Cynthia shared her personal journey of growing up in Northern Ireland and later moving to Canada, reflecting on how both privilege and oppression shaped her leadership journey through various transitions. She discussed her spiritual and gender transitions, which broadened her perspective and deepened her empathy and courage, leading her to explore leadership in diverse contexts. Through her experiences across countries, religions, and careers, Cynthia has developed unique insights into leadership and inclusion, working with organizations to help leaders create workplaces of real belonging.

In this conversation, Cynthia speaks with tech founder Heera Rehman, who spent a decade leading internal communications for large, global companies before launching WorldTone AI. Together, they explore the heart of inclusive, people-first communication in rapidly shifting workplaces. Heera shares how aligning messaging with values builds trust, why diversity storytelling should not be seasonal, and how emerging technology can support rather than replace humanity in today’s leadership. From finding your voice as a communicator to building tools that elevate belonging, this episode offers practical insight for leaders and communicators who want to create messaging that respects people and reflects reality. Duration [TBC]

Key Takeaways

• Communication shapes culture long before strategies appear on paper.• Values are anchors for leaders and communicators during uncertainty.• Inclusion cannot rely only on big moments like International Women’s Day.• Technology can strengthen voice and clarity when used with purpose.• Accessible language builds trust and avoids unintentional exclusion.• Leaders must ask who is missing or unheard when they communicate.

“Technology should amplify human connection, not replace it.” - Heera Rehman

Guest Bio:Heera Rehman is a London-raised tech founder with more than ten years’ experience in global internal communications. She has led comms across multiple industries for workforces of over 10,000 employees. Heera founded WorldTone AI, a smart platform that helps organisations plan, draft, and measure inclusive, people-first communication that stays true to brand voice.

Resources Mentioned

• WorldTone AI website: https://www.worldtone.ai/

If you enjoyed this episode, follow the show, leave a review, and share with someone shaping workplace culture.

Connect with Cynthia on LinkedIn and explore WorldTone AI to elevate inclusive communication in your organisation.

#AcceptanceWithoutUnderstanding #InclusiveLeadership #InternalCommunications #AIForGood

In this episode, Amanda Davie and Cynthia get specific about treating emotional intelligence as a skill you practise, not a trait you either have or lack. We talk about coaching moves any leader can use this week, the inclusive norms that make collaboration work, and how communities accelerate careers. Amanda shares lessons from co‑leading Equal Talent, building She Has No Limits, and coaching inside high‑growth, high‑pressure environments. Cynthia layers in Acceptance Without Understanding and the 4P Catalyst Framework to turn values into daily behaviours. You will leave with simple rituals for meetings, feedback, and decisions that grow trust and results.

Key Takeaways

* Emotional intelligence is trainable. Practise it through check‑ins, clean questions, and thoughtful closures.

* Inclusion shows up in repeatable norms: how we meet, decide, and follow up.

* Coaching skills for leaders: listen with curiosity, ask one clean question, and agree on one clear next step.

* Community compounds growth. Mentors, peer circles, and alumni spaces create belonging and momentum.

* Do not fix women, fix systems. Remove bias, increase access, and design support that makes progress possible.

Guest Bio

Amanda Davie is an executive and leadership coach, consultant, and co‑CEO of Equal Talent, specialising in developing emotionally intelligent, inclusive, and collaborative leaders and cultures. A former digital media entrepreneur and founder, she now works with global organisations, start‑ups, and communities to make the world of work fairer, more inclusive, and more rewarding for everyone.

What you will learn:

* How to practise emotional intelligence in everyday leadership

* Simple meeting rituals, decision clarity, and feedback habits

* One‑question coaching moves that any manager can use

* How communities like She Has No Limits accelerate careers

Resources Mentioned

* Equal Talent — coaching company co‑led by Amanda

* EqualTalent.com

* She Has No Limits — community for professional women

* https://www.linkedin.com/groups/13058022/

* The Coach House — coach training faculty

* https://thecoachhouse.ltd/

Leaders who want to explore mentoring and culture change, book time with Cynthia: https://calendly.com/cynthiafortlage/30min.

Jeanne Omlor joins Cynthia for a straight‑talk conversation about moving from hesitation to action. We explore how to build a values‑aligned business (or team) by choosing clarity over complexity, getting crystal‑clear on the offer, who it serves, and the result it creates—and then using simple, repeatable systems you will actually stick to. Jeanne shares candid lessons from building online after previous offline success, the mindset shift behind her mantra “if not now, when?”, and why service‑led selling beats performative hustle. You will leave with practical prompts to make decisions faster, reduce friction in your workflow, and lead with courage instead of delay.

Key Takeaways

-Clarity before complexity: define your offer, audience, and promised result.

- Decision beats delay: small, consistent actions outpace waiting for perfect conditions.

