Ever felt drawn toward something bigger in your life yet unsure how to tune in? 

In this episode of Success Matters, I sit down with Aude Firmin, once a successful corporate leader at giants like Microsoft and Gucci, now an acclaimed spiritual life coach and psychic medium.

Here are 3 game-changing takeaways Aude shares for professionals searching for purpose:

1. We all have intuitive powers.Aude shares how what started as strange, even scary, experiences after a family loss ultimately revealed that intuition and energy are available to everyone. When embraced, these “psychic” abilities can help us tune into our true direction.

2. Redefine success on your terms.Having “made it” in the corporate world, Aude found that true success wasn’t status, titles, or wealth but inner peace, harmony, and being connected to a deeper purpose. Money matters, but meaning matters more.

3. Have the courage to pivot.Aude’s journey from tech director to purpose-driven entrepreneur wasn’t easy. It meant overcoming fears, societal expectations, and scepticism (from others and herself). The result? A life, and business, built on meaning, authenticity, and service.

If you’re feeling stuck, disconnected, or in transition, this episode is for you. Learn why your answers may already be inside—and how aligning with both logic and intuition can lead to a happier, more impactful life.

What would you do if you were falsely imprisoned for 5 years?

In this transformative episode of Success Matters, I’m joined by Jose Angel Pereira who shares his remarkable journey from leading Venezuela’s largest oil company to surviving five years as a political hostage. 

His experience sheds light on the real meaning of clarity and demonstrates that success is more than just professional titles or outward achievements.

Jose’s story is a lesson in resilience. He describes how adversity can transform our perspective, showing that even in the darkest moments, clarity emerges through adaptability, hope, and mental strength. He also reminds us that true success involves balancing ambition with gratitude, nurturing genuine connections, and maintaining a healthy work-life equilibrium.

Faith and purpose run through every part of his recovery. Jose found strength by reconnecting to his beliefs, reinforcing the idea that clarity for professionals is rooted in personal values, adaptability, and an openness to redefine one’s path.

If you’re ready to see success, and yourself, in a new light, this episode will inspire and guide your search for meaningful achievement.

Tune in to discover how you can build resilience, find balance, and create your own definition of success.

Feeling stuck or searching for greater meaning in your work and life? 

This week, I sat down with Dr. Andre Walton, TEDx speaker, inventor, and bestselling author, to explore creativity, decision making, and finding success beyond the conventional path.

Top 3 Insights from Andre:

1. Embrace Divergent ThinkingAndre reminds us that we’re all born creative but as adults, we often limit ourselves through “convergent” (narrow) thinking. Real growth and innovation happen when we reawaken our innate curiosity and allow ourselves to explore alternative possibilities, just like we did as children.

2. Make Decisions ConsciouslyInstead of falling back on safe, automatic choices, Andre challenges us to pause and consider, “What options do I really have?” Whether navigating a career pivot or organizational change, conscious decision-making opens up new paths and prevents us from getting stuck on someone else’s tracks.

3. Redefine SuccessFor Andre, success isn’t ticking off boxes, it's about accumulating a body of rich experiences and knowledge. He shares how early in life, he resolved never to look back with regret. His advice? Don’t wait to make your change. Live a life you’ll be proud to reflect on.

If you’re reevaluating your direction or ready to break free from the “hamster wheel” of life, this conversation is for you.

Catch the full episode and discover practical ways to unlock your own purpose!

Share in the comments how you break out of convergent thinking in your own journey? 

The line between ambition and burnout is a fine one. 

In this episode of the Success Matters podcast, I sit down with Angela Hodgson, a corporate high-flyer who experienced a massive burnout that changed her life.

Angela shares her raw and honest story about working at luxury car manufacturer Bentley, the pressures of her professional life, and the deeply personal challenges that all converged at once. She opens up about the moment she hit rock bottom and how she found her way back, removing the “mask" and leaving the corporate world to create a new definition of success on her own terms.

