Everyday Leadership

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Being a dad is a role that we play, we are people first. A dad is something that I have become but I'm a man first. To look at it from what kind of dad you want to be without looking at what kind of man you want to become is the wrong way around. You need to define what kind of man you want to be first and that translates to parenting.- Elliott Rae

Who is Elliott Rae?

Elliott Rae is one of the UKs most prominent speakers on fatherhood, masculinity and mens mental health. He is the founder of the parenting platform MusicFootballFatherhood, called the Mumsnet for Dads by the BBC. MusicFootballFatherhood is the UKs most exciting parenting and lifestyle platform for men. MFF is all about open conversations surrounding fatherhood, work-life balance, mental health, raising healthy and well-rounded children, money management, relationships and of course music and football.

He previously worked in the Civil Service where he held senior Diversity, Equity & Inclusion roles and his last role was as the Head of D&I delivery at HM Treasury.

Hes been heavily involved in many research projects relating to fathers in the workplace, notably the 2018 Equal Lives report by Business in the Community and the Fathers in the Workplace toolkit by the University of Birmingham where he spoke at both of the launches. He was recognised by the United Nations for his work engaging men in gender equality and was awarded the UN Women UKs #HeForShe Changemaker of the Year award in 2019.

Elliot Raes DAD journey

Elliott founded the MFF platform as a self-therapy after being diagnosed with PTSD as a new dad after the traumatic birth of his daughter.

In his new book DAD, an Amazon Top 10 bestseller, Elliott and 19 other dads shared their stories that represent the diversity of modern fatherhood and challenge the traditional ideas of masculinity.

In January 2022, Elliott presented the seminal and primetime BBC One documentary Becoming Dad. This was the first show of its kind to bring issues around dads mental health and work-life balance to the mainstream.

Elliott as a speaker, author and social changemaker

Elliott specialises in helping organisations support fathers, improve mens mental health and engage men in conversations around gender equality.

If you are trying to encourage more open conversations about masculinity and allyship and engage more men in your DEI activities, Elliot can help you. Connect here with Elliott.

Key Leadership learning moments (timestamps)

02:35 - Elliott Rae is not Fond of Introductions

03:18 - Elliott's Philosophy - Keep On Putting the Work!

05:16 - Elliott's Young Competitive Spirit

06:39 - Elliott the Biggest Fan of Football Stars

10:31 - His Biggest Supporters, His Parents

16:13 - Elliot's Dad Tips for a Happy Marriage

19:13 - How to Deal with Ego Effectively as a Man?

22:06 - Hurdles in Unleashing Elliott's Full Potential

26:01 - Elliott's Journey as a Modern-Day Father

27:44 - What it Takes to Be a Good Man?

30:22 - Being a Man vs. Being a Dad

35:19 - Elliot's Traumatic Experiences

39:48 - Mental Health Problems Surfacing - Elliott's Plight

46:29 - MFF Origin Story

56:07 - The Grit and Determination to Continue Against All Odds

01:01:57 - The Numbers Game vs. The Influencer Game

01:06:28 - Sope's Key Take Aways On Elliott's Interview

01:09:36 - Elliott's Definition of Leadership

Elliotts links:

LinkedIn

Dad Book

Website

Follow the podcast

If youve just stumbled across this podcast episode by chance, please click here to follow it so you never miss a future episode.

If you want to learn more about this podcast, and myself, Sope Agbelusi, you can do so using any of the links below.

Connect with Me

I am always keen to hear your thoughts and connect with the community of listeners. If you have any comments, feedback or thoughts, please drop me an email at https://mindsetshift.co.uk/#ask-me-anything

Connect with Sope

Website | Youtube | Instagram | LinkedIn

Did you find this helpful? If you like this episode, please leave a review or share it with someone who could benefit from listening. 

We’re always keen to get feedback so if you have any thoughts, send us an email at [email protected]

 “Being a dad is a role that we play, we are people first. A dad is something that I have become but I'm a man first. To look at it from what kind of dad you want to be without looking at what kind of man you want to become is the wrong way around. You need to define what kind of man you want to be first and that translates to parenting.”- Elliott Rae

Who is Elliott Rae?

