Smashing The Ceiling

Ash Fox is someone with a rare joie de vivre and enthusiasm for life, whose joy is infectious and whose presence makes you feel good. She is also a grafter, and today tells me the story of how she became New York's first and most successful proposal planner and photographer. Ash herself admits she is not a 'wedding gal', but the thrill of fulfilling people's dreams for their proposal has meant she has now witnessed over 1500 couples saying 'Yes'...and there hasn't been a 'no' yet!

But Ash has built her business through sheer hard work, and we discussed in detail what it was like graduating college as an art major immediately after the crash, how taking every opportunity that came her way led her to become first a nightclub dancer, then a photographer, and how her lowest ebb inspired her to start her current business.

Where to find Ash:

Website: https://www.ashfoxphotography.com/

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC3kh66VKRdGgXrATLtj8jFA

Twitter: https://twitter.com/ashfoxstyle

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ashfoxproposals/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AshFoxPhotography/

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Today we’re kicking on with the third episode of our series on career skills for the workplace, which are being slotted around our fabulous guests in 2019. I thought it would be useful to look at a few different areas that might help you at work this year, and explore a little about why they’re important and how you can develop these skills. 

We’ve looked at negotiation and conflict resolution so far and those episodes are still available if you want to go back and download them, but today we are talking about LISTENING.

Listening is one of the most under-rated workplace skills, but also one of the most essential. Everyone wants to feel heard, that their ideas are being considered, and that their input is valuable, but if everyone is talking and nobody is listening then as a team, you’re going nowhere fast. Want to be be a better listener? Listen in for more!

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Jane Green is someone with many a story to tell, from being head-hunted to the Foreign Office aged 18, to spending years on the high seas in the merchant Navy, to becoming one of the UK’s most successful and prominent female astronomers. Jane is a fellow of the Royal Astronomical Society, who worked previously with the late great Sir Patrick Moore, and was invited be the inaugural speaker for the Sir Patrick Moore memorial lecture. She has written a bestselling book, appeared on BBC Two’s Stargazing Live, and recently co-hosted a phenomenally successful theatre show entitled Tour of the Universe, with the presenters of the BBC’s The Sky At Night. Jane’s passion is making astronomy your passion, from getting outside to look at the night sky, to explaining complex scientific theories about the planets, our solar system and the universe. The scale of it all may seem a little overwhelming, but Jane delights in simplifying the mind-blowing concepts of the earth and beyond for everyone’s enjoyment.  “Look up, live it, love it”, she says - listen to our conversation to hear more about her work! 

Where to find Jane:

- Website:  https://www.janegreenastronomy.co.uk 

- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jane-a-green-fras-42692757/     

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

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

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My guest this week, Goli Kalkhoran, was one of those people with what looked like the 'perfect' career path: excellent grades at school and university, a smooth path to law school, a great first job in a corporate law firm and a steady progression to be a public prosecutor. But what happens when your dream job isn't your dream job? And how easy is it to quit a 'successful' professional career to chase your dream of doing something more fulfilling?

Goli talked to Naomi about the pressure of student debt in the US, her career, the difficult decision she made to leave the law, and how she built a new business as an entrepreneur from a standing start. Goli is also the host and producer of Lessons From A Quitter, a podcast that tells the stories of others who have left the corporate world to pursue their dreams. She shares some of the lessons she's learned from that project in this episode - if you want to check out her podcast, the links are below!

Where to find Goli:

- Website: http://www.lessonsfromaquitter.com/    

- Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/lessons-from-a-quitter/id1412305413

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

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

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

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

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Freda Yuan lives for coffee: the aroma, the taste, the experience and the benefits it brings in life. Her job title is 'Head of Coffee' at Origin Coffee Roasters, day-to-day she oversees procurement of coffee - including green coffee - from a variety of countries, and holds responsibility for product development and quality control. This involves tasting a LOT of coffee, and as a result, Freda is also an award-winning coffee taster. In 2017 she placed 3rd in the World Cup Taster Championship, and women the British title in 2018. Wondering how you win a coffee tasting competition? Listen in the hear more....

But coffee has done more for Freda than merely provide her with a very successful career and the opportunity to travel to some of the world's most beautiful places. It has also helped her recover and rehabilitate herself from a dark place of depression, anxiety and disordered eating. She tells this story as well today, and offers hope to others through her recovery.

Where to find Freda:

- Website: https://www.fredayuan.com  

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

- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/freda-yuan-b2393a48/     

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

For more information and support on eating disorders and depression, try these websites, or consider talking to your doctor:

Beat - https://www.beateatingdisorders.org.uk

NHS - https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/eating-disorders/ 

Mind - https://www.mind.org.uk

Sane - http://www.sane.org.uk  

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For most of us, our experience of FBI agents comes only through box sets and movies, and we have no idea what life is really like on the inside of one of the world's most famous government agencies.