- Keep systems simple: use tools and rhythms you will actually maintain.

- Lead with service: ethical, value‑driven selling builds trust and results.

- Stories > slogans: real client outcomes anchor credibility.

- Courage is a practice: notice fear, act anyway, and iterate.

“If not now, when?” — Jeanne Omlor

Guest Bio:

Jeanne Omlor is a Business Strategist, multi 7-Figure Online Business Coach, and Certified Servant Leadership Executive Coach. At 54 years old, she was a solo parent in deep debt and got herself online and to $1M in 17 months, without ads, and has since scaled to multi-millions in 5 years. Her company has helped almost 600 businesses to thrive online. She is emotionally connected to helping others prosper, as she lived in lack for years and overcame that mindset. She is now helping as many people as she can to maximise profits and reach their full potential while being the visionary they're destined to be

https://jeanneomlor.com/reviews/https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeanneomlorhttps://www.facebook.com/jeanneomlor/

Cynthia:

Cynthia Fortlage (she/her) is a C-suite executive turned global inclusion and leadership advisor, speaker, and writer. She has delivered 500+ engagements across 30+ countries and partners with organisations to embed inclusive leadership, psychological safety, and practical culture change. Her work blends data, strategy, and lived experience as a trans woman to equip leaders with usable tools, not slogans. Cynthia hosts the podcast Holding It Both Ways and leads The FORTLAGE Collective, offering keynotes, mentoring, and advisory support on culture, inclusion, and change.

www.cynthiafortlage.com

LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/in/cfortlage

Substack (Holding It Both Ways). https://fortlage.substack.com

Podcast feed:Apple - https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/holding-it-both-ways/id1827477002

Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/show/1ux7IIJ5b3TwAJfNRNEnlv

YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLsRnX1k-_AfPsVN9ZZO2m_5y589ogeF5u

Share this with a founder or leader who is stuck in “waiting for perfect.”

Want help turning values into practice? Book time with Cynthia: https://calendly.com/cynthiafortlage/30min.

Subscribe and leave a short review—it really helps others find the show.

SMEs run hot: fewer people, faster decisions, and almost no safety net. In this conversation, Heather McDaniel shares how small and medium enterprises can build strong cultures without big‑company budgets. We explore the realities of “trial‑by‑fire” leadership, what to do when training is thin, and how deep listening and clear practices create psychological safety on small teams. Heather traces her journey from the U.S. to Spain and why she founded the Life Love Leadership Project, plus a client story that shows culture change in action. Leaders will leave with practical ways to steady teams in uncertainty, replace performative overwork with presence, and embed inclusive habits that scale.

Key Takeaways

SMEs have unique constraints—design lightweight practices that fit reality, not theory.

Without formal training, leaders learn in real time; give them simple tools and peer support.

Deep listening is a leadership practice: it builds trust, clarity, and better decisions.

Safety nets matter in small teams—norms and check‑ins reduce reactivity and burnout.

Inclusion scales through habits (how we meet, decide, and follow up), not slogans.

Founder/owner context shapes culture—name it, then build shared leadership.

“Leaders tend to learn trial‑by‑fire—real time, without a safety net.” — Heather McDaniel

About Heather McDaniel:

Heather McDaniel is the founder of the Life Love Leadership Project and a keynote speaker, facilitator, and writer whose work sits at the intersection of leadership, resilience, and transformation. She’s spent her career helping people and organisations navigate change from the inside out through presence and the courage to lead themselves first.Heather specialises in working with small and medium-sized enterprises, where leadership decisions ripple quickly through culture and performance. She brings a deeply human lens to her work, shaped by her own journey of rebuilding abroad in Valencia, Spain, and her conviction that real leadership is less about control and more about creating the conditions where people can thrive.Her signature framework, the REBEL Method, guides leaders through reflection, breaking old patterns, and evolving into values-led leadership. Whether in workshops, retreats, or keynotes, Heather is committed to helping leaders hold steady in uncertain times and build futures rooted in integrity, resilience, and joy.

Contact Heather:

email: [email protected]

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/heathermcdanielcreative

About Cynthia Fortlage:

Cynthia Fortlage (she/her) is a C-suite executive turned global inclusion and leadership advisor, speaker, and writer. She has delivered 500+ engagements across 30+ countries and partners with organisations to embed inclusive leadership, psychological safety, and practical culture change. Her work blends data, strategy, and lived experience as a trans woman to equip leaders with usable tools, not slogans. Cynthia hosts the podcast Holding It Both Ways and leads The FORTLAGE Collective, offering keynotes, mentoring, and advisory support on culture, inclusion, and change.

