Smashing The Ceiling

Today is our 50th episode! I am also SO pleased that for this milestone I’m joined by a woman that I am honoured to call a friend, someone that I’ve known for a very long time and whose career has taken a number of twists and turns, with huge success along the way. Emma Mosey grew up in Cheshire and considered herself a country girl, although as she herself would tell you, that might be slightly open to debate. After studying English at the University of Edinburgh and a Masters in creative writing at Royal Holloway in London, her first novel, How To Be A Good Wife, was published in 2013 to significant critical acclaim, including from Dame Hilary Mantel who regarded it as “an accomplished debut from a writer who shows insight and emotional power”.

But since the publication of her second novel, The Last Photograph, in 2016, Emma's career has taken a very distinct swerve. Having never been a what she refers to as a ‘real’ farm before meeting her in-laws, and unused to the vagaries of a life in the agricultural sector, Em has now - for the time being at least - put down her pen and donned her wellies. She is now the co-owner of a free range poultry farm, where her 6,000 hens lay eggs to be sold in the farm shop, Minskip, she runs with Ben, and will soon be cooked into dishes in the first egg-centred restaurant on an egg-producing farm. It's been quite the fortnight for her too - last week she and her team won three awards, including Best Rural Retail Business and Best Farm Shop, and this week she spoke at the Women in Farming Conference on her transition to farming life. 

Where to find Emma:

Website - https://minskipfarmshop.com

Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/minskipfarmshop/ 

Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/minskipfarmshop/ 

Emma writes under her maiden name, Emma Chapman, and you can find her work here: http://emmajchapman.com 

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Twitter: https://twitter.com/smashingceiling

Facebook: www.facebook.com/smashingtheceiling 

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/naomi-mellor-171550150/ 

Imagine if your Instagram bio read, "First of her name, smasher of the patriarchy, mother of sons, leader of committees, warrior for social justice, dweller by the water, knitter of hats, Master of Religious Studies". WHAT AN INTRO! 

Today we're talking to Kelly Pollock, she of the amazing bio, and we'll be discussing her work in politics, what made her take action and get involved (spoiler: It was Trump) and plenty about the upcoming American presidential election.

Kelly is the Associate Dean of Students at the University of Chicago in the Division of Social Sciences, but on top of that, is a Democratic Party activist and host of Two Broads Talking Politics, a massively influential podcast which aims to discuss the current state of US politics, champion women in all aspects of politics and shine a light on what others can do to help. Kelly started out by knitting pussy hats for the Women's March, and she's now got nearly 30,000 Twitter followers, so she knows a thing or two about growing a following. We also talked about anxiety, pressure, fashion in politics and loads more - she's a fascinating woman!

Where to find Kelly:

Website - https://twobroadstalkingpolitics.com  

Twitter - https://twitter.com/TwoBroadsTalk 

Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/TwoBroadsTalk/ 

YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCqRBBEsItifWwqRiesz7cSg 

LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/company/two-broads-talking-politics/ 

Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/twobroadstalkingpolitics/ 

David Fleischer's TED Talk on Deep Canvassing - https://www.ted.com/talks/david_fleischer_how_to_fight_prejudice_through_policy_conversations 

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Facebook: www.facebook.com/smashingtheceiling 

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/naomi-mellor-171550150/ 

We're back on career skills this week, and today we are talking about NETWORKING. 

Love it or loathe it, building your network is key to building your career. For most of us, the word networking brings to mind excruciating post-work events with people you don’t know standing around in ones and twos looking awkward. But fear not! This episode will have plenty of tips and advice to help you feel more confident in approaching others that can help you, and how to build strong rapport with those you meet. 

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The sound of a child's laughter, the waves crashing on the shore, the birds in the trees in the morning - there are so many sounds in our every day lives that we take completely for granted.  We go to the dentist to have our teeth checked, and to the optician to have our eyes looked at, but when was the last time you thought about your ears? I'd hazard a guess you've never even thought about your hearing, as it's just...there. But what would it be like if you suddenly lost your hearing?

Dr. Lilach Saperstein is an audiologist, whose role involves diagnosing and assisting those with hearing loss, whether that's babies in the ICU, older people, trauma patients or children in schools - the role of an audiologist is SO varied. We discussed Lilach's career so far, the future of technology in treating hearing loss, the role of empathetic communication in medicine and much more besides. 

Where to find Lilach:

Website - https://allaboutaudiology.com  

Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/allaboutaudiologypodcast/ 

LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/lilach-saperstein-774047bb/  

Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/lilachsapersteinaud/ 

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LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/naomi-mellor-171550150/ 

Gloria Mitchell is an audacious woman. From bluntly telling the owner of a night school that she was homeless and needed help, to going on her first business trip in a limousine whilst living in her own car, Gloria’s story is one of twists and turns on her route to success. 

