Favourite Positions

In this final episode of The Modern Career Playbook, Alex brings together the biggest lessons from the entire series.

Across the previous nine episodes, Alex spoke to founders, researchers, coaches, creatives and business leaders about what it really takes to build a fulfilling and credible career in a world of constant change.

At the end of every conversation, each guest was asked the same question:

"If you could add one rule to the Modern Career Playbook, something that would help people build a more fulfilling and credible career today, what would it be?"

This episode brings every answer together in one place. Alongside each guest's rule, Alex reflects on the practical lessons, the common themes that emerged across the series and how listeners can apply them in their own careers.

In this episode, you'll hear from:

Isabelle Panton
Leah Meredith
Dr Hayley Dawson
Teri Thomas
Alice Benham
Anne-Sophie Fluri
James Pates
Charlotte Davies
Jemima Carr-Jone

Key takeaways:

• Build a career around your own values, not someone else's timeline.
• The relationships you build at work matter more than you think.
• Doing great work isn't enough if nobody knows about it.
• You don't have to feel 100% ready before taking action.
• Trust, curiosity and resilience are becoming some of the most valuable career skills.
• Technology will continue to evolve, but human skills will remain your greatest advantage.
• The best careers are rarely planned perfectly. They're built through action, experimentation and continuous learning.

Follow Favourite Positions:

Instagram
LinkedIn
Website

About the series:

The Modern Career Playbook is a series of conversations with credible leaders and specialists exploring what progression, leadership and career development actually look like today.

If you've enjoyed this series, I'd love it if you could follow the podcast, leave a rating or review, and share it with someone who's building their career. And if one rule from this playbook has stayed with you, I'd love to hear which one.

In this episode of The Modern Career Playbook, Alex speaks with James Pates about career pivots, AI, automation and how technology can help people and businesses work more effectively.

James is a software developer, automation specialist and founder of Solve Studio, where he builds internal tools, systems and automations for startups and SMEs. Before moving into tech, James worked in fashion and menswear buying, giving him a first-hand understanding of what it means to change direction, learn new skills and rebuild confidence in a completely different industry.

This is a practical and honest conversation about what AI can actually do, where automation is most useful, why not everything should be automated and how people in non-technical roles can start using AI in a thoughtful and valuable way.

In this episode, Alex and James discuss:

• James’s early career in fashion and menswear buying
• what it felt like to pivot from fashion into tech
• how James taught himself to code and used AI to learn faster
• the reality of starting a business after redundancy
• why transferable skills are not always obvious at first
• how James found his first clients through focused outreach
• the types of problems early-stage businesses often need help solving
• why the best automations usually start with repetitive, manual tasks
• what businesses should avoid automating too early
• the role of trust, warmth and human connection in customer communication
• how AI can give teams more time for higher-value work
• where non-technical people can start if they want to use AI more confidently
• why good writing and good prompting are closely connected
• how to use AI to improve processes, briefs, planning and decision-making
• what makes an AI tool genuinely useful rather than just impressive
• the launch of the Favourite Positions AI Career Coach
• why human-centred skills are becoming even more important as technology changes work

Key takeaways:

• AI is most useful when it solves a real problem, not when it is used for novelty.
• The best place to start is often one repetitive task, manual process or recurring admin headache.
• Not every interaction should be automated, especially when trust and relationships matter.
• You do not need to be deeply technical to start using AI well.
• Strong writing, clear thinking and good questions make AI outputs much better.
• Technology can help people prepare, practise and build confidence, but it works best when it supports human judgement.
• As AI becomes more embedded in work, communication, relationships and critical thinking will matter more than ever.

Connect with James:

• James’s website
• LinkedIn
• Book an Automation Audit

Mentioned in this episode:

• Favourite Positions AI Career Coach

Follow Favourite Positions:

• Instagram
• LinkedIn
• Website

About the series:

The Modern Career Playbook is a series of conversations with credible leaders and specialists exploring what progression, leadership and career development actually look like today.

If you enjoyed this episode, share it with someone who is curious about AI, thinking about a career pivot or looking for more practical ways to use technology at work.

In this episode of The Modern Career Playbook, Alex speaks with Jemima Carr-Jones about creative careers, personal branding, social media and what it really takes to build visibility around your work.

Jemima is a creative strategist, photographer and founder of Loved Studios, helping brands and people grow through content, storytelling and personal branding. Alongside her role as Head of Content at The Cirkel, she works with luxury, fashion and start-up businesses in London and globally, helping them create online identities that connect with modern audiences.

