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“When you rewrite a nightmare’s ending, you’re not avoiding it. You’re transforming it—and that rewiring gives you back control.” - Karen van Kampen

Science writer Karen van Kampen explores how dreams help us process emotion, boost creativity, and build resilience—with tools for dream recall, reflection, and healing.

Have you ever woken up from a dream wondering, “What was that about?” Or felt like your mind was trying to tell you something—just out of reach?

In this episode, I welcome back science writer Karen van Kampen to explore what dreams are really doing for us. Karen is currently writing The Brain Never Sleeps, a forthcoming book with Simon & Schuster Canada that dives deep into the science of dreaming, memory, and emotional well-being.

Together, we talk about why your dreams matter—not just as strange midnight cinema, but as active tools your brain uses to sort through stress, solve problems, and generate creative insight. From managing nightmares through imagery rehearsal and targeted dream incubation, to using apps like Elsewhere for AI-assisted interpretation, Karen walks us through cutting-edge research and her own experiments in dream-guided creativity.

We also explore what happens when your brain starts weaving together old memories and new worries—how dreams help us process emotion, consolidate memory, and prepare for life's difficult moments. Karen even shares a unique “dream salon” experience, where artists painted her dream on a page from Freud’s Interpretation of Dreams. It’s as poetic as it is scientific.

Key Takeaways:

• Dreams reflect our waking stress: What preoccupies us by day often shows up in dream form—symbolically or directly.
• Nightmares can be transformed: Tools like imagery rehearsal therapy (IRT) and targeted dream incubation (TDI) help reframe bad dreams and reduce anxiety.
• Creative sweet spots exist: The moments just before sleep and after waking are powerful times to access ideas and insights.
• Apps like Elsewhere and Dust are using AI and sensory cues to guide dream themes, increase dream recall, and help reduce nightmares.
• Dreams act as a reframing tool: They reveal emotions and patterns we might not notice consciously—offering perspective, healing, and creative breakthroughs.
• Dream interpretation isn’t one-size-fits-all: Karen uses Freudian, Jungian, and personal approaches to reflect on her dreams from multiple angles.

Bio

Karen van Kampen is a Canadian science writer and the author of The Golden Cell: Gene Therapy, Stem Cells, and the Quest for the Next Great Medical Breakthrough. Her work has appeared in publications like The Globe and Mail and National Post. She’s currently writing The Brain Never Sleeps (Simon & Schuster, 2026), a deep dive into the science of dreams, memory, and emotional health. Karen explores how our dream

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"Denying your body complete acceptance well it can actually lead to illness whereas practicing self-acceptance well that can contribute to healing disease."

Unlock the power of self-acceptance for a happier, healthier life. This episode explores how embracing your body exactly as it is can transform your well-being and allow you to live life without reservation.r

What if fully accepting your body, with all its perceived imperfections, is the key to unlocking true happiness and a life lived without limits?

Key Takeaway Insights and Tools

• The Power of Acceptance: True acceptance is embracing what life presents, and your body is a profound teacher for this lesson. (1:51)
• Body Image and Self-Worth: Many people use their body as a primary target for harsh judgments and a barometer for self-worth, which limits experiences. (2:23)
• Mind-Body Connection: Accepting your body is vital for both emotional and physical health; denial can lead to illness, while acceptance can contribute to healing. (3:20)
• Self-Improvement vs. Self-Criticism: The drive for physical improvement is healthy only if it stems from self-love and acceptance, not a feeling of inadequacy. (4:42)
• The "Love, Change, Accept" Principle: Love all parts of yourself; if you can't love them, change them; if you can't change them, then accept them as they are. (6:01)
• Your Choice is Powerful: You can choose the ease of acceptance over the pain of rejection regarding your physical self, as your perception doesn't change reality. (6:40)

Make sure to hit that subscribe button to catch all future episodes and help spread the word!

Homework for the Listener

Consider this question: What aspect of your physical self are you not fully accepting right now? And what small step can you take towards embracing it with more kindness, with more acceptance? 

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"Technology isn't the hard part. Getting people to see the value and change behaviour—that’s the challenge." - Jannicke Birkevold

In this episode, innovation expert Jannicke Birkevold unpacks how emerging technologies like AI, quantum computing, and digital ID systems are reshaping society and business. Learn what makes innovation succeed in the real world—and why psychological safety and timing are non-negotiables for impact.