We talk about:

• The unexpected role of the pandemic in her recovery.

• How she healed from her past through counseling and vulnerability.

• Her transition from corporate life to helping businesses find their "brilliance without burnout."

If you've ever felt the weight of professional and personal life pushing you to the edge, this episode is a must-listen. It's a candid conversation about what happens when you take off the mask and embrace your authentic self.

Connect with Angela on LinkedIn:https://www.linkedin.com/in/angelahodgson

And take your free Power Framework test here:https://igniteimprovement.co.uk/quiz

Why do I even think this way?

We've all had that moment: clinging to a belief or a habit we've had forever, only to stop and wonder, "Why do I even think this way?" 

In this episode of Success Matters, Ryan Ware shares his story of how he is helping an entire industry, construction, grapple with this very question.

Ryan explains that many of us are like his childhood self, holding onto limiting beliefs. 

For Ryan, he believed he hated beets because he only ever saw them from a can. He didn't dislike the vegetable itself; he disliked that version of it. The same is true for the way we approach change.

Ryan shares the messy middle of change: the space where clarity fades and growth happens. It's the space where we challenge assumptions, test new ideas, and sometimes stumble, but always learn.

This episode will challenge you to:

• Question your assumptions: Think about a belief you have that you're no longer sure why you hold.

• See "failure" as feedback: Instead of viewing setbacks as a dead end, learn to see them as a chance to improve and innovate.

• Relish the unknown: Discover how to find growth and opportunity in the parts of life and work that feel messy and unclear.

Tie your laces!We all have shoelace moments, those small, untied knots in our lives that can trip us up. But what if the biggest barrier to your success isn't a lack of knowledge but a refusal to tie the knot and double knot the shoelace? In this episode of Success Matters, I talk with the ever energetic and engaging fitness coach Brian Parana, who works with men aged 40 and up. Brian shares his own journey of shedding old identities, likening it to a chrysalis, to become the leader he is today.Brian reveals how simple, actionable steps and a mindset shift can lead to profound transformations not just in fitness, but in your career, relationships, and overall life. We dive deep into why taking control of your health can empower you to make significant, life-changing decisions.Tune in to learn:Why the "Rocky" mentality of pushing through everything isn't always the best path to success.How to leverage the skills that make you successful at work to transform your health.The power of connection and its link to health and success.How creating good habits in life, akin to tying your shoelaces, help avoid potential faceplants later in life.

From PowerPoint to Turning Point

In this week’s Success Matters episode, I’m joined by  Andie Henrich whose story weaves together a rich mix of cultures: an Italian father who grew up in Vietnam and a mother from Argentina with Spanish and Indigenous South American roots.

After more than 20 years in global roles at IBM and Infosys, Andie stepped away from the corporate fast lane to build her own coaching practice, Authenticity Ignited. Her journey is marked by bold choices, cultural curiosity, and a redefinition of what success can mean.

We covered:

• Why cultural awareness starts with assuming nothing

• The impact of burnout and AI on her decision to leave corporate life

• Redefining success beyond KPIs and promotions

• Her reflections on missing her son’s first steps while chasing career milestones

• Challenging the story around ageing with her idea of “unfolding”

Andie’s story is a powerful reminder that stepping into your own definition of success often means rewriting the rules.

In this episode of Success Matters, I speak with Helene Rennervik, whose life took an unexpected turn in 2004 when her youngest son was diagnosed with Ewing's sarcoma at the tender age of nine. This profound experience challenged everything she knew, eventually leading her to leave a 15-year corporate career in Dubai without a plan.

Helene shares her incredible journey from defining success by "doing" - chasing titles, salaries, and recognition - to embracing a radical new vision of "being". 

She reveals how this shift allowed her to live in alignment with who she truly is, rather than identifying by her job title, or even roles like mother or wife.

In this wide ranging discussion we cover:

• Redefining Success: Learn why success for Helene today is about presence, awareness, and gratitude – finding joy in the "here and now," not just tomorrow's goals.