This is an open and energising conversation about saying yes before you feel ready, learning by doing, building confidence through action and using social media to create opportunities that would not have existed otherwise.

In this episode, Alex and Jemima discuss:

• how Jemima found her way into creative work
• why she chose not to follow a traditional marketing route
• how she got her first role in Steven Bartlett’s team
• what she learnt from working in a high-performance creative environment
• the difference between self-improvement and self-trust
• why action matters more than overthinking
• how Loved Studios started and why love sits at the centre of her work
• what brands misunderstand about social media
• how The Cirkel built a following through fashion news and cultural commentary
• why personal branding is not performance, but clarity
• how to start building your personal brand from where you are
• why social media can open unexpected personal and professional doors
• how to build resilience when putting yourself online
• why confidence sometimes means acting before you fully feel it

Key takeaways:

• You do not need to wait until you feel ready to start.
• Personal branding is not about performing online, it is about getting clear on who you are and what you stand for.
• Social media works best when it feels human, useful and connected to culture.
• The most interesting careers are often built through experimentation, not perfect planning.
• Confidence grows when you keep putting yourself in rooms, roles and situations that stretch you.
• Consistency, curiosity and action can create opportunities you could never have planned for.

Connect with Jemima:

• Instagram
• Loved Studios
• The Cirkel

Follow Favourite Positions:

• Instagram
• LinkedIn
• Website

About the series:

The Modern Career Playbook is a series of conversations with credible leaders and specialists exploring what progression, leadership and career development actually look like today.

If you enjoyed this episode, share it with someone building something creative, putting themselves out there or learning to back themselves before they feel fully ready.

In this episode of The Modern Career Playbook, Alex speaks with Charlotte Davies about the changing reality of early careers, the future of work and what it actually takes to build a career in today’s increasingly competitive and unpredictable job market.

Charlotte leads Global Consumer Communications Programmes at LinkedIn and is also a LinkedIn Career Expert, advising professionals on career transitions, personal branding and how to use LinkedIn to unlock opportunity.

Together, Alex and Charlotte unpack insights from LinkedIn’s 2026 Grad Guide and discuss why traditional career paths are becoming less linear, why networks matter more than ever and how young people are increasingly creating opportunities for themselves through side projects, portfolios and practical experience.

This is a practical and reassuring conversation about adaptability, visibility, AI, confidence and building a career that feels future-relevant in a rapidly changing world of work.

In this episode, Alex and Charlotte discuss:

• why success and credibility look very different to previous generations
• how careers are becoming more fluid and less tied to traditional ladders
• why networks and visibility now matter so much in early careers
• the growing importance of showing proof of skills, not just listing them on a CV
• how Gen Z are creating opportunities through side hustles, projects and portfolios
• why comparison culture can make career uncertainty feel even harder
• the role AI is beginning to play in productivity, communication and career development
• why adaptability and resilience are becoming essential workplace skills
• how to approach networking if you find it intimidating or overwhelming
• why curiosity and continuous learning matter more than having everything figured out

Key statistics from LinkedIn’s 2026 Grad Guide:

• 32% of Gen Z say not having the right network is the biggest barrier to landing an entry-level role
• 26% are creating opportunities through side hustles, businesses or personal projects
• 16% are building apps, websites or portfolios to showcase their skills
• 24% are taking roles outside their field to gain practical, in-demand experience
• 66% of young office workers are considering a switch into skilled trades

Key takeaways:

• Careers are becoming less linear and more skills-based.
• Networks are increasingly important in helping people access opportunity.
• Showing evidence of what you can do matters just as much as qualifications.
• AI is most powerful when used alongside human judgement, creativity and communication skills.
• Networking does not need to be performative to be valuable.
• Staying curious and adaptable is becoming one of the most important career advantages.

Connect with Charlotte:

• LinkedIn

Resources mentioned:

• LinkedIn’s 2026 Grad Guide

Follow Favourite Positions:

• Instagram
• LinkedIn
• Website

About the series:

The Modern Career Playbook is a series of conversations with credible leaders and specialists exploring what progression, leadership and career development actually look like today.

If you enjoyed this episode, share it with someone navigating their next career step or trying to make sense of the future of work.

