lots of people started talking to me about mental health” – Todd

You'll hear about:

01:35 - Why is mental health important to Todd?

04:41 - Todd on showing vulnerability

08:48 - The impacts of sharing his mental health score at work

17:40 - Networks and leading by example

22:35 - Todd's relationship with mental health growing up

29:40 - Could anyone have supported Todd differently?

33:43 - How partners can support men challenging conditioning

40:52 - The impacts of stress on your responses

44:33 - Should we care for ourselves first before others?

48:00 - The most radical change we need in wellbeing

51:24 - What do men need to know about mental health?

Todd’s resources:

LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/todd-hopwood-00404310/ 

Petra’s resources:

LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/petra-velzeboer/ 

Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/petra.velzeboer/

Buy Petra’s book: Begin With You: Invest in Your Mental Well-being and Satisfaction at Work - https://shorturl.at/nyDOX

How long do you spend on your devices?

Be honest. It’s probably a lot isn’t it, your phone, TV, your laptop. They are always there next to you or in your pocket.

You do not have to live your life being ruled by technology. In this episode I want to explore how you can do this, because the impacts they have on your mental health can be huge.

It is so important to self-reflect regarding your relationship with technology, we need deeper connections in life to thrive. I give practical tips on how to manage your digital life, and why setting boundaries can have significant impacts for the better.

Ultimately, we need to take collective responsibility for our digital habits and strive for a balanced approach to technology use.

“Are Your Devices Ruling You?” - Petra

You'll hear about:

00:42 - Are your devices ruling you?

02:26 - What do we need more of?

03:45 - What is in our control?

07:30 - What is our social responsibility?

09:11 - Technology in the workplace

10:45 - Are digital detoxes the solution?

14:09 - Assess your relationship with your device

18:59 - Tips to evolve your relationship with technology

Petra’s resources:

LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/petra-velzeboer/ 

Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/petra.velzeboer/

Buy Petra’s book: Begin With You: Invest in Your Mental Well-being and Satisfaction at Work - https://shorturl.at/nyDOX 

Do you own your story, or does it own you?

The moment you take ownership of it is the moment you take power over it. 

My incredible guest in this episode, Chana Buisson, experienced trauma in her childhood. Physical and mental abuse led to depression and suicidal thoughts later in life.

Chana shares with so much honesty what she went through, and beauty the lessons she has since learned. She discusses how she overcame her trauma to find empowerment. She also talks about the challenges of dealing with depression and finding the motivation to keep moving forward.

What Chana says resonated so much with me and my story. And it also shows that real self-care involves giving ourselves tough love to get us out of situations to get up and move forward.

“It’s worth being uncomfortable with your story so you own it and it doesn’t own you” – Chana

You'll hear about:

01:15 - An introduction to Chana

06:40 - The role Chana had in her family

10:50 - Was nursing a follow on from her childhood role

13:27 - Femininity and owning your power

19:09 - Things Chana still works on because of her past

23:40 - Perpetuating the idea of staying stuck

28:24 - Did anyone say anything useful to move from the dark?

34:51 - The self-care we really need

38:22 - What Gen Z need?

42:11 - The radical change we need in wellbeing

Chana’s resources:

LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/chana-buisson-1922002b2/

Website - https://www.fullofnectar.com/

Petra’s resources:

Petra’s website - https://www.petravelzeboer.com/ 

LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/petra-velzeboer/ 

Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/petra.velzeboer/

Buy Petra’s book: Begin With You: Invest in Your Mental Well-being and Satisfaction at Work - https://shorturl.at/nyDOX

Does the world around you impact your mental health?

The bad news we see daily, the world in trouble. I would argue that we have a responsibility to protect ourselves from it. And live in a way that doesn’t overload our mental health.

By all means be active on the issues important to you but recognise that you have the control over the information you consume.

In this episode I discuss how to navigate the troubles we see in the world. I want to encourage you to question your relationship with the news and prioritise where you place your attention and energy. We should be focusing on causes that align with our zone of genius, all while protecting our brain and nervous system. 

Turning down the volume on negative influences and turning it up on things that bring us energy will enable us to create real impact in the world.

“What is our responsibility when it comes to navigating the amount of information that could be bad for our mental health?” - Petra

You'll hear about:

01:04 - How we navigate a troubled world

02:33 - Being prepared for the next bad thing

03:29 - Navigating all of the information out there

05:29 - The defences I often hear on this topic

06:58 - What causes are you connected to?

09:20 - Having intention on connecting to the world

11:43 - I don't watch the news at all

13:16 - Question what is in your control

Petra’s resources:

Petra’s website - https://www.petravelzeboer.com/ 

LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/petra-velzeboer/ 

Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/petra.velzeboer/

Buy Petra’s book: Begin With You: Invest in Your Mental Well-being and Satisfaction at Work - https://shorturl.at/nyDOX 

True high performance in the workplace is not common.

But it is possible. So, what does it take to get there and stay there?