Is your organisation built to survive disruption—or drive it?

Key Takeaway Insights and Tools (with Timestamps):

• Innovation Requires Psychological Safety
  Innovation flourishes when people feel safe to fail, question, and iterate. Leadership support is essential to create this space.
  [33:26]
• Disruption Is About Timing, Not Just Tech
  The success of VIPS (Norway's mobile payment system) hinged on simplicity, customer value, and market timing—not just the app itself.
  [19:15]
• Don’t Build Everything—Partner Strategically
  The IDme project succeeded by collaborating with specialized partners for fraud detection and passport verification.
  [30:44]
• Innovators Need Organizational Champions
  Without buy-in from top leadership, most innovation efforts stagnate. Managers must advocate for long-term thinking—even in quarterly-driven cultures.
  [35:51]
• Internal Conflict Can Kill Innovation
  New solutions may threaten existing revenue streams. Reframing innovation as a protective move—before competitors disrupt—helps reduce resistance.
  [39:39]

Bio:

Jannicke Birkevold is an experienced leader and Innovation Expert with over 20 years of experience working at the intersection of technology, business, and customers. She has a passion for new tech. Jannicke has a proven track record in project management and the delivery of new products to market. She was recognised among Norway's Top 50 Women in Tech by Abelia/ODA.

Throughout her career, Jannicke has held several managerial and professional positions within DNB, including head of digital inovation and leading the internal StartUp IDmee. Before joining DNB, she worked on IT and innovation projects in the Norwegian Tax Administration and has experience from the media industy and voluntary organizations. Her extensive experience spans strategy, technology, compliance, and customer-focused initiatives.

Jannicke has broad leadership experience, having led specialists and professionals in technology and product field. She also enjoys delving deeply into subject areas in roles that involve professional responsibility and subject matter expert.
Her commercial mindset is focused on creating value for both customers and the company. Jannicke's personal qualities include a direct style, easy-going nature, a sense of humour, and lots of enthusiasm.

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

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"When we push with purpose, respect, and curiosity, not defiance, we often find those lines aren't lines at all. They're simply assumptions, beliefs, sometimes inherited, sometimes outdated, sometimes just plain wrong."

Discover how recognising and respectfully challenging "invisible lines"—unspoken rules and assumptions—can unlock innovation, improve team dynamics, and boost personal growth. Learn to identify and question these hidden boundaries for a more positive mindset and effective leadership.

Have you ever hesitated to speak up or try something new, only to realize the "rule" preventing you wasn't even real?

Key Takeaway Insights and Tools

• Invisible lines are unspoken, assumed boundaries that shape our behavior and can block innovation. These are not formal rules but cultural norms or inherited beliefs that everyone quietly follows. (0:39)
• Challenging invisible lines with purpose, respect, and curiosity can reveal they are often just assumptions.Often, these "lines" dissolve when someone respectfully questions their existence. (2:03)
• The cost of not asking questions about invisible boundaries is significant. Silence breeds frustration, isolates people, and leads to quiet disengagement, causing teams to lose their edge. (4:52)
• Real learning happens through "friction" and "experience," not static belief. Actively testing perceived boundaries allows for dynamic learning and feedback. (5:13)
• Challenge for the Week: Identify a boundary you've accepted without question in your work or team. Approach it with genuine inquiry, asking "why" or if an alternative has been explored, starting with low-consequence situations. (6:59)

If this episode resonated with you, please share it with someone in your network who might find it useful and hit that subscribe button!

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“We celebrate people who burn out and call it resilience. But real resilience is knowing when to pause, when to speak up, and when to take care of yourself.” - Natalie Armstrong 

Nurse and trauma-informed leader Natalie Armstrong shares practical ways to support neurodivergent employees and build resilient, inclusive workplaces.

Have you ever sensed something was off with a colleague—but couldn’t quite name it? Maybe they shut down in meetings, avoid conflict, or seem overwhelmed by simple feedback. It’s easy to chalk it up to attitude or performance. But what if it’s something deeper—like unrecognized trauma or neurodiversity?

In this episode, I sit down with Natalie Armstrong, a trauma-informed workplace consultant, neurodiversity advocate, and NHS nurse leader. Together, we explore how trauma and neurodivergence quietly shape behavior at work—and how leaders can foster safer, more inclusive environments by tuning into the human side of performance.