LinksWebsite: www.cynthiafortlage.comBooking: https://calendly.com/cynthiafortlage/30minLinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/in/cfortlage

Gifty Enright joins Cynthia to get practical about the real pressures facing working mothers—and what leaders can do beyond platitudes. We unpack why parents are the most stressed demographic, how the “good girl” social script and performance bias stack the deck against women, and why meritocracy often micro‑analyses women while macro‑analysing men. Gifty shares lessons from her own burnout and from her book, Octopus on a Treadmill, offering usable ideas for cultivating presence (not just more hours), setting boundaries, and driving culture change. We also touch on intersectionality, from being a Black woman and an immigrant to navigating care burdens and the challenges of the sandwich generation. If you lead teams with caregivers—or you are one—this episode gives you language, tools, and next steps to build healthier, more inclusive ways of working.

Show Quotes

* “Parents are the most stressed‑out demographic.” — Gifty Enright

* “Women are micro‑analysed; men are macro‑analysed.” — Cynthia Fortlage

* “Performance bias assumes he knows what he’s doing; she has to prove it.” — Gifty Enright

* “If you’re there, you’re there—presence over quantity.” — Gifty Enright

* “As women, we are at the centre of everything.” — Gifty Enright

Key Takeaways

* Parents—especially mothers—carry compounded stress loads; design work with that reality in mind.

* Performance bias means men are often assumed competent while women must prove it; fix systems, not just confidence.

* Meritocracy myth: women are micro‑analysed and penalised for style while men are judged on outcomes.

* Presence beats quantity: being fully there matters more than being everywhere. Set boundaries that protect energy.

* Intersectionality is additive: gender + race + motherhood + migration can compound barriers; policy must reflect that complexity.

* The sandwich generation is real. Flexibility and caregiver‑support policies are business‑critical retention tools.

Guest Bio

Gifty Enright is a keynote speaker, author of Octopus on a Treadmill, and a leadership coach specialising in working mothers and inclusive cultures. Drawing on her corporate career and lived experience of burnout, she helps organisations reduce stress, tackle bias, and create workplaces where women—and everyone—can thrive.

Resources Mentioned

* Octopus on a Treadmill — by Gifty Enright

* The Gender Bias Traps (corporate workshop) — by Gifty Enright

Links

* Guest: https://giftyenright.com

* https://www.linkedin.com/in/giftyenright/

* Cynthia: www.cynthiafortlage.com

* https://linkedin.com/in/cfortlage

* Substack (Holding It Both Ways): https://fortlage.substack.com

* Podcast feed

Call to Action

* Share this with a leader of caregivers—or a working parent who needs backing.

* Leaders exploring inclusive leadership and culture change can book time with Cynthia: https://calendly.com/cynthiafortlage/30min.

* Subscribe and leave a short review—it really helps others find the show.

In this episode of Gender Equity Rebels, Cynthia Fortlage sits down with Professor Natascha Radclyffe-Thomas to explore the intersections of gender, power, privilege, and purpose within the global fashion industry. As a seasoned academic, a social impact leader, and the first UK winner of the prestigious Fashion Education Award from the Council of Fashion Designers of America (CFDA), Natascha brings clarity and courage to a topic that too often shies away from complexity.

The conversation weaves through her own leadership journey and the pivotal moments where she chose to challenge accepted narratives of success. They discuss how the fashion industry both reflects and shapes cultural power dynamics, and how sustainability isn't just about the environment — it's about ethics, equity, and inclusion too.

What emerges is a reflection on how we lead, what we reward, and why rethinking power begins with reimagining our roles in systems we often take for granted.

Topics covered include:

* Why Natascha doesn’t believe in individual heroes—and what she believes in instead

* What sustainable fashion has to teach other industries about values and visibility

* How gender and privilege operate in invisible ways in leadership

* The tension between being seen and being safe

* What it means to lead with joy and not just grind

About Natascha Radclyffe-Thomas: Professor Natascha Radclyffe-Thomas is a global expert in sustainable fashion business and a leading voice in reimagining purpose-driven education. She is a co-author of Fashion Management: A Strategic Approach and serves as the UK Chair of the PRME (Principles for Responsible Management Education) Fashion Taskforce. Natascha is also the recipient of the Mark Arthur Bright Award for her work on fashion and sustainability, and co-hosts the podcast Circular with Katie and Natascha.

A few quotes to carry with you:

"Power is about visibility—who gets seen, and how."

"Sustainability without inclusion isn't sustainability."

"We often want to be brave without being vulnerable. But the truth is, real change comes from both."

"Sometimes we wear the uniform of leadership before we’ve earned the belonging."

Transcript:For accessibility, a full transcript is available directly on the YouTube video page.

#GenderEquityRebels #SustainableFashion #InclusionMatters #AcceptanceWithoutUnderstanding

In this final episode of the Gender Equity Rebels series, Cynthia Fortlage sits down with Emily Button-Ham, founder of Emily Button Coaching, to discuss the reality behind Pay Gap Day in the UK (15 November 2023). What begins as a conversation about the numbers quickly becomes something more deeply human.