In this episode of The Modern Career Playbook, Alex speaks with Alice Benham about strategy, messy action and what it really takes to turn a big vision into daily action.

Alice is a business strategist, speaker, entrepreneur, founder of On Paper and host of the chart-topping podcast Starting The Conversation. She started her business at 17 and has spent the last decade helping entrepreneurs get clear on where they want to go, what needs to change and how to build businesses that support their lives as well as their ambitions.

This is an honest and practical conversation about confidence, burnout, goal setting, slow growth and why building something meaningful often requires you to take action before you feel fully ready.

In this episode, Alex and Alice discuss:

• how Alice started her business at 17 and found confidence through action
• why naive optimism can be a powerful starting point
• how Alice’s definition of success, credibility and confidence has changed over time
• the early burnout that reshaped how she thinks about sustainable growth
• why saying yes to everything is not always the best route to opportunity
• how to know when to say no, even when something looks exciting
• the difference between vision and goals
• why quarterly goals can help turn big ideas into practical action
• the importance of visible goals, imperfect implementation and bounce back rate
• why people often give up in the gap between taking action and seeing results
• how identity, structure and small wins can support meaningful change
• why ambitious people often overestimate what they can achieve in the short term
• how to define success by looking honestly at what is not working
• why external milestones do not always create internal fulfilment
• the importance of sharing both the highs and lows of business
• why messy action is often the most important first step

Key takeaways:

• Confidence often comes through action, not before it.
• A vision is the destination, but goals are the practical steps that help you move towards it.
• Growth is easier to sustain when your plans are aligned with your actual capacity.
• Consistency matters, but your ability to bounce back matters too.
• The gap between taking new action and seeing results is often the hardest part of change.
• Success needs to feel good on the inside, not just look good from the outside.
• Messy action can create the momentum, clarity and confidence you are waiting for.

Connect with Alice:

• Website
• LinkedIn
• YouTube
• ON IT
• Instagram
• Starting The Conversation podcast

Follow Favourite Positions:

• Instagram
• LinkedIn
• Website

About the series:

The Modern Career Playbook is a series of conversations with credible leaders and specialists exploring what progression, leadership and career development actually look like today.

If you enjoyed this episode, share it with someone who has a big idea, is navigating a period of growth or needs a reminder that they do not need to feel fully ready before taking the next step.

In this episode of The Modern Career Playbook, Alex speaks with Anne-Sophie Fluri about focus, resilience, performance and what it really takes to build a career that feels both ambitious and sustainable.

Anne-Sophie is a neuroscientist who brings together 12 years of experience across academia and industry to help individuals and teams better understand how the brain works, and how that knowledge can be used to improve the way we work. Through talks, workshops and consulting, she translates neuroscience into practical tools that help people feel more focused, supported and mentally fit.

This is a thoughtful and wide-ranging conversation about career pivots, self-trust, overcommitting, productivity, ambition and the importance of building a working life that does not come at the expense of your wellbeing.

In this episode, Alex and Anne-Sophie discuss:

• how Anne-Sophie’s definition of success has changed over time
• career pivots, failed ideas and learning to trust yourself through change
• why doing lots of different things can still be part of finding the right path
• the neuroscience behind focus, performance and resilience
• why idle time matters more than most people realise
• how to handle overthinking, rumination and emotional distraction at work
• practical ways to create more space between meetings and tasks
• the difference between being busy and actually moving forward
• what helps people stay connected to their bigger goals
• why integrity matters when building a lasting and sustainable career

Key takeaways:

• Being constantly busy is not the same as making meaningful progress.
• Some of the most important parts of performance happen in quieter moments.
• Idle time can help the brain process information, integrate ideas and improve focus.
• Sustainable ambition requires self-awareness, boundaries and a clearer sense of what actually matters.
• Building a career with integrity may not always be the fastest route, but it can create more trust, peace and long-term fulfilment.

Connect with Anne-Sophie:

• Instagram
• LinkedIn
• Newsletter
• Website

Follow Favourite Positions:

• ⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠
• ⁠⁠LinkedIn⁠⁠
• ⁠⁠Website⁠⁠

About the series:

The Modern Career Playbook is a series of conversations with credible leaders and specialists exploring what progression, leadership and career development actually look like today.

If you enjoyed this episode, share it with someone who’s figuring out how to grow in their career, lead people more effectively, or simply feel more confident at work.