Natalie shares her personal story of navigating ADHD, trauma, and burnout, and how it shaped her into a compassionate, people-first leader. She walks us through real scenarios, signals to look out for, and the small but powerful adjustments that help people—especially high performers—thrive on their terms.

Whether you’re a leader, colleague, or someone navigating these challenges yourself, this episode offers a roadmap toward psychological safety, resilience, and more human leadership.

Bio

Natalie Armstrong is a UK-based trauma-informed workplace consultant, neurodiversity advocate, and NHS nurse leader. With lived experience of ADHD and complex trauma, she helps organizations create inclusive, psychologically safe cultures. Her work focuses on supporting neurodivergent individuals through flexible leadership practices, emotional intelligence, and education that drives organizational resilience.

Email: [email protected]
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nataliearmstrongconsultancy/

Key Takeaways

• Neurodiversity includes ADHD, autism, dyslexia, dyspraxia—each with unique processing styles.
• Labels can help, but they can also limit. Focus on how people process, not what they’re labeled.
• Trauma responses in the workplace may look like people-pleasing, shutting down, or avoiding conflict.
• Leaders don’t need to diagnose trauma—they need to create environments that reduce harm and build safety.
• Masking is a hidden cause of burnout for many neurodivergent employees.
• Practical strategies include offering flexible schedules, quiet workspaces, opt-out options for triggering content, and stand-up-friendly meetings.
• Support over blame is essential—especially for those with histories of shame or trauma.
• Trust is built when leaders model v

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Most people don’t like conflict. But some fear it so much they avoid it entirely—and that avoidance can quietly erode communication, teamwork, and leadership.

In this BiteSize Fridays episode of It’s an Inside Job, I unpack the fear of conflict through the experience of Michael, a thoughtful senior financial analyst who avoided disagreement at all costs. His calm exterior masked deep discomfort. But when team dynamics and innovation began to suffer, he realized: his fear wasn’t protecting peace—it was preventing progress.

Through Michael’s journey, we explore how the contrarian mindset helps us see conflict not as something to fear, but as a powerful doorway to truth, trust, and meaningful growth.

Perfect for You If You’re Asking:

• Why do I always shut down when tension rises?
• How can I stay composed during tough conversations?
• Is there a way to be direct without being combative?
• How do I stop mistaking silence for harmony?

What You’ll Learn in This Episode

• Why avoiding conflict can do more harm than good
• How to recognize when conflict is a signal, not a threat
• Simple techniques to stay grounded in tense situations
• How to build deeper trust and psychological safety through open dialogue
• Practical tools to turn discomfort into clarity and connection

If you find yourself retreating from conflict to “keep the peace,” this episode gives you the mindset and skills to lean in—gently, intentionally, and powerfully.

Contrarian Strategies from This Episode

• Practice quiet courage
  Courage doesn’t always roar. Sometimes it means staying present when your instinct is to flee. Small acts of honesty can reshape a team dynamic.
• Build social bridges
  Ask open, curious questions. Hold space for differing perspectives. You don’t need all the answers—you just need to create room for real ones to emerge.
• Embrace obstacles as opportunities
  That gut feeling of discomfort? It’s a clue. When handled with care, conflict reveals what matters most—and where the real breakthroughs live.
• Focus on reality, not emotional reality
  Name the emotion. Acknowledge the tension. Then anchor in what’s actually been said—not what fear wants you to hear.
• Practice equanimity
  Stay steady in the storm. Use breath, grounding questions, and calm body awareness to remain present—even when things get hard. That presence is contagious.

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"We often underestimate how much strength comes from restoration. Performance without pause leads to burnout." - Annicken R Day

Norwegian strategist Annicken R. Day returns to explore how intentional pauses and deep conversation help leaders recharge, reflect, and reframe their path forward.

When you're constantly performing, how do you know when it's time to pause? In this episode of It's an Inside Job, I sit down once again with author and work culture strategist Annicken R. Day to explore the essential—yet often overlooked—role of restoration. Annicken and I just spent several days together at a retreat she curated in the heart of Tuscany, where professionals from across disciplines gathered not for escape, but for depth, perspective, and reconnection.

Annicken is the founder of Corporate Spring, a consultancy that helps organizations build strong cultures through authentic leadership and sustainable practices. She’s also the author of Fly Butterfly, a business novel that speaks to the burnout, existential fatigue, and rediscovery many professionals quietly face.