One person who does is Jerri Williams, who served for 26 years as a special agent in the in the FBI. During most of her Bureau career Jerri worked on major economic fraud investigations, but also worked robbery and drugs cases during her career. At the time she joined the FBI, there were few women at the organisation, and even fewer women of colour. We discuss the ups and downs of a career in the investigative services, her second career as an author and podcaster, and the clichés and misconceptions about the FBI propagated in film and television!

Where to find Jerri:

- Website: https://jerriwilliams.com   

- Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/fbi-retired-case-file-review/id1082012464?mt=2 

- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jerriwilliams1/ 

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

- Twitter: https://twitter.com/JerriWilliams1 

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

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This week's episode is about taking on adventures in life, whether personal or professional, & how to achieve your goals. It doesn't really matter what your 'Thing' is, but if there's a goal you want to achieve or a challenge you want to complete in 2019, then this is the podcast for you. Naomi discusses the 5 D's of achieving your 'Thing' following her recent completion of a big personal challenge, incorporating advice from others who've achieved their goals and hints & tips to help you on your journey. 

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Imagine trying to live your life with the person you dislike the most standing at your shoulder the whole time. Imagine the cruellest things they ever said to you, the way it made you feel, and how the stress associated with that impacted your happiness, your productivity and your life. What if you could never shake that voice off, or escape from the clutches of their control?

Sarah Swan is a senior clinical psychologist that specialises in helping people suffering from psychosis and related mental health disorders. Her patients are often terrified, misunderstood and ostracised by those with little compassion or understanding about the symptoms involved and before talking to her, I would freely admit that this was an area I knew little about. Sarah’s research has previously focused on schizophrenia, the links between post-traumatic stress and psychosis  and the impact of chronic use of cannabis on mental health. 

Sarah also works to try and improve diversity within psychology - as a mixed race woman herself she is keen to encourage others to enter the field, and visits schools to promote psychology as a career. What a woman!

Useful links:

British Psychological Society - If you're interested in a career in psychology then check out their website here: https://www.bps.org.uk/public/become-psychologist 

National Careers Service - Loads of useful information here: https://nationalcareers.service.gov.uk/job-profiles/clinical-psychologist  

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Today we’re into the second episode of our new series on career skills to help you in the workplace. These podcasts are here to help you progress your career, and will be periodically slotted in between our fantastic guests over the next few months.

This series was inspired by discussions with a friend about pay, hence the first episode was on negotiation. Today's podcast follows a conversation with another friend who has had a tricky time at work with a colleague of late: this month we are discussing CONFLICT RESOLUTION.

Conflict is inevitable in every workplace, but it's how you deal with it that marks you out both as a leader or a team member. I'll be talking about strategies to manage conflict within a team that you manage, and what to do if you find yourself in a conflict situation. I mention Mike Myatt in this episode and his writings on conflict can be found here: https://www.forbes.com/sites/mikemyatt/2012/02/22/5-keys-to-dealing-with-workplace-conflict/#7f18bfcc1e95 

Other useful resources can be found here:

https://money.usnews.com/money/blogs/outside-voices-careers/articles/how-to-handle-conflict-in-the-workplace 

https://hr.berkeley.edu/hr-network/central-guide-managing-hr/managing-hr/interaction/conflict/resolving 

 Good luck!

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Kate Healy has, she says, always been interested in money: how people use it, why some people squander it, why others are obsessed with it and how some use a little to produce a lot. Money still carries a stigma, a taboo around it that she would love to help break down, and to encourage more women to take responsibility for their finances, to understand money and what they can do with it, and to promote a career in finance as being a worthwhile and interesting one.

 Kate's day job is as the Managing Director, Generation Next, focused on advocacy for sustainability issues facing the RIA industry. Healy leads TD Ameritrade Institutional’s NextGen and Women's Leadership Initiatives, which support the future of the profession through programs designed to raise visibility, provide support and resources to guide professional development of the next generation of advisors. She is a member of the company’s Diversity & Inclusion committee. In 2016, Investment Advisor magazine named Healy as one of the industry’s 25 most influential people. She is passionate about diversity, and also recognises the need to recruit millennials into the sector. If you've never thought about a career in the financial services industry, this is a good introduction - there are many upsides that aren't often talked about! 

Where to find Kate:

- Website: https://www.tdainstitutional.com/why-ria/people.html 

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

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

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