4 Olympics. Countless broken boundaries. One incredible conversation. 

We are so excited to be joined by the absolute powerhouse that is Chemmy Alcott!

From dominating the slopes to hosting BBC’s Sunday Ski, Chemmy had so much to share. We had the best time recording this, and we dove deep into the realities of her skiing career and the mindset of elite performance.

But it’s not just about the medals!  Chemmy brought an incredible amount of energy and wisdom to the studio. We went far beyond the slopes to unpack:

• The reality of elite performance and what it takes to succeed at the highest level.

• Empowering girls in sport and breaking down barriers.

• The non-negotiable importance of giving back to your community.

• The future of sport and where we go from here.

Whether you are an athlete, a leader, or simply someone passionate about high performance and the future of sports, this conversation is packed with actionable takeaways.

Grab your headphones and tune in!

What happens when a world‑class engineer walks away from an excellent corporate career to solve a hidden global crisis?

In this episode of Little Podcast Big Conversations, we sit down with Dr Navjot Sawhney (Nav), Founder of The Washing Machine Project. Nav shares the deeply personal journey that took him from the labs of Dyson to the villages of India and beyond - all sparked by a promise he made to a neighbour named Divya.

Together, we explore:

The Spark - the moment Nav realised that hand‑washing clothes is a huge but overlooked barrier to education, health and economic independence for millions of women and girls worldwide.

Humanitarian Engineering - why meaningful innovation isn’t about flashy technology, but about solving real‑world problems with empathy and humility.

The Values - how Nav’s upbringing and core beliefs shaped his mission‑led approach to leadership and business.

Problem vs. Solution - why Nav believes you should fall in love with the problem, not the solution - and how this mindset prevents ego‑driven engineering.

Community‑Centred Design - what it really means to put the end‑user at the heart of design, and why listening is the most powerful tool we have.

The Goal - how The Washing Machine Project is restoring time, dignity and opportunity to families across the globe.

This is a must‑listen for anyone who believes business and engineering can have a soul — and that one person’s commitment can truly ripple across the world.

Think you need a certain pedigree or a "genius" IQ to start something great? You’ve been lied to.

Today on Little Podcast Big Conversations, Amardeep Parmar, Founder of BAE HQ and author of Startups for Outsiders joins us to dismantle the myths that hold so many talented people back from ever starting.

We are decoding the DNA of "Outsider Mastery," exploring the universal behaviours that move the needle whether you are launching a business, leading a project, or navigating a new career path. This isn't just for founders; it’s for anyone who has ever felt like they didn't belong in the room.

In this episode, we discuss:

• The Founder Fantasy: Why the "typical" success profile is a myth and how the reality is built on traits anyone can develop.

• The Outsider Advantage: Amardeep’s personal story and how he navigated unfamiliar, high-stakes worlds by leaning into his unique perspective.

• The Mastery DNA: We dive into the mindset of resourcefulness, overcoming limiting beliefs, and the resilience needed to push past the "you can't" narrative.

• Building Your Ecosystem: The critical importance of networking and how to become the person that others actually want to work with and support.

• Establishing Credibility: Practical advice on building authority from scratch and managing the heavy weight of expectations from others.

• The BAE HQ Mission: How Amardeep is breaking down barriers and building a community for a new generation of leaders.

Stop trying to fit the mold. Start building the one you own.

What happens when you’ve ticked every box of the “success checklist” - and yet something still feels off? When the inner chatter gets louder even as the achievements stack up? If you’ve ever felt that quiet, nagging sense that something is missing, this episode is for you.

In this conversation, we sit down with Hugh Wahla, a former CEO and Managing Director in the global design and fashion world and a man who reached the peak of traditional success, only to discover it didn’t bring the joy he expected.

His journey of reinvention is nothing short of extraordinary: learning to swim at 54, going alcohol‑free, embracing cold water immersion, and diving deep into self‑discovery. Today, Hugh is a Life Purpose Coach, helping high achievers break free from the “success trap” and reconnect with clarity, balance, and genuine joy.

In this episode, Hugh shares his story and  actionable quick wins you can use immediately to break free from the shackles, create space to think, and begin redefining what success means on your own terms. A powerful, grounding conversation that might just shift how you live your life with more purpose and intention.

Please follow and subscribe.

For our final episode of our first season, we speak to James Green, Tennis Mentor and Coach. 

Tennis has been in James’s life for over 20 years and today we talk to James about learning a new skill, why it is important and how to learn at your best. James has been playing tennis since the age of 7 and qualified as an LTA Level 3 coach. His energy is truly infectious and we thoroughly enjoyed speaking to James - we know you will to!

High Performance from a Sports Psychologist, Sam Cumming

Sam is the Head of Mental Health at the English Institute of Sport (EIS). As a Sport and Exercise Psychologist he is passionate about applying the principles of psychology to facilitate performance. Prior to working with the EIS, Sam worked with the GB Rowing Team and British Judo. 