In this episode of The Modern Career Playbook, Alex speaks with Teri Thomas about personal brand, visibility and what it really takes to build a credible, fulfilling and future-relevant career today.

Teri is the founder of Beyond & Co, a business specialising in growth through people-led marketing. She works with leaders and founders to help them use their voice, perspective and presence more intentionally, not as a form of self-promotion, but as a way to build trust, create value and drive growth.

This is a thoughtful and practical conversation about how careers evolve, why doing good work is not always enough on its own, and how clarity, visibility and authentic communication can shape progression, leadership and opportunity.

In this episode, Alex and Teri discuss:

• how Teri’s definition of success, confidence and credibility has changed over time
• why talented people are often under-leveraging themselves
• why doing good work alone is not always enough for progression
• what personal brand really means and why it is often misunderstood
• how to think about authentic visibility without falling into performative self-promotion
• the relationship between personal brand, leadership and growth
• employee-generated content and why businesses are paying more attention to it
• how AI is changing the way people communicate, create and show up at work
• why leaders need to protect their own voice and thinking in an AI-shaped world
• where to start if you know you have more to offer but struggle to articulate your value

Key takeaways:

• Personal brand is not about self-promotion. It is about clarity, trust and value.
• Doing strong work matters, but people also need to understand the value you bring.
• Visibility is most powerful when it feels aligned, intentional and authentic.
• AI can be a useful tool, but it should not replace your perspective, judgment or voice.
• Careers often progress faster when people learn to articulate their value clearly and consistently.

Connect with Teri:

• Beyond & Co
• LinkedIn
• Teri's Instagram
• Beyond & Co's Instagram

Mentioned in this episode:

• The Squiggly Career Book
• Hattie Crisell, In Writing Podcast

Follow Favourite Positions:

• ⁠Instagram⁠
• ⁠LinkedIn⁠
• ⁠Website⁠

About the series:

The Modern Career Playbook is a series of conversations with credible leaders and specialists exploring what progression, leadership and career development actually look like today.

If you enjoyed this episode, share it with someone who’s figuring out how to grow in their career, lead people more effectively, or simply feel more confident at work.

In this episode of The Modern Career Playbook, Alex speaks with Dr Hayley Dawson about why being good at your job is not always enough on its own, and why the human side of work matters more than ever.

Hayley is the founder of Let’s Talk Human Skills, creator of Human Skill School, and host of Let’s Talk. Her work focuses on helping people communicate more clearly, collaborate more effectively and build stronger working relationships, so they can feel more confident and make a greater impact at work.

This is a thoughtful and practical conversation about communication, collaboration, confidence and career development. Hayley puts into words something many people feel but do not always know how to name - that the way we handle people, relationships and difficult moments at work shapes far more than we realise.

In this episode, Alex and Hayley discuss:

• why technical ability alone is not always enough for career progression
• what human skills actually are and why they matter
• the difference between technical, operational, human and human-machine interaction skills
• why durable skills like communication and relationship-building matter even more in an AI-shaped world
• how to become more confident in meetings, emails and difficult conversations
• the role of managers in helping people build stronger human skills
• the value of feedback in the moment
• why small actions and “micro moves” can transform working relationships
• why work friends matter, not just professionally, but personally too

Key takeaways:

• Being technically strong is important, but it is often human skills that shape trust, visibility and progression.
• Communication, relationship-building and collaboration are durable skills that will remain valuable even as work changes.
• Small day-to-day actions can have a huge impact on how relationships at work develop.
• Managers can play a big role by giving feedback in the moment rather than waiting for formal reviews.
• Building friendships at work can make working life more meaningful, supportive and fulfilling.

Connect with Hayley:

• Let’s Talk Human Skills
• Human Skill School
• Newsletter
• Instagram
• LinkedIn

Follow Favourite Positions:

• Instagram
• LinkedIn
• Website

About the series:

The Modern Career Playbook is a series of conversations with credible leaders and specialists exploring what progression, leadership and career development actually look like today.

If you enjoyed this episode, share it with someone who’s figuring out how to grow in their career, lead people more effectively, or simply feel more confident at work.

In the second episode of the Rezilien × Favourite Positions live debate series, Lily Kyriacou and Alex Young bring together leaders working across operations, digital engineering and transformation to explore a question that sits at the heart of modern execution:

What breaks change first: human behaviour or organisational complexity?