In this episode I am joined by Chinazom and Ije, a couple who are business and leadership coaches. They discuss the challenges and rewards of working together as a couple and as business partners.

They also explore the concept of mental fitness and its importance for performance and wellbeing. We cover the importance of psychological safety in teams and the role of leaders in creating a culture of mental fitness. Allowing employees to flourish and experience joy.

We also share our experiences of building trust and psychological safety within our teams, including the importance of leaders modelling vulnerability and creating a safe space for employees to share their challenges to build real trust.

“If there isn’t a sense of trust people will respond falsely” – Iljeoma

You'll hear about:

01:07 - An intro to Chinazom & Ijeoma

03:03 - Was learning about coaching transformative?

07:18 - The unsaid things in business

14:58 - The art of reflection and communication

19:50 - Chinazom's version of mental fitness

29:34 - Bringing wellbeing into the light

33:49 - How Petra talks about mental health in her organisation

41:39 - The problems in the modern workplace

46:46 - Recognising your partners mental health needs

51:48 - The most radical change we need in wellbeing

Chinazom & Ijeoma’s resources:

Website - https://www.dreamcatchersperformance.com/

Chinazom - https://www.linkedin.com/in/chinazomsunnynwabueze/

Ijeoma - https://www.linkedin.com/in/ijeoma-jemie-nwabueze/

Petra’s resources:

Too often we make decisions without thinking if they will have a positive impact on our lives.

We need to be able to align our decisions with our truth. That means not just choosing what we think is a good decision but what we think is a great decision.

But how do we know what a great decision is?

In this episode, I discuss the concept of good versus great and how it relates to finding our purpose and living in alignment with our truth. That truth can change as we move through different phases of our lives. So, we need to embrace the idea of the 'dark night of the soul' and how it can be a transformative period of growth and self-discovery.

Ask yourself the question of what good versus great is in your life, and bravely say no to the good to pursue the great.

“Challenge the thinking that’s around you and think for yourself” - Petra

You'll hear about:

00:50 - Good vs great

01:35 - The different phases of life

05:25 - It takes self-awareness

08:16 - Hone in on your zone of genius

11:41 - How do we know the phase has changed?

14:38 - What should our zone of genius be about?

16:28 - Challenge the thinking that’s around you

Petra’s resources:

LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/petra-velzeboer/ 

Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/petra.velzeboer/

Buy Petra’s book: Begin With You: Invest in Your Mental Well-being and Satisfaction at Work - https://shorturl.at/nyDOX 

Work life balance is a lie, it doesn’t exist.

We are all going from one aspect of our lives to the other, trying to keep everything afloat, but what of we reframed it as work life harmony?

This outlook on leadership and wellbeing is championed by my guest in this episode, Andre Young. He is the founder of You Evolving Now, author and leadership trainer helping create better work culture, and improved interactions between leaders and employees.

Andre shares his perspective on what work life harmony is and the importance of setting priorities and boundaries. Andre shares his own experiences with trying to maintain this harmony with 4 kids, his wife, friends and 2 businesses.

There is so much we are told about what our work life balance should look like, let’s get to the truth about what we are all going through.

“Once you know who you are, once you know who your people are, you don’t have to take things personal anymore” - Andre

You'll hear about:

00:57 - What's exciting Andre right now?

02:32 - The biggest thing Andre is currently learning

06:55 - Andre's role as a kid

13:18 - It starts with self-awareness

15:19 - Work life harmony according to Andre

29:00 - Everyone needs to know the vision

32:32 - The types of wins we celebrate

38:50 - Does work life balance have to look a certain way?

44:55 - The skill of intentional communication

52:50 - The most radical change Andre wants to see

Andre’s resources:

LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/youevolvingnow/

Website - https://youevolvingnow.com/author/andre-young/

Petra’s resources:

Do you have voices that influence your decisions?

Whether they are inside your head or out there in the real world, they exist for all of us.

The hard bit is finding the right people to hear you out and give you the insights you need to make your next move.

In this episode I discuss the importance of creating a circle of support in what can be a world of isolation. And that support may need to evolve over time. I explore the concept of the boardroom in our heads, where different voices influence our decisions, we need to listen to those just as much as the voices around us from the outside world.

Don’t be afraid to ask for what you need, it will help you get the right kind of support at the right time. 

“The boardroom that got you to where needed to go is not the same as the one you need for the next phase of life” - Petra

You'll hear about:

00:50 - Creating your circle of support

04:07 - Our personal board room

05:52 - Having blind faith in yourself

07:34 - Sitting with the darkness

10:03 - Authenticity over connection

17:24 - Identifying the voices in your head

20:25 - The in real life aspect

25:56 - Final thoughts

Petra’s resources:

Petra’s website - https://www.petravelzeboer.com/ 

LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/petra-velzeboer/ 

Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/petra.velzeboer/

Buy Petra’s book: Begin With You: Invest in Your Mental Well-being and Satisfaction at Work - https://shorturl.at/nyDOX