Adopted as a little girl by an abusive and manipulative woman, Gloria eventually escaped, and after surviving homelessness twice, completed an MBA from Stanford, one of the most prestigious programmes in the world. Now, as a performance and crisis coach for entrepreneurs and public figures, she helps others to deal with the pressures and strains of life at the very top.   

Where to find Gloria:

Website - https://gloriamitchell.com 

Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/gloria.mitchell

Twitter - https://twitter.com/gloriamitchell

LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/gloriamitchell/ 

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LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/naomi-mellor-171550150/ 

Josephine Anselin has a true spirit of adventure. After a childhood spent in multiple countries, her adult life has taken her from her home in Luxembourg to the oil rigs of the North Sea, the wilds of New Zealand and the islands of Indonesia.

I chatted to her about her career as an engineer in oil and gas, quitting to follow her passion for adventure, completing an MBA in Spain from her home in Jakarta, and how she has now launched her new strategy consulting business, the Outventure Hub, to help others in the adventure world to succeed in pursuing their dreams. 

Where to find Josephine:

Website - https://outventurehub.com 

Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/josephineanselin/ 

Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/outventurehub/

Twitter - https://twitter.com/outventurehub 

LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/josephine-anselin/ 

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We are BACK for Season 2!

Welcome to a new series of Smashing The Ceiling, where today we are looking forwards by looking back, and kicking off the season with an episode on self-reflection. 

It's easy to scoff at the idea of sitting down and pondering your life, your mistakes and your epic successes, but increasing evidence shows that those that reflect on their performance at work are more likely to go further. Do you want success and happiness in your working life? Of course you do. So have a listen and let me know what you think.

I mention in this episode about using the 'Wheel of Life' as part of self-reflection and you can find more info on this here

The eagle-eared amongst you may have noticed that the podcast has been on a little summer holiday...but put it in your diaries, we will be back on Sunday 1st September! #podcast #shepodcasts #summerholiday #weareback #backinthegame

Jen Kneale has an affinity with the sea that stems from a lifetime spent on the ocean. It’s no exaggeration to say that a love of the sea runs in her veins: like her father and grandfather before her she is now a coxswain - or captain - of the lifeboat on the Isle of Man. Jen was the first female coxswain in the island - the original home of the Royal National Lifeboat Institution - and only the 4th nationwide. 

Jen is also a successful businesswoman, having set up her own sailing school at the age of 25, a coach and an international sailor, representing Great Britain in the Laser class. She runs an annual This Girl Can sailing weekend aimed at getting women and girls to try sailing, and is passionate about continuing to increase opportunities across the lifeboats and beyond. 

In 2017, on her second crossing of the Atlantic Ocean, Jen taught herself celestial navigation, the art and science of navigating via the sun, the moon and the stars, as they did in the days of Captain Cook and Christopher Columbus. She is certainly a woman of many talents…

Where to find Jen and the RNLI:

Jen's website - http://www.7thwave-iom.com/activities-courses/ 

Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/7thwaveiom/ 

RNLI website - https://rnli.org 

RNLI Twitter - https://twitter.com/RNLI  

RNLI YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/user/officialrnli 

RNLI Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/rnli/ 

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LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/naomi-mellor-171550150/ 

My guest today is Madeleine Black, a true survivor, whose story offers hope to those who have also suffered at the hands of others. We are not, she says, defined by what knocks us down - we are instead defined by how we get back up.

After being gang-raped at the age of 13, and raped on three further occasions before her 18th birthday, she has gone on to become a successful psychotherapist, writer, speaker, wife and mother. Her powerful memoir, Unbroken, tells of her recovery from adversity, her desire to choose forgiveness and actively seek redemption. Her desire to understand why the young men who raped her had chosen that path, what affected their lives and their decisions has led her to be part of the Forgiveness Project, a unique worldwide project that collates the powerful stories of those whose lives have been affected by violence, terrorism and trauma, but who have learned how to forgive in order to move on in their own lives.

Since giving her first public talk in 2015, Madeleine has appeared on Radio 4 with Trevor MacDonald, BBC Radio 5 and BBC Radio Scotland. She appeared in Dispatches on Channel 4 and most recently, has been selected to do a TEDx talk in Glasgow later this year. You can buy Madeleine's book here!

Where to find Madeleine:

Website - https://madeleineblack.co.uk

Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/MadeleineBlackUnbroken/

Twitter - https://twitter.com/madblack65 

Linkedin - https://www.linkedin.com/in/madeleine-black-33799910a/

Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/madblack65/

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LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/naomi-mellor-171550150/