As organisations operate in what Lily describes as a state of rolling turbulence, where technological shifts, new operating models, changing investor expectations and restructures are all happening at once, strategies can look strong on paper while outcomes still fall short. So what is actually breaking in the process, and why?

This live debate explores the tension between change fatigue, uncertainty and resistance on one side, and organisational complexity, structures, incentives and layers on the other.

The conversation asks whether change breaks because people do, or whether organisations are still creating conditions that make successful change harder than it needs to be.

Joined by Matt Deadman, Chloe Holt and Ella Blakstad, Lily and Alex unpack how culture, leadership behaviour, communication, accountability and clarity all shape whether change lands well or begins to wobble. The discussion also explores what AI is exposing in organisations, why ambiguity is becoming the norm for leaders and how value creation at work is beginning to shift.

Guests

Matt Deadman - COO EMEA at Naviam

Chloe Holt - Chief Client Officer at Godel Technologies Europe

Ella Blakstad - Senior Manager at Accenture

Hosts

⁠Lily Kyriacou⁠ - Founder of Rezilien

⁠Alex Young⁠ - Host of Favourite Positions

About the series

The Rezilien × Favourite Positions live debate series brings together credible leaders and specialists to explore what it really takes for people and organisations to perform through constant change.

Across each conversation, the series examines the tensions shaping modern work, from adaptability, burnout and leadership to execution risk, organisational design and the human realities of AI-driven transformation.

Rezilien was founded by Lily Kyriacou to turn execution from a vague art into a hard science. After 10+ years wrestling with the same execution failures while driving growth and transformation, she built what she wishes she’d had on sleepless nights.

A decision‑support tool that shows CEOs whether their operating model can really deliver the growth strategy, helps them design and stress‑test treatment plans grounded in hard evidence and ROI, and tracks whether those changes are actually working.

At its core, Rezilien is about stripping out bias, instinct, and the loudest voice in the room from critical execution decisions, so change is led by evidence rather than opinion.

Favourite Positions is a podcast and platform founded by Alex Young, focused on honest, practical conversations about careers, leadership and the future of work.

Together, this series is designed to create more useful, open and commercially relevant conversations about what it really takes to lead people well in a world of perpetual change.

Follow Rezilien on ⁠LinkedIn⁠ and ⁠Instagram⁠ and connect with Lily ⁠here⁠.

Follow Favourite Positions on ⁠LinkedIn⁠ and ⁠Instagram⁠ and connect with Alex ⁠here⁠.

Referenced materials

• MIT Sloan - When humans and AI work best together - and when each is better alone

• MIT Sloan - New MIT Sloan research suggests AI more likely to complement, not replace, human workers

• Harvard Business Review - What Everyone Gets Wrong About Change Management

• McKinsey - The human side of generative AI: Creating a path to productivity

• PwC - How culture can create value during M&A integration

In this episode of The Modern Career Playbook, Alex speaks with Leah Meredith about building a creative career, staying true to your values and creating work that feels both commercial and personal.

Leah is the founder and creative director of Haus of Hyde and chief brand officer at Faves. In this conversation, she shares her journey from teaching into creative entrepreneurship, what she has learned about building brands and businesses with intention, and why modern careers often look far less linear than people expect.

This is an honest and insightful conversation about creativity, self-belief, commercial growth and the importance of protecting what makes your work feel like yours.

In this episode, Alex and Leah discuss:

• Leah’s journey from teaching into creative business ownership
• building Haus of Hyde and Faves
• what it means to have a multi-dimensional career
• why modern careers are often non-linear
• balancing creativity with commercial thinking
• the pressures facing people in creative industries today
• comparison, confidence and building work that feels true to you
• how to grow without diluting your values

Key takeaways:

• Careers do not need to follow a traditional or linear path to be credible.
• Creativity and commerciality do not need to be in conflict.
• Growth is most sustainable when it is rooted in clear values.
• Comparison can be deeply distracting, especially in creative work.
• The most compelling work usually comes from staying close to your own perspective and strengths.

Connect with Leah:

• Instagram
• Haus of Hyde
• Faves
• Faves newsletter

Follow Favourite Positions:

• Instagram
• LinkedIn
• Website

About the series:

The Modern Career Playbook is a series of conversations with credible leaders and specialists exploring what progression, leadership and career development actually look like today.

If you enjoyed this episode, share it with someone figuring out their own next step, and follow along for the rest of the series.

Follow Favourite Positions on LinkedIn and Instagram, connect with Alex here.