Sam shares some fantastic insight into the world of sports psychology and how we can all take a lesson or two from the pro athletes. In our conversation with Sam, we discuss the key foundations for high performance and how this is linked to our values and our purpose. We break down goals into 3 areas and talk about the role of confidence and how to continue to build it. Sam shares with us some fantastic insight from the world of sport including how not to put too much pressure on yourself, how to collaborate with others to perform at a high level, how to rest smart and recover, and the power of visualisation. We talk about flow and muscle memory, the importance of routines to get into 'the zone', and, how to deal with setbacks and failure especially when the activity you want to perform highly at feels part of your identity.  

There are some great stories to help unlock the world of high performance as well as some lessons that can be taken from the world of sport and applied to your life.

So if you are interested in achieving your full potential or hearing some fantastic tips from how world class athletes do it, then this podcast is for you!

In this episode, we are joined by Rika Nakazawa, a bestselling author, an innovation and digital strategy expert, an investor, a Board Director and an advocate of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion. Rika is an unbelievable force with so much energy and passion! She regularly speaks at conferences and events advancing initiatives in technology and leadership and is writing her second book called The White Swan. 

In our conversation , we discuss sustainability and what this means, specifically, how to live a more sustainable life. It’s clearly an area which has had lots of focus, with a renewed energy towards change as we come out of two years of a pandemic. But do we all really know what sustainability is and how we can all make a difference?

Sustainability is such a wide topic, we don’t cover it all. This episode is going to suit you if you want to learn more about it and what it means to live more sustainably as people and organisations re-define their purpose and impact on the world. We also discuss the concept of the white swan, what this means, why it matters and we go into depth around food aspect of sustainability – a key water waster.

If you are looking to spark action and be more sustainable, but aren’t sure where to start, this episode will help you kick start some actions around your habits and start to make a reduced impacted on planet earth. You will need to reach out and find further information on the topic as we just couldn’t do it justice in one episode. Enjoy!

Carl Pullein is a renowned productivity and time management coach who has helped thousands of people around the world get better at managing their time and become more productive. Carl has written three books on productivity and time management and runs a time and life mastery course. He also has his own podcast with bite size tips and measures we can all take to ensure we use our time wisely!

​In our conversation with Carl, we discuss how we think about time and the link between purpose, values and what we choose to focus on. We go into the nuts and bolts of time mastery and what might stop people from taking action on the things they want to do and be. We also touch on planning, times of the day when this might be best, and tools that can help.

So if you are always struggling to use your time effectively, drowning in communication messages or have a desire to feel more freedom from your ever growing ‘to do list’, this one is for you. We have both already put into action some of the great insight Carl shares, which has enabled us to have more time to do what we really love doing as opposed to ‘admin’. Let us know your key takeaways from the podcast and what you think!

We are delighted to share our insightful conversation with the incredible Andrea Woodside. Our topic this week is centred around mental health, titled  ‘You can’t heal from a burn by staying in the fire’.

Andrea Woodside is a qualified and experienced psychologist, who will sharing her key life lessons having worked with people who have faced immense challenges and trauma. We talk about the things we tell ourselves, how we view life itself and how to maintain our own wellbeing. Andrea began her career in wellbeing thirty years ago, and has worked with a wide range of individuals and large organisations to tackle mental health stigma, create sustainable solutions for safeguarding your wellbeing, and designing programmes which encourage recovery from emotional distress.

Andrea has also provided a wellbeing consultancy service to customers since 2011, and is well positioned to understand the unique needs and challenges of today’s climate. She served as a Trustee of Mind England and Wales for seven years, and regularly appears in the media to discuss ways in which all of us can create environments which support our health and wellbeing. We touch on why you can’t heal from a burn by staying in the fire, putting your health and sleep first and why positive affirmations is key to unlocking your potential and using your time wisely on this earth.

This is a fantastic podcast to listen to with some key takeaways for us all to help us thrive and live more. Please note, if you find any of the content stressful or triggers  emotions, then please seek out appropriate support.

We are into our second month of our Podcast series and to kick us off, we have Dr Poornima Luthra joining us today to talk about how we can all show up and help others thrive in a diverse world. Dr Poornima is an Author, Educator, diversity and inclusion expert, a TEDx speaker, Entrepreneur and a Board Chair. She has released her first book Diversifying Diversity and is about to release her second book this year. She has spoken passionately at a number of events about embracing our differences, being curious so that we can thrive and reach our full potential.

To co create a world where anything is possible for everyone, whatever your background, gender, ethnicity, ability, postcode etc, is to ensure everyone is accepted for who they are, ensure we have an inclusive society AND we are celebrated equally. We know that for some people this might be perceived as a fantasy idea. So in this episode we discuss how we can ALL co-create a world where anything is possible for everyone and how we can ALL unlock our power through asking the right questions and using the power of story-telling. We specifically talk about how we can acknowledge feelings of being an imposter, but also how we can be more aware of how others perhaps different to us might also be feeling and how we can also create an environment of inclusivity for them too. We touch on why it’s important and how it can enrich our lives, why knowledge, attitude and behaviours are crucial and how we can all create psychological safety and human connection. So inspiring!