The Alternative Leader Podcast

Leadership, authority and career transitions often require challenging assumptions and stepping into new environments.

With a background in aeronautics, avionics and optoelectronics, Michelle Child has spent her career questioning stereotypes and pushing boundaries. After 20 years in the Royal Air Force as an Engineer Officer, followed by time in the Defence Electronics Industry, she moved into education, leading a team of 200 through the delivery of hundreds of thousands of qualifications during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Despite once being told she was “too small to command respect or authority”, Michelle’s experience reflects what leadership looks like in practice across different industries and levels of responsibility.

She has since moved into the medical devices sector as an Operations Director, continuing to work in high-responsibility environments. Outside of work, she enjoys cooking, crafting, writing about leadership and management, and spending time with her dogs Rocky, Lily and Daisy.

You can find Michelle here:
 LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/michelle-child-1965074/

Find out more about Mari: www.mari-williams.com

Connect with Mari: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mariwilliams/

Emotional intelligence and leadership development are starting earlier, shaping how the next generation understands themselves and others.

Corey Gaidzionis is the founder of Big Emotions Academy, focused on helping young people develop emotional intelligence through simple, practical tools.

With a background as a personal trainer and coach, Corey recognised the gap in how personal development is taught to younger audiences, often delivered from an adult perspective rather than in a way that truly connects.

He shares his mission to equip the next generation with what he calls “emotional superpowers”, and the thinking behind his book The Little Book of Big Emotions.

This is a conversation about emotional intelligence, leadership and creating change from an early age.

You can find Corey here:
 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BigEmotionsAcademy

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/corey-gaidzionis/

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

Find out more about Mari: www.mari-williams.com

Connect with Mari: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mariwilliams/

Leadership, decision-making and human connection are tested at the highest level in military environments.

John Spencer is an urban warfare expert, military leader, author and professor, with 25 years of service in the US military. He now advises major organisations including the United States Army, DARPA and the United Nations on modern warfare and strategy.

In this conversation, John reflects on his time in the military, what leadership looks like in high-stakes environments, and what he has learned from decades of experience. He also shares what he would do differently, offering a rare insight into leadership under pressure.

Alongside this, he speaks about the personal side of military life, from navigating deployments within his family to staying connected to what matters most, with moments of honesty and humour throughout.

You can find John here:
 Twitter: https://twitter.com/SpencerGuard

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

Website: https://www.johnspenceronline.com/

Book: https://www.howgatepublishing.com/product-page

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/johnwspencer2018/

Find out more about Mari: www.mari-williams.com

Connect with Mari: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mariwilliams/

Anxiety, depression and mental health can shape how people build businesses, make decisions and lead their lives. 

Content warning: Please note this episode discusses suicide  

Joel Stone is the founder of marketing agency Codebreak, co-founder of Andy & Joel’s Growth Academy, author of the Amazon bestseller Stay Hungry, and host of the Stay Hungry podcast.

Raised in rural Shropshire, Joel’s early life was shaped by his father’s severe bipolar disorder. He went on to achieve a first-class degree in Graphic Design, graduating into the 2008 recession before taking an unexpected path into accountancy.

In this conversation, Joel speaks openly about his childhood, his own experiences with anxiety and clinical depression, and how these have influenced both his personal life and his approach to business.

This is a candid discussion about mental health, resilience and building something meaningful alongside it.

You can find Joel here:
 Done-for-you marketing: www.codebreak.co.uk

Marketing coaching: www.andyandjoel.com

Podcast: www.codebreak.co.uk/podcast-channels/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/joelstone13

TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@joelstoneofficial

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/joelstone1/

Find out more about Mari: www.mari-williams.com

Connect with Mari: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mariwilliams/

Chronic pain, physical performance and long-term health are often more connected than people realise, particularly for leaders and professionals under pressure.

Brendan Turner is a Personal Trainer and Human Biomechanics Specialist who works with business owners and executives experiencing pain, helping them move towards being pain-free and performing at a higher level.

He shares his own journey of losing 10 stone (64kg) and recovering from Chronic Pelvic Pain Syndrome, a condition often described as incurable, and how this shaped the work he does today.

Brendan now runs workshops and long-term coaching programmes focused on resolving pain, improving movement and restoring physical performance.

