About the Episode

I love this woman, her mission and chatting with her about all things business, leadership, culture and communications.

If you're reading this/listening before October 22nd 2021, make sure you join her #BirthdayBonanza in her FB group (link below) for lots of incredible prizes and thoughtful questions.

On this occasion we talked about authencitity, collaboration vs. competition, working to your strengths and within your zone of genius.

All the things about which I'm passionate. Take a listen, connect with Sara and listen to the recommended TEDx Folkestone talk (linkes provided below) and let us know your thoughts.

About Sara

Sara is a rebellious optimist: an entrepreneur driven by her desire to help other purpose-led changemakers to make a difference, make a living and change the world.

After 5 years of studying politics at Exeter, the LSE and at the Institut d’Etudes Politiques in Aix-en-Provence, Sara began her career in the Westminster Parliament. There she learnt about the corridors of power; how deals were made in smoke-filled rooms and that the ability to communicate is THE core skills required to truly make a difference and create change.

Since then Sara has dedicated her entire career to helping people, organisations and brands to communicate better. Over 26 years in PR and campaigning, she has advised some of the largest companies and charities in the world from UNICEF to Avon, from Kellogg’s to Variety – and start-ups including fledgling space missions and challenger bank Starling.

Sara is no stranger to the impact of crisis, chaos and global uncertainty on life, a career and a business. She managed to progress her career – reaching the UK Board of one of the world’s largest PR agencies - whilst navigating through divorce, cancer, at least three recessions, bereavement and a horrific accident that left her with injuries requiring multiple surgeries. She also co-founded her first entrepreneurial business in the aftermath of the 2008 financial crash - and grew it into a profitable independent communications consultancy with revenue over 7 figures in just 12 months - in spite of a global economic meltdown!

Sara now works exclusively with purpose-led entrepreneurs, business owners and coaches through her new company Actually. Sara uses everything she has learnt in her career, plus her coaching and training skills, to help you to harness the right mindset, skills and support you need to make a difference and change the world.

How to connect with Sara and her initiatives

LinkedIn: Sara Price

LinkedIn: Actually

Website: Actually.world

Facebook: Actually Making a Difference

Take the Communications Superpower Quiz!

"Love your Competitors" TEDx Folkestone talk (Alex Smith)

About the Episode 

This week, we speak with Anika Zubair, a veteran podcast host with not one but two successful Customer Success podcasts to her name (see details below). We talk about the power of appreciation and encouraging people to work to and develop their strengths to allow everyone to be the most authentically powerful person they can be, rather than forcing them to work on their weaknesses. One of the benefits of working in teams is to ensure each person plays to their strengths and achieve the best together.  We explore the concept of Learning as you Grow and how this applies to everyone, in all areas of life and each stage of life; how we progress as humans with space to learn, space to uncover and exploit those individual strengths. As leaders, it should be natural to provide this space, encourage those around us and to celebrate every win - no matter how small and in the knowledge that it costs little in time and effort and benefits the recipient exponentially. Above everything, we discussed how important it is to be unapologetically yourself. Thanks, Anika, for always being authentic, inspiring, impactful and unapologetically you! 

About Anika 

Anika Zubair, an industry thought leader, CSM LDN community co-founder, and podcast host, is currently VP of Customer Success at inSided, where she is building a world-class customer success organisation. Drawing from previous experiences at multiple SaaS B2B startups and scale-ups, Anika is no stranger to scaling Customer Success efforts and has built teams from the ground up across the APAC, EMEA, and US regions and is excited to scale the CS team at inSided. She also hosts 2 podcasts: The Customer Success Channel Podcast and The inSide Scoop on Customer Success, both podcasts are thought-provoking, and highly rated podcasts diving into important and relevant topics to help spread CS and community knowledge. 

How to connect with Anika and her initiatives 

LinkedIn: Anika Zubair 

LinkedIn: CSM LDN 

Podcast: The Customer Success Channel 

Podcast: The InSide Scoop on Customer Success

About the Episode

The concept of doing better business for global good is a fundamental motivation and passion for this podcast. It makes sense, therefore, that we will be talking to people from the private sector, communities, leadership, inspiring individuals of all ages and experience, beneficiaries and the charity sector.

Today, we talk with Megan Taylor about the differences and similarities between the private and charity sectors - in which she has deep experience of both, having founded her own small charity many years ago while also running a leadership and organisational development consulting community.

We talk about the Sustainable Development Goals and their predecessor, the Millenium Goals and the increase in awareness within individuals, communitites and businesses of not only their existence but how we can each contribute to achieving this goals by 2030. We discuss the encouraging trend of organisations willing to relearn how to listen to and provide a pleasant working and collaborative environment for their people, recognising that there is no one right way to deliver or travel on this journey.

About Megan

Megan is co-founder and Chair of Trustees for Move the World, a small charity working in Ghana on Global Citizenship Education. She is also Director and Consultant at RISE Beyond, a leadership and organisational development consulting community. 

How to connect with Megan and her initiatives

Linkedin: Megan Taylor

Website: Move the World

Facebook: Move the World

Instagram: Move the World

Donate here: MTW Movers

About the Episode

This is a gem of a conversation with Renata Kashiwaya Pinheiro.