In our third dialogue together, we unpack the concept of restoration as the necessary flip side to performance. We explore how deliberate pauses—whether a deep conversation, a weekend retreat, or five minutes of reflection—can provide the clarity and energy needed to move forward. Drawing from our shared experience in Tuscany, we discuss the power of peer dialogue, the loneliness leaders often hide, and the richness of reconnecting with your values.

For many of us, high performance is second nature. But when the tools we normally rely on stop working, it's often a sign that we're due for a reset—not a bigger push. As Annicken puts it, sometimes you have to create the thing you're looking for. And that begins with space to reflect.

Key Takeaways:

• Restoration is the other side of performance. Without recovery, we risk long-term burnout and short-sighted decision-making.
• Deep conversations with diverse peers offer powerful new tools and perspectives for navigating complexity.
• Leaders often suffer in silence. Safe spaces and peer dialogue can release pressure and reconnect us with what matters.
• Context matters. Retreat environments—whether Tuscany or a quiet afternoon—help strip away distraction and reveal deeper insight.
• Joy and laughter matter. Restoration isn’t only about slowing down—it’s about refueling emotionally through meaningful connection.
• Great leadership starts with self-leadership. Creating time for pause helps you lead yourself through chaos and change.

If this episode sparked a new way of thinking about recovery, share it with a friend, colleague, or leader who needs the reminder. And don’t forget to subscribe to It’s an Inside Job

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We often associate accountability with blame, exposure, or failure. But what if accountability isn’t a threat—it’s a gateway? A gateway to clarity, leadership, and personal strength.

In this episode of Bite Size Fridays, we explore the fear of accountability through the experience of Dwayne—a highly capable executive who found himself frozen when a major project began to unravel. Instead of confronting the problems, he avoided them—until a critical boardroom moment forced him to choose: defend the image or own the reality.

Through Dwayne’s story, we explore how the contrarian mindset turns accountability into a powerful tool for growth, authenticity, and long-term resilience.

What You’ll Learn in This Episode

• Why high performers often struggle with accountability
• How fear of blame can distort our decision-making
• Tools for separating self-worth from performance outcomes
• Why embracing accountability builds—not breaks—your reputation
• How to lead with integrity even when things go off course

If you’ve ever avoided owning a mistake out of fear it might define you, this episode helps you reframe responsibility as strength—not self-sabotage.

Contrarian Strategies from This Episode

• Focus on reality, not emotional reality
  Emotions can cloud facts. Learn how to pause and ask: What’s actually happening? What story am I telling myself—and is it true?
• Practice self-worth
  Your value is not defined by flawless outcomes. It’s found in how you show up when things get messy. Reclaim your worth from the pressure to perform.
• Let go of fixed outcomes
  Leadership is rarely linear. Dwayne learned to loosen his grip on perfection and embrace adaptive thinking when reality shifted.
• Embrace obstacles as opportunities
  What feels like failure might be the beginning of growth. Ask: What is this teaching me? rather than Why is this happening to me?
• Focus on progress, not perfection
  Trade in the myth of “nailing it” for the power of showing up honestly. Progress builds trust—and trust builds long-term resilience.

Perfect for You If You’re Asking:

• Why does accountability feel so vulnerable—especially when I care the most?
• How can I lead honestly when I’m worried about being judged?
• What does healthy, empowering accountability look like in real life?
• How can I separate my self-worth from my professional results?

Additional Resources

This is Part 12 of the 15-part Contrarian Mindset series—each episode designed to help you transform limiting beliefs and emotional patterns into clarity, confidence, and psychological strength.

Catch up on earlier episodes:

1. Facing the Fear of Vulnerability
2. Breaking Free from Perfectionism
3. Moving Through Imposter Syndrome
4. Overcoming the Fear of Not Being Good Enough
5. Replacing Reactivity with Response
6. Embracing Change Instead of Resisting It
7. The Fear of Deviating from the Known Path
8. Finding Peace with the Path You’ve Chosen (FOMO)
9. Redefining Relevance by Slowing Down
10. Building Rejection Resilience
11. Speaking Up Despite the Fear of Judgment

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"I learned that leadership is about the strategic thinking, you know, more than sitting in an email box or asking questions. So I think the more you understand that leadership is about modelling and forming and shaping more than telling and asking more questions, the more I get people with me." - Marianne B Hagen

Discover how authentic leadership, transparency, and self-awareness are crucial for guiding teams through uncertainty and fostering resilient, people-first cultures in today's complex world. This episode offers practical strategies for effective leadership and personal well-being.