You can find Brendan here:
 YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCiqR311F7yEwGW5EtiiNGHQ

Find out more about Mari: www.mari-williams.com

Connect with Mari: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mariwilliams/

Leadership and identity are often shaped through life experiences, loss and the environments we move through.

Emma shares her journey from working in post-conflict cultural conservation in the Balkans, where the work extended far beyond preservation, into something deeply human and complex.

She later travelled across the region, an experience that became her book Driving Tito, reflecting on place, history and perspective.

Her life has also been shaped by early and significant experiences, including a collapsed lung at age six and the loss of her father at twenty, both of which influenced how she approaches life and leadership.

Through these experiences, Emma reflects on how she came to understand herself as a leader and the kind of leadership she brings into the world.

You can find Emma here:
 Website: https://www.travellingthrough.co.uk/

Book: https://books2read.com/u/bw2kBO

Podcast: https://www.travellingthrough.co.uk/podcast-1

Instagram: @travelling_through
Facebook: Travelling-Through
Twitter: @Trvllng_Thrgh

Find out more about Mari: www.mari-williams.com

Connect with Mari: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mariwilliams/

PTSD, trauma and mental health can have a lasting impact on those working in high-pressure roles such as policing.

Gareth joined the police at a young age, with his life shaped by years in the force, including two near-death experiences that led to PTSD.

He reflects on the reality of that work, the impact it had on his mental health and how he has navigated recovery, identity and life beyond the role.

Now a full-time dad and, as he puts it, a ‘part-time grass cutter’, Gareth speaks about the role of family in his recovery and the importance of support, something he calls ‘Team Squance’.

This is a personal conversation about trauma, resilience and rebuilding life after intense experiences.

You can find Gareth here:
 YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/Irishpixel/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/irishpixel

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

Find out more about Mari: www.mari-williams.com

Connect with Mari: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mariwilliams/

In this episode I am joined by Clare McDonald to share her story. It's a story rooted in her childhood from when her parents separated to her father dying when she was just 12. It's a story of loss and grief but also immense strength and resilience. Taking Clare from a life where she believed she was living small to one where she's acting on stage right out of in front of an audience. She went from feeling unloveable to and not good enough to feeling so good that she puts herself forward for the opportunities that life is bringing her. It's a story that you and I can all resonate with, it's that story of those times when we feel too afraid to be vulnerable or to take risks. Clare talks very candidly and beautifully about her story, her challenges, and how she changed her life and moved forward to be the version of herself that she wants to be now. 

You can find Clare on: 
LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/clare-mcdonald-280b8718/
Email: [email protected]

LinkedIn, community building and authentic connections are becoming central to how individuals and businesses grow.

Anna McAfee is a LinkedIn trainer, community strategist and author, known for creating the #LinkedInLocal movement, which brought online connections into real-world meetups across more than 1,000 cities in 96 countries.

She shares her perspective on building meaningful connections, growing communities at scale and how businesses can create more human, engaged networks in an increasingly digital world.

With a background in social media and recruitment, Anna brings a practical understanding of how relationships drive opportunity, both online and offline.

You can find Anna here:
 Website: https://annamcafee.com.au/

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

Twitter: https://twitter.com/annamcafee

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

Find out more about Mari: www.mari-williams.com

Connect with Mari: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mariwilliams/

Remote working, burnout and leadership are often more complex than they first appear.

In 2010, Nola applied for a leadership programme but was refused because she needed additional support around learning and childcare, with long commutes meaning she rarely saw her children.

She moved roles to enable hybrid working, only to then face further challenges, including injury and later serious illness, after experiencing burnout from working excessive hours.

This led her to question what leadership really means, particularly when you are not formally leading a team, and how different ways of working affect both performance and wellbeing.

Nola has since founded her own company, advising organisations on remote and hybrid working, helping them find what works for both the business and the individual. Having experienced all sides of remote work over the past decade, she brings a grounded and practical perspective.

She also hosts the Janus Oasis podcast, exploring how past experience can inform the future.

You can find Nola here:
 Website: www.nolasimon.com

LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/nolasimon

Twitter: www.twitter.com/nolasimontjo

Instagram: www.instagram.com/nolasimontjo

Find out more about Mari: www.mari-williams.com

Connect with Mari: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mariwilliams/