Elliott Rae is one of the UK’s most prominent speakers on fatherhood, masculinity and men’s mental health. He is the founder of the parenting platform MusicFootballFatherhood, called the ‘Mumsnet for Dads’ by the BBC. MusicFootballFatherhood is the UK’s most exciting parenting and lifestyle platform for men. MFF is all about open conversations surrounding fatherhood, work-life balance, mental health, raising healthy and well-rounded children, money management, relationships and of course music and football. 

He previously worked in the Civil Service where he held senior Diversity, Equity & Inclusion roles and his last role was as the Head of D&I delivery at HM Treasury.

He’s been heavily involved in many research projects relating to fathers in the workplace, notably the 2018 Equal Lives report by Business in the Community and the Fathers in the Workplace toolkit by the University of Birmingham where he spoke at both of the launches. He was recognised by the United Nations for his work engaging men in gender equality and was awarded the UN Women UK’s #HeForShe ‘Changemaker of the Year’ award in 2019.

Elliot Rae’s DAD journey 

Elliott founded the MFF platform as a self-therapy after being diagnosed with PTSD as a new dad after the traumatic birth of his daughter. 

In his new book ‘DAD’, an Amazon Top 10 bestseller, Elliott and 19 other dads shared their stories that represent the diversity of modern fatherhood and challenge the traditional ideas of masculinity.

In January 2022, Elliott presented the seminal and primetime BBC One documentary ‘Becoming Dad’. This was the first show of its kind to bring issues around dad’s mental health and work-life balance to the mainstream.

Elliott as a speaker, author and social changemaker

Elliott specialises in helping organisations support fathers, improve men’s mental health and engage men in conversations around gender equality.

If you are trying to encourage more open conversations about masculinity and allyship and engage more men in your DEI activities, Elliot can help you. Connect here with Elliott.

Key Leadership learning moments (timestamps)

02:35 - Elliott Rae is not Fond of Introductions

03:18 - Elliott's Philosophy - Keep On Putting the Work!

05:16 - Elliott's Young Competitive Spirit

06:39 - Elliott the Biggest Fan of Football Stars

10:31 - His Biggest Supporters, His Parents

16:13 - Elliot's Dad Tips for a Happy Marriage

19:13 - How to Deal with Ego Effectively as a Man?

22:06 - Hurdles in Unleashing Elliott's Full Potential

26:01 - Elliott's Journey as a Modern-Day Father

27:44 - What it Takes to Be a Good Man?

30:22 - Being a Man vs. Being a Dad

35:19 - Elliot's Traumatic Experiences

39:48 - Mental Health Problems Surfacing - Elliott's Plight

46:29 - MFF Origin Story

56:07 - The Grit and Determination to Continue Against All Odds

01:01:57 - The Numbers Game vs. The Influencer Game

01:06:28 - Sope's Key Take Aways On Elliott's Interview

01:09:36 - Elliott's Definition of Leadership

Elliott’s links:

LinkedIn

‘Dad’ Book 

Website

Follow the podcast

If you’ve just stumbled across this podcast episode by chance, please click here to follow it so you never miss a future episode.

If you want to learn more about this podcast, and myself, Sope Agbelusi, you can do so using any of the links below.

Connect with Me

I am always keen to hear your thoughts and connect with the community of listeners. If you have any comments, feedback or thoughts, please drop me an email at https://mindsetshift.co.uk/#ask-me-anything

Send us Fan Mail

Anything that's worth it takes time.

"My children now as you say, young adults, they've had more than enough of that, with me telling to them, just be patient. For all the progress that we make, the younger generation, whether it be millennials or anything else, they want stuff today." - Rob Neil OBE

(Want to read a full written for reading transcript version of this episode? Download it here.)

Rob was born and raised in the London Borough of Brent and began his career in 1983 at Willesden County Court for the Ministry of Justice (MoJ).

During his time there, he advanced to Deputy Court Manager before joining the South Eastern I.T. Team.

In 1998, he acquired his dream job with MoJ's Corporate HR as a Development Trainer.

During his two years of study at the Civil Service College, he earned a Certificate in Training Practice (CTP) and is now a member of CIPD.

In 2001, Rob was one of the first people to join the Ministry of Justice's BAME Staff network, referred to as P.R.O.U.D.

He then went on to become the first elected Chair of the CSREN (now known as the Civil Service Race Forum) that same year.

The Civil Service Race Forum was established then.

Rob developed his career in the civil service at the MoJ in HR and became a founding member of the Employee Engagement Team.

He was in charge of creating the Engagement Champions Network in the year 2008.