In this week's episode, the discussion ranges from the pleasure of hiring a great team around you and the rewards you reap, when they surprise you every day with their proactivity, authenticity, trust and respect. We talk about the ripple effects of every person's choices and decisions and ensuring everyone, at every level, takes conscious and collaborative action.

Ever wondered what makes a safe space one you can actually believe in and trust? We talk at length about holding space for everyone to come to work and be completely genuine so there is no wasted energy pretending to be ok and putting up a facade. This includes driving a culture where questions are seen as neutral, perspective-finding and encouraged; mistakes are seen and actively used as learning opportunities.

And finally, we explored the strength which comes from being authentic, allowing others to see every part of us so we each learn from the examples displayed around us. We share our learnings from our own personal experiences with mental health and wellbeing over the years.

About Renata

Renata has been working with customers for the past 11 years in one way or another, from big Corporate companies to small tech start-ups. Renata loves creating and building highly diverse, scalable and autonomous customer success teams, ensuring that as the company grows they don't lose touch with their customers.

How to connect with Renata and her initiatives

Linkedin: Renata Kashiwaya Pinheiro

About the Episode

If you've got a twinkle in your eye about a book within you which needs to be birthed, then listen to independent publisher Alison Jones talk about how authors are leaders and the similarities between creating a book and a business.

We talk about authors as leaders, experts and facilitators of personal and professional development. Books as a means to listen in on the conversations which are emerging in the world, at any point in time, as well as understanding that writing any book is the same as starting a business - through synthesising and differentiation.

Core values are highligted, such as transparency, authenticity, trust and respect, in the realms of creating a positive, fulfilling, proactive and motivating workplace culture.

In addition, this week (w/c 13th September 2021) also marks the start of Alison's latest Book Proposal Challenge, whereby each participant takes that twinke in the eye to a fully formed book proposal which is ready to be sent out into the world of publishers to catch a book deal. As if that wasn't enough, one lucky person will get themselves a full publishing deal with Practical Inspiration Publishing (aka Alison)!

What are you waiting for? Sign up now

About Alison

Alison Jones is founder of Practical Inspiration Publishing, a pioneering publishing partner for businesses, and host of The Extraordinary Business Book Club, a podcast and community for writers and readers of extraordinary business books. 

A veteran of the publishing industry, she worked for 25 years with leading companies such as Chambers, Oxford University Press and Macmillan (as Publisher and then Director of Innovation Strategy at Palgrave Macmillan). 

She regularly speaks and blogs on the publishing industry, is on the board of the Independent Publishers Guild and Head Judge of the Business Book Awards. She has written and edited several books, most recently This Book Means Business (2018).

How to connect with Alison and her initiatives

LinkedIn: Alison Jones

LinkedIn: Practical Inspiration Publishing

Instagram: @bookstothesky

Twitter: @bookstothesky

Website: Practical Inspiration Publishing

Website: Alison Jones

Website: The Extraordinary Business Book Club (EBBC)

About the Episode

Today's episode is released on the 6-month anniversary of International Women's Day 2021. This year's theme was "Choose to Challenge" and Marija Skobe-Pilley is certainly delivering on her pledge, which she made publicly on her podcast and a Gender Diversity in Customer Success panel discussion back on 8th March 2021!

Marija is a full-time and passionate Customer Success professional, a proud mother of two, host of the Women in CS podcast and part of the founding leadership team for the Women in CS Network - I don't know where she finds the time!

She believes in making connections at the purest level, that everyone is a leader - no matter your job title or age, there is huge power in leaders who focus on serving those around them and creating an environment for learning based on trust.

I truly enjoyed my conversation with Marija and I hope you enjoy listening just as much.

About Marija

Marija Skobe-Pilley is the Founder of Women in Customer Success Podcast & Network, Customer Success Enthusiast. She’s a classical musician who has transitioned into the world of technology.

Having spent her education years as a music performer and educator, Marija discovered her passion for tech. and business after completing her graduate research on using arts to develop business competencies. She realised that future of business needs more human touch and her unique skillset and artistic mindset are in demand. 

Soon, she found a new home in Customer Success. During the pandemic, Marija started the Women in Customer Success Podcast to provide a platform for women to connect, inspire and champion each other. She is committed to bringing remarkable ladies to the show, from all career stages and backgrounds, to share their inspirational story and practical tools to help others succeed and make an impact. 

Marija holds degrees from the University of Zagreb (BA Music, MMus) and University of Cambridge (MPhil in Education).

How to connect with Marija and her initiatives

LinkedIn: Marija Skobe-Pilley

LinkedIn: Women in CS podcast

Instagram: @womenincspodcast

Website: Women in CS podcast

Join the Women in CS Network, on Slack, here!

This is an introduction to the Inspiring Future Leaders podcast. A podcast where I plan to have conversations with many individuals about positive business cultures, frameworks and leaderships styles. I'm particularly interested in exploring how positive business cultures can promote more conscious business styles and individual motivations towards community-led business practices and more active participation in being global citizens.

Get in touch if you have thoughts, insights and/or suggestions as to who I should invite on the podcast!