Kat Kibben joins Joanne Lockwood to explore what it means to hide and “unhide” at work, and the personal cost of living with two versions of yourself. Kat reflects on growing up in a military family, navigating conservative workplaces, and the repeated process of coming out—first as a lesbian and later as trans/nonbinary—while trying to protect their career and personal safety.

The conversation covers the practical and emotional realities of being visibly trans while travelling the US in van life: constant risk assessment, fear around using public bathrooms, and the exhaustion that builds from sustained hypervigilance. They also discuss identity, socialisation, the validation (and complications) of being perceived differently, and how safety and supportive environments enable people to live authentically.

Alongside lived experience, Kat connects these themes to their professional work: teaching organisations to write clearer, more honest job postings that reduce bias and widen access. They unpack how common hiring “requirements” and language choices create psychological barriers (including gendered application patterns), and argue that telling the truth about the role and focusing on real experiences can improve equity and outcomes for both employers and candidates.

Joanne Lockwood is joined by anxiety specialist and speaker Caroline Cavanagh for a practical conversation about staying positive when the world feels relentlessly negative.

Caroline explains how attention and focus shape our emotions, and why anxiety is better understood as fear doing its job to keep us safe. Together they explore comfort zones, how confidence is built through repeated acts of bravery, and how small steps can make change feel more achievable.

The discussion also looks at real-world sources of stress, from news cycles and societal uncertainty to workplace overload and burnout. Caroline shares ways to reduce anxiety by bringing things back to what you can control, reframing “what if” thinking, and approaching problems with solutions and prioritisation.

Alongside techniques, Caroline shares elements of her own story, including periods where anxiety limited her choices, and how resilience and support networks helped during challenging life transitions. The episode closes with resources for listeners who want to build a broader toolkit for managing stress.

Lis Cashin joins Joanne Lockwood to explore why self-forgiveness can feel impossible when shame and guilt have taken hold for years. Lis shares the defining event of her childhood: at 13, during a school sports day javelin event, a tragic accident led to the death of a friend. With no trauma support at the time, Lis internalised blame, developed an identity-level shame, and spent decades punishing herself in ways that affected her relationships, health, and sense of worth.

The conversation follows Lis’s journey to finally getting the right help, including being diagnosed with PTSD years later after recognising herself in trauma narratives and seeking an assessment. Together they discuss what trauma can look like over time, why simply “changing mindset” may not be enough when the nervous system is involved, and how compassion, validation, and being listened to can be pivotal.

They also turn to what workplaces and leaders can do: create safer spaces for honest conversations, listen without judgement, avoid rushing to fix, and understand how power dynamics can make speaking up hard. The episode closes with practical signposting for getting support, and a clear message that struggling is human—and that recovery and self-compassion are possible.

Joanne Lockwood is joined by Mike Pagan to explore his mantra “do what you love, love what you do” through the lens of what he calls mental wealth. Mike explains how energy, motivation and enjoyment are closely tied to the people around us, and why isolation and loneliness can drain confidence, reduce creativity, and make change feel impossible.

The conversation centres on building a practical support network: mapping the people in your world, being honest about who really “has your back”, and intentionally recruiting the right mix of friends, peers and professionals for the next stage of your life. Mike and Joanne discuss vulnerability and the difficulty many people have asking for help, how accountability from trusted people can shift behaviour, and how small, consistent self-care habits can strengthen resilience over time.

They also reflect on real experiences involving suicide and suicide attempts, the role of timely connection, and how a single phone call can change outcomes. Joanne briefly references her own gender transition as part of a wider discussion about life transitions and how relationships evolve. The episode closes with a call to reach out directly to someone if your gut tells you they might need it.

Moreen Pascal joins Joanne Lockwood to explore what it means to “free our minds” from the norms, assumptions and internalised beliefs that keep oppressive cultural and institutional practices in place. Drawing on her Caribbean heritage and the influence of her parents’ generation, Moreen frames inclusion and belonging through a political and social justice lens, connecting personal identity with wider systems of power.

The conversation moves through stark contemporary examples of structural racism, including the Child Q case and the wider impact of racial violence, and reflects on how institutional responses can reveal whose safety and dignity are prioritised. Alongside this, Moreen and Joanne discuss allyship, protest and disruption as catalysts for change, and why progress can feel slow and cyclical unless people stay alert and engaged.

They also bring the discussion into workplace and governance settings, looking at board diversity, “culture fit”, image and power dressing, and why representation and diversity of thought matter in decision-making. Moreen shares her journey into a non-executive director role and the importance of networks, mentoring and community-minded leadership in opening up opportunities and expanding the mosaic of human talent.