He was also responsible for the growth of the Employee Engagement Champions across the MoJ, eventually reaching 1000 people in Courts, Tribunals and Legal Aid Agency.

He's worked with other Government departments to help them set up their own EECs, including HMRC, DWP, and MoD.

In the summer of2015, Rob was responsible for steering the Diversity & Inclusion Department at the Ministry of Justice.

He was instrumental in achieving essential goals, such as the implementation of the Civil Service Talent Action Plan [T.A.P.] and re-negotiating arrangements with all of the Department's Diversity Staff Networks.

In April of2016 Rob was noted as one of the 50 influential figures of BAME (Black Asian Minority Ethnic) background in the public sector, as part of the 'New View 50'

You can see the list here.

The Krystal Alliance team consists of incredibly talented and devoted members who strive to collaborate with committed entities that desire to promote equity in the workplace, encourage and motivate others.

The individuals of Krystal Alliance are all specialists in their field, whether devising plans to foster transformation in culture, running interactive sessions to promote inclusive leadership, or imagining ways to build a stronger sense of community.

So how did Rob come to get involved with creating this powerhouse team? You'll need to listen to find out!

What are you waiting for?

Click play, and immerse yourself in another fascinating conversation with another wonderful guest on the Everyday Leadership podcast.

• 0:00 - Intro
• 03:55 - The importance of offering our best
• 08:47 - Career in policing
• 16:44 - The power of working alongside others
• 21:28 - What's good for one...
• 25:53 - Letting go of the civil service
• 33:11 - What is 'cultural intelligence'?
• 37:32 - Linking with people who want to be more inclusive
• 42:33 - Becoming a granddad
• 46:55 - Rob's Definition of Leadership

Rob's links:

LinkedIn

Krystal Alliance

If you've just stumbled across this podcast episode by chance, please do click here to follow it so you never miss a future episode.

If you want to learn more about this podcast, and myself, Sope Agbelusi, you can do so using any of the below links.

Connect with Me

• Website
• 
  

I am always keen to hear your thoughts and connect with the community of listeners. If you have any comments, feedback or thoughts, please drop me an email at https://mindsetshift.co.uk/#ask-me-anything

Connect with Sope

Website | Youtube | Instagram | LinkedIn

Did you find this helpful? If you like this episode, please leave a review or share it with someone who could benefit from listening. 

We’re always keen to get feedback so if you have any thoughts, send us an email at [email protected]

Send us Fan Mail

The employee voice is becoming much louder.

"We might have been expected to do photocopying, and make coffee for the first, you know, year of your employment. But that isn't that isn't the case anymore. And that certainly isn't what younger generations are going to stand for." - Abigail Wilmore

(Want to read a full written for reading transcript version of this episode? Download it here.)

Abigail Wilmore is a Chief People Officer and certified Executive/ Performance Success Coach.

She is a Chartered Fellow of the CIPD and specialises in heart-centred, kind leadership promotion, sustainability and values-led people strategy creation.

She's all about diversity and equality, culture and engagement, positive energy networking, global change and organisation design.

Along with that, she's also instrumental in talent and leadership development and performance-driven wellbeing strategy.

She's a strategic executive committee member, and animal welfare campaigner.

Dr Barbara Sturm is a renowned cosmetic doctor and skincare expert based in Germany.

She's known for her innovative and natural approach to skincare and has developed an extensive line of products that focus on the skin's needs while using minimal ingredients.

The range includes creams, serums, face oils, and masks that are specifically formulated to protect and nourish the skin, making them suitable for all skin types.

In addition to her products, Dr Barbara offers a variety of treatments including laser treatments, injections, and chemical peels.

What does this have to do with Abigail? Well, our guest for this episode is the Chief People Officer at the company.

And it's her responsibility to define and implement the people strategy, bringing the ethical, sustainable and responsible elements of what the brand stands for into their people and culture agenda.

Abigail Wilmore had a childhood that was full of love, but was also unconventional.

Her mother was an artist and makeup artist in the film industry, while her father was a mathematician and teacher.

Growing up, Abigail and her sister were encouraged to be themselves and speak up for what they believed in.

And then there was the ballet and fashion which followed.

So to learn more about Abigail, you're going to need to listen to the episode.

What are you waiting for?

Click play, and immerse yourself in another fascinating conversation with another wonderful guest on the Everyday Leadership podcast.