• The Power of Your Mind: Discover how cultivating mental tools was crucial for Helene during her son's recovery and why she now focuses on helping others harness their mind's potential.

• Uncover Your True Self: Helene advocates for understanding your core strengths and values (like the Gallup StrengthsFinder) to align with your true calling, something she wishes she'd known earlier.

• Mastering Boundaries: Helene shares details of her program, "The Power of No, without guilt," and why letting go of perfectionism and people-pleasing is essential for growth and living your life, not someone else's.

Helene's story is a testament to resilience, self-discovery, and the courage to pivot when life demands it. If you're pondering your next steps and ready to embrace a more authentic, fulfilling life, this episode is a must-listen.

Connect with Helene: You can find Helene Rennervik on LinkedIn linkedin.com/in/helenerennervik or visit her website: helenerennervik.com. She even has a "people pleaser quiz" you can take!

#SuccessMatters #Podcast #CareerChange #LifeTransition #RedefineSuccess #PurposeDriven #SelfDiscovery #Wellbeing #Coaching #PersonalGrowth #Mindfulness #Boundaries #EwingsSarcoma #Inspiration

When work defines who you are, what happens if it's suddenly ripped away?

In this episode of Success Matters, Brad Henderson, after nearly twenty years in commercial real estate, found himself at the crossroads: a dismissal left him stripped of professional identity, disconnected from his digital world, and, for a moment, uncertain of who he was. 

His story is a wake-up call: jobs often become a stand-in for self, and without them, many feel unmoored or invisible. That moment isn't reserved for employees, founders, too can lose themselves when stepping away from their companies.

Brad shares practical takeaways to help you avoid becoming a “nobody” should you lose your professional identity:

Build Success Through Consistency. Real success isn’t the stuff you read about in attention-grabbing headlines. It’s built slowly and consistently. Steady actions matter more than dramatic wins. Brad shares how discipline and routine break through mental and cultural barriers to create lasting results.

See Beyond the Job Title. Rather than chasing fragile work-life balance, Brad urges a portfolio mindset: treat each part of life: work, family, community, as investments that need attention and reflection.

Leverage Skills, Not Titles. Career pivots become possible when you recognise and promote your strengths across industries. Brad recommends listening to new perspectives and bringing fresh ideas as innovation thrives when outsiders challenge norms.

Rethink AI’s Role in Leadership. Brad, now an executive coach, challenges leaders to question their assumptions about AI. He urges them to see AI as an asset, one that can transform teams and drive change, if leaders set the tone.

 Learn more about Brad’s work and his new book at www.consistency-edge.com.

#SuccessMasters #Leadership #CareerDevelopment #Identity #WorkLifeIntegration #AICoaching #TheConsistencyEffect #Podcast #FutureOfWork

My conversation with Tiffany Lauren Potter was a powerful and emotional experience.

When Tiffany was on the brink of her 40s, she found herself at a crossroads. She was a professional singer who had spent years performing for governors and in pro sports stadiums, but stress and a lack of alignment in her life eventually caused her to lose her singing voice. She had a vocal cord condition, but she believes the true cause was years of holding tension and living out of alignment with her true self.

For years, Tiffany felt she had to adhere to a certain role, a vision of what her life and marriage were "supposed to be," shaped by deeply religious community and societal expectations. She lived in a way that repressed her own emotions and aspirations, believing she was being selfish to want more. This left her feeling adrift, as if her life was a ship with "sails blowing meaninglessly in the wind".

This experience made her realise she couldn't continue to live a life that wasn’t authentic to her. The process of reclaiming her voice, both literally and figuratively, was incredibly difficult and led to her losing a lot of people in her life. But it also gave her a newfound sense of resilience and purpose. She now embraces her new identity and is building a new life and business on her own terms.

Tiffany’s story is a profound reminder that we all have the agency to reclaim our voices and build a future we are excited about.