Emily shares her professional insights and personal reflections on what it means to navigate workplace systems that still undervalue women. The two discuss confidence, reconditioning, pay transparency, and the cumulative impact of inequity across a woman’s career journey. Cynthia adds powerful perspective from her own experience living and leading with two genders' worth of insight, making this a nuanced and emotionally resonant conversation.

They explore why a 0.1% reduction in the gender pay gap is not progress—it's an indictment. And they highlight the emotional cost of inequity, especially when companies plateau at targets rather than pursue real culture change.

Cynthia also reflects on the socialised ways women are conditioned to lead and how unlearning these patterns is part of reclaiming confidence and space. The episode closes with a reminder that asking questions and demanding more from ourselves and our workplaces is where real change begins.

🎧 Key Themes

* The truth behind Pay Gap Day in the UK and Europe

* Confidence, power, and the impact of gender socialisation

* Why small tweaks can lead to big transformations

* The tension between legislation and lived experience

* The broken rung and the cost of early career inequity

* Mentorship, maternity bias, and the ripple effect of awareness

#GenderEquityRebels #PayGapDay #AcceptanceWithoutUnderstanding

📄 TranscriptA full transcript is available on the YouTube video page to support accessibility.

🏳️‍🌈 Gender Rebel Series: Hormones, Health, and the Workplace

Inclusion isn’t just about who’s in the room—it’s also about what’s understood once we get there.

In this episode of Gender Equity Rebels, I sit down with Rachel Grewal, a startup leader and recruiter, to talk about something that impacts countless women and AFAB individuals in silence: PMDD (Premenstrual Dysphoric Disorder).

Rachel shares the emotional and professional impact of PMDD—how it affects energy, mood, productivity, and leadership presence. We talk openly about the stigma around hormonal health, the silence in the workplace, and why it's time to bring these stories into inclusion conversations.

This is one of the most honest, generous conversations I’ve had on the series. Near the end, I get a bit emotional, and I left that in. Because it’s real. These aren't just 'women’s issues.' They're leadership issues, organisational issues, and inclusion issues.

🎥 Watch on YouTube:

What If It’s Not Just PMS? — Cynthia Fortlage & Rachel Grewal

📝 A full transcript is available in the YouTube video description.

💡 Highlights from our conversation:

* The reality of PMDD and how it differs from PMS

* How hormonal shifts affect workplace energy, confidence, and mental health

* What Rachel wishes every manager knew

* Her advice for women, non-binary folks, trans men, and allies navigating hormonal health

* How inclusion can (and must) stretch to encompass reproductive wellbeing

💬 Reflection Prompt for Readers:

Have you ever had to perform through pain or explain something invisible to be taken seriously?

What would it take for your workplace to be brave enough to talk about menstrual and hormonal health with honesty and compassion?

🧭 Where to Find Rachel:

Connect with Rachel Grewal on LinkedIn to follow her advocacy and work in the startup and talent space.

#GenderRebel#InclusiveLeadership#HormonalHealth#AcceptanceWithoutUnderstanding

Dave joins Cynthia to explore what men’s mental health looks like when we move beyond stoicism toward language, curiosity, and connection. Starting from teen years shaped by anger and loss, Dave traces a path through healthcare roles into speaking and coaching. Together, we unpack how hormones, health, and gendered expectations shape behaviour and safety, and why mindfulness helps leaders respond rather than react. We also look squarely at privilege. Dave explains how recognising his own advantages did not lead to guilt, but to responsibility and allyship. If you lead teams that include men, or you are a man who wants different outcomes, this conversation offers practical ways to build emotional vocabulary, stress tools, and cultures where results and belonging can both thrive.

Key Takeaways

Men often lack shared language for feelings. Leaders can model and teach simple emotional vocabulary at work.

Mindfulness creates a pause between trigger and response. Dave uses Lazarus’s stress appraisal questions to decide what is truly stressful and what tools he has.

Hormones and health influence behaviour and identity. Understanding the lived impact of treatments like hormone therapy builds empathy and better support.

Safety is gendered. Cynthia reflects on learning new safety calculations after transitioning and how context reshapes comfort in spaces.

Privilege is layered. Seeing it clearly is not about guilt. It is about responsibility, access, and choosing allyship in daily practice.

Connection fuels resilience. Dave’s Happy Human pillars give leaders a simple framework: authenticity, purpose, choice, connection, and physiology.

To find and support Dave's work;

LinkedIn > https://www.linkedin.com/in/iamdavejames

Instagram > https://www.instagram.com/iamdavejames

YouTube > https://www.youtube.com/@Davethecoach

Check out my TEDx “How mindfulness can help men” here.