• 0:00 - Intro
• 06:32 - Abigail's Shift from Ballet to the Fashion Career
• 10:27 - Creating Your Own Path: Sope's Thoughts
• 12:42 - Skills that Helped Abigail in Her Career
• 18:20 - Interviewing with Gucci Group
• 26:00 - Abigail's Definition of Human Resources
• 27:16 - Tips to Create a Great Working Culture
• 34:33 - How Abigail Deals with Frustrations in the Current HR System
• 40:00 - What is Heart-Centered Leadership?
• 41:48 - Leadership in the Modern Working Culture
• 44:48 - Changes Needed to be Made in Leading Teams
• 48:12 - Abigail's Biggest Leadership Lessons
• 51:16 - Abigail's Definition of Leadership

Abigail's links:

LinkedIn

The Henley Collective

Dr Barbara Sturm

Stella McCartney

If you've just stumbled across this podcast episode by chance, please do click here to follow it so you never miss a future episode.

If you want to learn more about this podcast, and myself, Sope Agbelusi, you can do so using any of the below links.

Connect with Me

• Website
• 
  

I am always keen to hear your thoughts and connect with the community of listeners. If you have any comments, feedback or thoughts, please drop me an email at https://mindsetshift.co.uk/#ask-me-anything

Connect with Sope

Website | Youtube | Instagram | LinkedIn

Did you find this helpful? If you like this episode, please leave a review or share it with someone who could benefit from listening. 

We’re always keen to get feedback so if you have any thoughts, send us an email at [email protected]

Send us Fan Mail

Send us Fan Mail

Helping creators to create

"You know, being a creator is not easy. So hats off to creators, for sure. It's a tough, tough space." - Sean Kim

(Want to read a full written for reading transcript version of this episode? Download it here.)

Sean Kim is President and Chief Product Officer at Kajabi, and was theex-head of product at TikTok in the US.

He's also been involved with the TV show Shark Tank, and boasts Jeff Bezos - yes THAT Jeff Bezos - among his former colleagues.

It's not hard to understand how he would have such roles, when you consider he had such an entrepreneurial spirit from a young age.

He would sell things at school, collect cans for money and even buy bulk socks from Korea to resell at school for a profit.

When he moved to New York, he had to find other ways to make money and one of them was nothing short of a moment of absolute genius involving food and his school mates.

Kajabi is a website and marketing platform designed to help individuals and businesses create and sell online courses, coaching programs, and digital products.

It provides a range of tools and features to help users create a professional-looking website, create and manage online courses, process payments and handle customer data, and market their products through various channels, such as email marketing, webinars, and social media.

Kajabi also includes analytics and reporting tools to help users track their sales and customer engagement.

It's considered to be something of an all-in-one platform that allows users to create, market and sell digital products and online courses without the need for any other tools or services.

When you hear Sean describe his mission, you'll quickly understand how his influence has really spilled into the product.

Sean Kim had a variety of experiences with start ups.

He started with a version of Yelp, where he built the website and went door to door to local restaurants to get them to participate.

He also had website start ups that offered website and CMS solutions for local businesses, as well as apps he's worked on.

He learned to code and design and used that knowledge to help other local businesses and restaurants with their websites.

Despite not being scalable, he found the journey to be valuable, and he shares why in this episode.

01m43s: Young Sean Kim and his history selling food and socks.

05m09s: Why Sean went corporate rather than entrepreneur.

11m52s: Knowing when to go somewhere new.

20m16s: Sean's experience with creating.

25m24s: Sean's time at Amazon working with Jeff Bezos.

31m44s: Embracing the failure.

38m15s: Sean's long term vision for the creator economy.

54m50s: The importance of family?

48m07s: How Sean defines leadership?

Sean's links:

Kajabi

Twitter

LinkedIn

If you've just stumbled across this podcast episode by chance, please do click here to follow it so you never miss a future episode.

If you want to learn more about this podcast, and myself, Sope Agbelusi, you can do so using any of the below links.

Connect with Me

• Website
• 
  

I am always keen to hear your thoughts and connect with the community of listeners. If you have any comments, feedback or thoughts, please drop me an email at https://mindsetshift.co.uk/#ask-me-anything

Connect with Sope

Website | Youtube | Instagram | LinkedIn

Did you find this helpful? If you like this episode, please leave a review or share it with someone who could benefit from listening. 

We’re always keen to get feedback so if you have any thoughts, send us an email at [email protected]