In this episode, host Jacqueline Frost talks to Dr Heather Melville OBE, Partner, Stork & May .

Heather shares her background as a child of Windrush generation parents who instilled strong values and a "can-do" attitude. She discusses how she transforms negative feedback into motivation and emphasises the importance of effective communication in leadership. The conversation concludes with Heather sharing Michelle Obama’s (whom she had the privilege of meeting), famous quote: "When they go low, you go high," which serves as a guiding principle in her approach to difficult situations.

To get in touch with Heather, find her here: 

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dr-heather-melville-obe-cmgr-ccmi/ 

Jacqueline and Michelle discuss her career journey, sharing her transition from sales to learning and development at Organon. She emphasises viewing careers as long-term journeys rather than just jobs. Drawing from her childhood love of Lego, Michelle reflects on how early interests often shape career choices. She describes how career paths have evolved from traditional ladders to more flexible trajectories, advocating for finding joy in one's work. The conversation concludes with a powerful quote from Rosalynn Carter: "A leader takes people where they want to go. A great leader takes people where they don't necessarily want to go, but ought to be."

To get in touch with Michelle, find her here:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/michelle-stokes-0914106/

In this episode, host Jacqueline Frost talks to Lisa Ardley-Price, Global Co-Chair, NatWest Gender Network.

Jacqueline and Lisa discuss her career journey: the transition from private practice to an in-house role at NatWest, prompted by the loss of both parents in 2013. The move enabled her to develop broader business skills while maintaining work-life balance. Alongside her legal career, she has become a fitness instructor, yoga teacher, and certified coach, driven by her passion for helping others reach their potential. Lisa shares Eleanor Roosevelt's quote about gaining strength through facing fears and doing what seems impossible.

To get in touch with Lisa, find her here:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lisa-ardley-price-78076925/ 

In this week’s podcast, Jacqueline Frost interviews Julia Kelley, Vice President, Legal and Compliance - AB Volvo Penta. Julia explains her role in the company, detailing her work with Volvo's industrial business unit. She shares her pivotal career moment, which occurred while clerking for Judge Charles Weston Houck, known for his landmark ruling in Faulkner vs. The Citadel. Julia describes Judge Houck's principled approach to justice, his sacrifices, and his influence on her commitment to fairness and excellence.

Jacqueline and Julia discuss the role of female and male role models in shaping careers and the value of persistence and deferred gratification. Reflecting on the ongoing journey toward justice and principled leadership and the importance of tone and authenticity.

In this EPIC podcast episde, Jacqueline meets with Dame Jayne-Anne Gadhia, founder of fintech Snoop.

Jayne-Anne focuses on pivotal moments in her career. She shares how a leadership course in Derbyshire, UK changed her life, giving her the confidence to lead by realising her ability to connect with an audience.

During her time at Norwich Union (now Aviva) in the 1990s, Jayne-Anne was asked to manage a regulatory crisis. Leveraging her strong network, she coordinated a large-scale response to stabilise operations, revealing her talent for project management. Later, a chance encounter led her to co-found Virgin Money with Richard Branson.

Jayne-Anne emphasises curiosity, networking, and seizing opportunities. She discusses how overcoming fears taught her to take the first step and trust her support system. Her father's motto, "never give up," has guided her throughout her career, reminding her to persevere even in challenging times.

In this podcast, Jacqueline Frost interviews Prae Sunantaraks, Director, Thailand and Laos, AVPN, about navigating the world with visual impairment and the power of insight. 

Prae shares how her lack of sight sharpened her other senses, enabling her to "see" the world in unique ways. She highlights the importance of listening, suggesting that people should "use their ears for their real purpose." Prae describes experiences with visually impaired children and emphasizes the need for clear communication and empathy, pointing out that societal leadership can also have "disabilities" in understanding others. 

Prae’s outlook is one of acceptance and focusing on positives, paraphrasing a quote from Helen Keller: "What we have once loved and deeply enjoyed, we can never lose; it will always be a part of who we are." 

In this podcast episode, Jacqueline Frost interviews Karen Jones, Director of Europe Marketing Immunodiagnostics at Thermo Fisher Scientific. Beyond her demanding role marketing allergy and autoimmune diagnostics across Europe, Karen also runs a 12-week women's coaching program at Thermo Fisher.
Karen shares that despite her impressive academic background—including a PhD and postdoctoral research at Harvard—she felt blocked a few years ago. She discusses her transitions from academia to biotech and then into commercial roles, each accompanied by self-doubt and an inner voice telling her she wasn't good enough.
After being made redundant when her second baby was just eight weeks old, Karen spotted a market gap and started her own company. She provided biotech start-ups with expertise combining scientific acumen and marketing skills. Eventually, she returned to corporate life but struggled with the shift from being her own boss to navigating a large organization. Thrown into a massive project with little support, she overworked and privately suffered from stress and burnout.
Realizing this was unsustainable, Karen sought coaching to address her limiting beliefs, set boundaries, and prioritize her well-being. After implementing these changes, she was promoted to leadership roles where she now empowers her team, emphasizes well-being, and supports other women in their careers. She is inspired by leaders who support and empower her and believes in fostering vulnerability in the workplace.
Karen concludes by sharing a quote from Brené Brown:
"Vulnerability is the birthplace of love, belonging, joy, courage, empathy, and creativity. It's the source of hope, empathy, accountability, and authenticity. If we want greater clarity in our purpose or deeper and more meaningful spiritual lives, vulnerability is the path."

In this episode, host Jacqueline Frost talks to Kat Davis, VP of Strategy and Business Development at Solenis.

Kat highlights the importance of combining business acumen with technical skills. Drawing from her early career experience in a production line, Kat emphasizes the value of understanding the financial impact of operational efficiency. This mindset helped her identify opportunities to increase value without additional costs. Kat introduces the concept of “future escaping,” which focuses on proactively envisioning and shaping the future rather than merely mitigating risks. She contrasts this with “future proofing,” advocating for a positive and strategic approach to achieving business goals.

Jacqueline and Kat discuss the significance of developing personal strengths and leveraging team dynamics to enhance workplace productivity. Kat uses the Fantastic Four analogy to illustrate the power of combining unique individual strengths. This approach encourages teams to focus on their superpowers and complement each other’s weaknesses. They also explore the concept of “knowledge workers,” emphasizing the importance of recognizing and promoting one’s expertise.

Kat concludes with her personal mantra: “Life begins at the end of your comfort zone.” She encourages taking small steps beyond comfort zones to foster growth and achieve unexpected career advancements.

In this episode of "Finding Your Epic," Jacqueline Frost takes on a new role as the interviewee, with Lisa Quinn stepping in as the interviewer. The theme for their enlightening conversation is about the importance of setting boundaries, both personal and professional, a recurrent topic Jacqueline has observed throughout her interviews with various influential women. They delve into "EPIC limits," discussing the critical balance between being generous and preserving one's self-interests.

Jacqueline reflects on the nuanced ways boundaries influence our interactions and decisions, noting that while it's essential to be generous, one must avoid self-sacrifice to the point of personal detriment. The discussion also covers the psychological aspects of boundary-setting, examining the deep-seated fears that often lead individuals to either enforce too rigid boundaries or none at all, which can significantly impact relationships and work dynamics.

The episode closes on a powerful note with Jacqueline citing Helen Keller: "Avoiding danger is no safer in the long run than outright exposure. The fearful are caught as often as the bold." This quote beautifully encapsulates the episode's message, encouraging listeners to recognize and assert their needs thoughtfully and boldly to foster well-being and success across various life aspects.