How do you stay decisive and authentic as a leader when the world around you keeps shifting, and what anchors you amidst constant change?

Key Takeaway Insights and Tools

• Authentic Leadership as a Core Principle: Marianne emphasizes that leading with authenticity means aligning personal values with leadership actions, even when facing difficult decisions. It's about finding your own story and believing in it to truly inspire followers. (0:49:00)
• The Power of Self-Awareness and Reflection: Good leaders prioritize self-awareness, seeking feedback and taking time for personal reflection (like Marianne's morning ritual of writing, reading, and contemplating gratitude). This practice helps identify blind spots and continuous learning. (5:58:00 & 11:27:00)
• Transparency, Clear Vision, and Compelling Storytelling: To navigate change and complexity, organizations need transparent communication, a clear vision, and a compelling, true story that employees can buy into. This provides people with something concrete to hold onto amidst uncertainty. (18:40:00)
• Fostering Psychological Safety and Accountability: True psychological safety is not about "holding hands," but creating an environment where individuals can frankly express disagreements and feedback without fear of negative consequences, coupled with a strong sense of accountability and active "employeeship." (20:14:00)

Bio

Marianne B. Hagen is the CEO of Randstad in Norway, bringing over 27 years of leadership experience across sales, consulting, and organizational development. She has a strong background in strategic competence management, workforce planning, employer branding, sales and recruitment. Her expertise spans leadership development, culture transformation, diversity and inclusion, and coaching.

Marianne has led numerous global and European transformation and digitalization projects, focusing on building agile, learning-oriented workplaces. She is passionate about fostering "employeeship"—encouraging individuals to take active ownership of their career growth—and aligning talent with business strategies.

Known for her ability to simplify complexity and drive engagement, Marianne collaborates closely with stakeholders and HR teams to design impactful learning and development initiatives. Her work focuses on leadership

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"Emotions are these chemical messengers that communicate from our physiology to our psychology... I think all emotions are important for us. And I think all emotions have positive intent." (11:40)

In this episode, we unpack the essentials of resilience, self-leadership, and emotional intelligence. Discover actionable strategies to navigate uncertainty, foster self-compassion, and maintain your calm in challenging conversations, both personally and professionally.

How can you leverage your emotions and inner dialogue to build unwavering resilience, even when chaos strikes?

Key Takeaway Insights and Tools

• The Three Pillars of Thriving: Resilience, self-leadership, and emotional intelligence are crucial for navigating both personal and professional challenges. (00:44)
• The Sparring Partner Approach: Jason describes his role as a "sparring partner," helping clients articulate intangible thoughts and emotions, making them concrete and manageable. This process fosters agency and autonomy by shifting perception. (04:58)
• Self-Leadership Defined: It's about self-awareness of your thoughts and emotions, understanding the narrative you assign to situations, and the ability to reframe or reappraise them to change your emotional and behavioral response. (07:07)
• Language and Operational Definitions: Using common words like "challenge" or "stress" can be misleading. Deeply exploring and operationally defining these terms helps to understand their specific meaning to an individual, leading to clearer insights. (09:56)
• Emotions as Chemical Messengers: Emotions are not inherently positive or negative but are vital chemical messengers from your physiology to your psychology. Understanding their positive intent and what they are communicating is key to self-leadership. (11:25)
• Navigating Uncertainty with Self-Compassion and Efficacy: When facing difficult situations (e.g., redundancies), focus on what you can control, what is certain, and what actions/efforts you can take. Combine this with self-compassion (treating yourself with kindness) and self-efficacy (belief in your ability to succeed) to build resilience. (14:56)
• Integration Over Balance: Instead of striving for an unattainable "balance" between ambition and self-compassion, aim for integration and trade-offs. Allow time for self-compassion and reflection (e.g., an "after-action report") after setbacks to learn and improve, then re-engage with ambition. (18:37)
• Equanimity: This is the ability to remain calm and collected in uncertain, chaotic situations—the "eye of the storm." It's a learned skill, honed through self-awareness, self-compassion, and self-efficacy, enabling reflective action over impulsive reactions. (23:37)

"Experience... is the best teacher. But if we don't take time to reflect and do to understand our situational awa

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