Joanne Lockwood speaks with Lysette Offley, founder of Genius Material and the Genius Principles, about why not belonging can be profoundly painful and how it affects learning, confidence, and performance.

Lysette shares personal experiences of feeling caught between groups at school and how those early signals of exclusion shaped her understanding of inclusion versus belonging. Together, they explore how belonging differs from simply being included, and how “masking” or hiding parts of yourself can be exhausting and limit your ability to do your best work.

The conversation moves into psychological safety, identity, and the ways people seek tribes and in-groups for reassurance. They discuss confidence, imposter feelings, perfectionism, and what it means to be “good enough,” including examples from auditions and workplace progression.

They also touch on recruitment and selection, bias, and how narrow definitions of “best candidate” can undermine fair opportunity and real inclusion. Lysette recounts her experience being featured on Grand Designs, including the impact of online criticism and what it taught her about vulnerability and belonging in public spaces. Joanne also references his own experience of transition and being visible in the media, and the safeguarding that can help.

Lysette closes by sharing how listeners can find her work supporting learning strategies and mindset tools that help people step forward, feel safe, and thrive.

Sam Mitchell joins Joanne Lockwood to talk about why “autism rocks,” sharing how autism shapes his creativity, preference for structure, and day-to-day experiences navigating social cues. He reflects on being misunderstood, the impact of exclusion, and what it means to feel included—whether in friendships, hobbies, education, or work.

Sam also discusses turning his podcast into a wider advocacy mission, including building a nonprofit, finding sponsors, and creating community partnerships. He shares his public speaking experiences and the messages he brings to organisations about supporting autistic people—especially the importance of understanding different communication styles, creating space for participation, and responding with compassion when someone is overwhelmed or having a meltdown.

The conversation touches on mental health advocacy, the effects of the pandemic on social connection, and the role that purpose, routine, and supportive networks can play in helping people thrive. Sam closes by sharing how listeners can connect with him and follow his work.

Claire Richmond introduces the “scavenger mindset” as a way for leaders to uncover untapped talent and capability already present in their teams and organisations. Drawing on her experience building a grassroots regeneration initiative with no budget or formal resources, she argues that starting with “nothing” can create freedom, innovation and new forms of collaboration.

The conversation explores how traditional, hierarchical workplaces can box people into roles and limit contribution, and why inclusive leadership begins with doing the groundwork: getting to know people beyond titles, inviting diverse perspectives, and building community around shared challenges. Claire and Joanne discuss practical ways to increase psychological safety, including starting small, creating trust over time, enabling anonymous input, and giving people space to think rather than demanding immediate “right” answers.

They also challenge conventional approaches to hiring, performance and productivity, emphasising potential, learning ability and resourcefulness over rigid experience checklists. The episode closes with reflections on uncertainty, adaptability and why leaders who focus on connection, belonging and ownership can help people do extraordinary work.

Joanne Lockwood speaks with performance coach, psychotherapist, and workshop facilitator Shelley Bridgeman about what it really takes to “dare to be you” — not as a slogan, but as a practice of peeling back protection, facing fear, and choosing a more truthful way of living.

They explore how fear often shows up as fear of failure or rejection, and how people learn to numb pain or avoid being seen. Shelley shares her approach to supporting people in deep distress: listening without rushing to fix, helping someone find a first step, and building strategies to move forward.

The conversation also covers trans lived experience across different decades, from early visibility and hostile media narratives to today’s sustained public debates. Joanne and Shelley discuss coming out, relationships that change, and the possibility of reconnection — including Joanne’s evolving relationship with his father.

Shelley reflects on her experience challenging legal inequity for trans people, including a lengthy court journey that culminated in a landmark ruling, and what it taught her about persistence, community support, and the importance of standing up for equal rights. They close by touching on current tensions in public discourse, including women’s safety and fairness in sport, and the need for more workable, humane conversations.

Joanne Lockwood is joined by public speaking coach Lisa Braithwaite to unpack what she calls “outright optimism” and how it fuels a pushback against narrow, outdated ideas of what “professional” is supposed to look like.

They explore authenticity in public speaking and in everyday working life, including the pressure to appear polished on social media, the pull of perfectionism, and the fear of being judged or excluded for standing out. Lisa shares how “This Is What Professional Looks Like” has become a community where people reclaim self-expression—whether that’s hair, clothes, tattoos, or natural features—and why visibility matters for widening the definition of professionalism.

The conversation also touches on ageism and body image, the influence of gender socialisation on what people feel they “should” do to look acceptable, and how leaders, speakers, and individuals with relative privilege can help shift norms by modelling something different. Throughout, the focus stays on helping people feel freer, more connected, and more able to bring their whole selves to work and to the stage.