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Vic shares with us a candid update on why we paused the pod, what the past year taught us about purpose, and how grief and gratitude are shaping what we make next. We share appreciation for our team, clients, and Sam as we near 100 episodes and double down on accountability without authority.

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In this conversation, we sit down with Jim Darragh, five-time exit leader and former CEO of Totalmobile, to unpack how simple differentiation, coachable teams, and predictable go-to-market motion drive repeatable growth.​

​Filled with humour, Jim shares how clarity was the through-line from his rugby start in IT distribution to leading a £100m SaaS transformation.​

We unpack how alignment turns strategy into scale, tracking Jim’s path from hands-on sales to five exits, and Totalmobile's transformation. Clear differentiation, coachable teams, and a predictable go-to-market form a simple system that wins on purpose.

You’ll hear:​

• How to create a “customer vortex” that pulls in the next buyer​
• Why Predictability x Repeatability = Scalability​
• How to hire for coachability, not just experience​
• Why culture powers the engine
• And why simplicity matters

The conversation lands with three crisp takeaways: 

1. Define your differentiators and say no to everything else
2. Assemble the right people and make them a real team
3. Build operating rhythms that make growth forecastable

​If you’re scaling a B2B tech company or sharpening your GTM focus, this one’s a field guide to clarity and growth.

Subscribe and why not share with an aspiring leader who needs clarity (don't we all!)

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Forget the hype cycle, this conversation gets into how AI actually lands inside a company: purpose first, people next, technology last. We sit down with returning guest Darren Thayre from Google to unpack how a 180,000 person organisation moved from siloed product areas to a shared AI language, and why a calm, purpose‑driven message aligned everyone faster than any dashboard or revenue goal could.

We talk through the real mechanics of change: aligning OKRs across ads, YouTube, payments, cloud, and workspace around Gemini; replacing jargon with a common vocabulary that lets teams collaborate without translation; and setting a one‑way‑door commitment so the organisation stops hedging and starts learning. 

Darren shares insights from interviewing 150 Googlers; what worked, what didn’t: treat AI as a decade‑long capability you embed, not a three‑year “program” you complete.

If you’re a leader wondering where to start, you’ll get a playbook you can use tomorrow. Run a one‑day purpose workshop to set ethics and vision. Ask every department for three use cases in three weeks:

1) An easy win

2) A six‑month stretch

3) A moonshot

Let teams become CEOs of their own journey. Put an AI assistant in every brainstorm to check feasibility, legality, and past art in the moment. Keep incentives and measures honest, communicate in plain English, and resist over‑engineering your transformation. 

We’ve captured the insights from the conversation into a Purpose-Led AI Playbook tech leaders can use with their teams: https://amplifiedgroup.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/The-Purpose-Led-AI-Playbook-Darren-Thayre-Amplified-Group.pptx-1.pdf

Subscribe for more practical conversations on culture, leadership, and the real work of making AI useful. If this episode helped you reframe your approach, share it with a colleague and leave a short revieaw. What’s the first small bet your team will try?

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What happens when a leader embraces the role of team coach? 

In this episode, we sit down with Harvey Smith, VP Partners, who shares his experience leading partner teams across EMEA through his natural team coaching approach.  

Harvey opens up about the delicate balance between authority and humility that defines great team coaching leadership. Drawing on his extensive experience at DocuSign, Salesforce, Tableau, and VMware, Harvey reveals how he transformed disparate teams into cohesive units through simple but powerful approaches.

His mantra? “If you’ve got 27 priorities, you haven’t got any.” By focusing on no more than three clearly ranked objectives, Harvey empowered his team to stay aligned, and say no to distractions. The phrase “Harvey says no” became a cultural shorthand for protecting priorities and staying on mission. 

We delve into how genuine trust is built within teams. Harvey shares his belief in vulnerability and accessibility, implementing skip-level meetings where team members could speak freely and career development sessions that demonstrated his commitment to their growth. This created psychological safety that allowed honest communication to flourish.

Harvey's innovative approaches to breaking down silos include his "pod model" for cross-functional collaboration and strategic use of "stretch projects" that deliberately positioned team members to connect teams.

When it comes to conflict, Harvey doesn’t shy away. His take? “Partners are like a car accident – everyone slows down to look but no one wants to get involved.” His solution? Proactive education, clear communication channels, and shared understanding of roles and responsibilities.

Book Picks

• Rebel Ideas by Matthew Syed – on the power of diverse thinking
• The Culture Map by Erin Meyer – a must-read for navigating global teams.

Whether you're managing partners, leading through change, or simply trying to create more effective teams, this episode offers practical wisdom for balancing the human element with unwavering focus on business outcomes.

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Dan Waters brings decades of partnership expertise to this fascinating conversation about building effective tech ecosystems. Working from sales roles at  distributors to VP of Partnerships at Snowflake EMEA, Dan shares unique perspectives from both sides of the vendor-partner relationship.

The conversation explores how truly successful partnerships require bilateral investment and commitment. "Partnerships are a two-way street," Dan emphasizes, explaining how Snowflake partners serve as extensions of the company, bringing specialized expertise and expanded reach to complex customer engagements. 

Using a compelling car analogy, Dan illustrates how every component must work in harmony, just as every department and partner plays an essential role in business success. 

The discussion culminates with Dan's three leadership principles:  

• Being present and accountable, 
• Developing trust through consistent execution
• Practicing empathy by understanding partners' business challenges. 

Dan also shares a fascinating "Zander letter" concept from Jake Humphrey and Damian Hughes' book on high performance, where teams envision success by writing from a future perspective of achievement.

Whether you're managing partnerships, leading teams, or simply interested in effective collaboration, Dan's insights offer a practical roadmap for creating "shared wins" in today's interconnected business landscape.

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What happens when a promising startup faces challenges that threaten its very existence? For Stephanie Windsor, CEO of Cloud Benefits, the answer lay in understanding the diverse strengths of her leadership team through DISC profiling.

Founded in 2021 as businesses emerged from the pandemic, Cloud Benefits offers a digital employee benefits platform with unique features like free financial advice and animated benefit explanations. But by mid-2023, despite positive market feedback, communication breakdowns threatened their progress. The leadership team—who remarkably had never met in person—struggled to collaborate effectively as summer targets loomed.

In this revealing conversation, Stephanie shares how she personally funded DISC profiling sessions with Amplified Group when company finances were tight, convinced this investment would transform team dynamics. The results were extraordinary: team members gained profound insights into their communication styles, working preferences, and natural strengths. Rather than forcing everyone into predetermined roles, 

Stephanie's conviction paid off dramatically as the team exceeded their targets following the sessions. Now, as Cloud Benefits enters a new growth phase, they're scheduling follow-up workshops to maintain this momentum. 

This conversation might just change how you think about team performance forever.

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In the fast-paced world of technology, career longevity often depends on finding your niche and building meaningful relationships within it.

Jim Moyle, Principal Product Manager at Microsoft, is a brilliant example of this with his two-decade journey through the EUC landscape, offering valuable insights for tech professionals at any career stage.

Jim shares how community engagement and knowledge sharing have been central to his career success. Through thoughtful boundary-setting and relationship building, he's found balance and purpose in a role spanning global time zones and competing priorities.

It was super interesting to hear how Jim, as Microsoft's first remote team member in his division, intentionally sets boundaries. He chooses one day of shifted hours per week and refuses recurring meetings outside core times—not just for himself, but to establish sustainable patterns for those who follow.

Join us for this thought-provoking conversation about setting healthy boundaries in global teams, reframing your value, and seeking better work-life integration. 

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This episode explores the evolution of customer success in the SaaS industry, highlighting the shift from a cost centre to a key driver of revenue growth. 

Bob Burke, whose journey from the heart of San Francisco's dot-com boom to a Customer-First thought leader, shares insights on aligning customer success with sales, breaking down silos and adapting to market changes in order to sustain durable growth within SaaS organisations. 

We delve into the:

• Necessity of breaking down silos and aligning roles around the customer journey, ensuring a seamless experience for clients. 

• Challenges of transitioning customer success from a cost center to a revenue driver.

• Concept of collaborative "pods" that bridge sales and customer success teams.

• Insights on measuring customer success effectiveness.

Bob sheds light on how customer success has transformed from an afterthought to a vital component in modern business strategies. 

We discuss the complexities of aligning customer success with revenue generation, especially in today's scrutinised financial environments, offering insights into evolving strategies and the critical role of customer success.

We hope you enjoy listening!

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We're delighted to welcome back the inspirational Tracy Reis, Head of People and Joint MD at Nomad Studio, the strategy and brand experience company. This conversation felt like an invaluable coaching session on the importance of developing our feedback skills.

Tracy shares her wisdom on how giving feedback is the roadmap to progress, emphasising that timely feedback, when delivered with respect and kindness, is constructive. She explains that feedback is not just about corrections but is a vital opportunity for growth, elevating both personal and team performance. 

This episode is packed with actionable insights you can put into practice right away.

Key Takeaways:

• Building a psychologically safe environment for feedback
• The importance of timely, specific, and constructive feedback
• How to give and receive feedback effectively
• The role of positive and constructive feedback in motivation and performance
• Tips on embedding feedback into workplace culture

Book Recommendations:

Tracy referenced these two books:

• Positive Intelligence: Why Only 20% of Teams and Individuals Achieve Their True Potential AND HOW YOU CAN ACHIEVE YOURS by Shirzad Chamine
• Atlas of the Heart: Mapping Meaningful Connection and the Language of Human Experience by Brené Brown

Tune in to discover how mastering the art of feedback can transform your personal and professional life.

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Kick off 2025 with a burst of inspiration as we welcome Trevor Dias, whose career journey spans sports coaching with Manchester United to leadership roles in Vodafone and Salesforce.

In our professional lives we are very used to starting each year in planning mode and setting our objectives. How many of us do the same in our personal lives?   

Trevor introduces us to his holistic approach combining health philosophies and modern-day coaching as we discuss the importance of merging lifestyle, diet, and career for a well-rounded life.

This enriching conversation emphasises understanding our limits and finding balance for a healthier, more fulfilling life.

Here's the link to the pyramid that Trevor shares with us.

We hope you find this episode thought provoking and that it motivates and equips you to make the most of the year ahead. 

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