Debby Penton is the CEO of Wildfire, a B2B PR consultancy recognised for its outstanding workplace culture and employee ownership.

In today's chat with Henry and Maureen, Debby shares insights on building a happy, inclusive, and high-performing team through autonomy, flexible work, and clear values.

Our discussion covers Wildfire’s creative campaigns, B-corp certification, apprenticeship programs, and commitment to employee well-being.

You'll hear personal stories and practical advice revealing how investing in people and a sense of purpose can drive business success.

Debby's tips for a happy workplace:

• Make sure people have some sense of control over their destiny
• Invest in people: training and development
• Help people feel they are a part of something (and leave for home on time!)

Links and resources mentioned in this episode:

• Public Relations and Communications Association
• Happy Workplace

Today, Elaine Lin Hering, bestselling author and expert on speak-up cultures, joins Henry and Maureen for an insightful conversation on creating a happier workplace.

Elaine reveals insights from her global work on “unlearning silence” in workplaces, explaining how silence is often learned from childhood and reinforced by leadership and cultural norms.

Elaine also shares practical strategies for fostering genuine speak-up cultures and the importance of recognising systemic silencing, with actionable steps leaders can take to create more inclusive, human-centered, and joyful work environments.

In this conversation, you'll hear new ways, ideas, and opportunities to develop your leadership skills and approach.

Elaine's tips for a happy workplace:

• Acknowledge that people are human and let them be human
• Make the full range of emotions acceptable in the workplace
• Work is not everything - we all have lives outside of work
• Honour the gifts and skills in the workplace - there needs to be trust

Links and resources mentioned in this episode:

• Happy Workplace

NK Chaudhary (NKC) shares his journey from humble beginnings to building a global social enterprise that empowers over 40,000 artisans, many from marginalised communities.

Chatting with Henry and Maureen, NKC shares his commitment to dignity, inclusion, and love in business. He talks about his efforts to break caste barriers and his focus on self-management, mindfulness, and introspection.

We reflect on NKC’s inspiring leadership and the transformative impact of Jaipur Rugs, celebrating the creativity and empowerment of women artisans, as well as the deeper meaning woven into every rug.

NKC's tips for a happy workplace:

• We must love what we do
• Find harmony with self, those we work with, and our surroundings
• Be more mindful and present

Links and resources mentioned in this episode:

• Happy Workplace

Dr. Srikumar Rao, TEDx speaker and creator of the pioneering course, Creativity and Personal Mastery, joins our hosts, Henry and Maureen, and shares how our internal mental chatter shapes our reality and can cause unnecessary suffering.

Drawing on the Buddha’s "parable of the second arrow" and other stories, Dr. Rao offers practical advice on observing thoughts, reframing challenges, and cultivating happiness in life and at the workplace.

You'll hear personal anecdotes, Srikumar's reflections on joy, and tips for feeding positivity in ourselves and others.

Srikumar's tips for a happy workplace:

• Observe your mental chatter
• Stop experiencing the tragedies that have never happened
• What can I do to help this person have a better experience of life

Links and resources mentioned in this episode:

• The Rao Institute
• Happy Workplace

In this episode, Pim de Morree from Corporate Rebels, shares his journey, from corporate frustration to pioneering self-managed workplaces worldwide.

Pim discusses with your hosts, Henry and Maureen, how he and his co-founder left traditional jobs to research and promote organisations with employee-focused, hierarchy-free cultures.

Pim explains Corporate Rebels’ evolution from blogging to investing in companies, radically transforming them through transparency, autonomy, and profit-sharing.

Today's conversation highlights the challenges and successes of these transformations, offering practical tips for happier workplaces while revealing the growing global movement toward more meaningful, people-centered work.

Pim's tips for a happy workplace:

• Kill middle management positions (distribute their roles)
• Sit down with the team and ask, "How can we free you up?"
• Ask individuals about their dreams, hopes, and fears

Links and resources mentioned in this episode:

• Corporate Rebels
• Drive, book by Daniel Pink
• Happy Workplace

Samantha Green is the leader of a UK charity working on animal welfare in Sri Lanka.

In today's conversation, Samantha shares how the Level Seven Senior Leaders programme helped her shift from top-down leadership to empowering self-managed teams.

Samantha discusses her experience with cross-training staff, adopting 'Toyota-inspired' continuous improvement, and fostering a workplace of trust and transparency.

Samantha also emphasises the importance of local leadership and provides practical advice for fostering a happy and inclusive workplace.

You'll hear about the transformative impact of innovative leadership and investing in team development.

Samantha Green's tips for a happy workplace:

• Visualise everything - whiteboards and on the walls
• Trust people - give them control; not instructions
• Involve people in decisions that affect them

Sophie Bryan works at the deepest level of workplace culture: where energy, trust, & curiosity shape everything.

In today's episode, Maureen and Henry are joined by Sophie to explore how Montessori principles such as freedom, curiosity, and play can transform workplace culture.

Sophie shares stories from her HR career, advocating for employee autonomy, transparency, and coaching over traditional management.

Sophie also discusses the positive role of sexual energy in creativity, the importance of belonging and authenticity in the workplace, and how recognising individual contributions can boost engagement.

Her journey with dance underscores her value of joy outside work, rounding out a conversation on building happier and more innovative organisations.

Sophie's tips for a happy workplace:

• Transparency across the board. "Tell the goddamn truth!"
• Be respectful of belonging and authenticity
• Be aware of the impact and contribution you make as an organisation

Links and resources mentioned in this episode:

• TED Talk by Sophie Bryan
• Thinking, Fast and Slow, book by Daniel Kahneman
• Happy Workplace Conference

In this episode of the Happy Manifesto podcast, hosts Maureen and Henry converse with Vanessa King from Action for Happiness.

Vanessa is an expert in positive psychology and the author of The Ten Keys to Happier Living.

In this episode, Vanessa discusses the active pursuit of happiness, distinguishing between short-term pleasure and long-term fulfilment. Vanessa shares the importance of making connections, gratitude, and psychological safety in the workplace. We also discuss practical strategies for enhancing well-being, such as fostering positive mental habits and creating supportive work environments.

Vanessa's insights offer actionable steps toward cultivating happiness in both personal and professional spheres.

Vanessa's tips for a happy workplace:

• Realise there is a business case for happiness
• Invest in connecting with people in person and building relationships offline
• Find individual focus time
• Invest in training, processes, and culture

Links and resources mentioned in this episode:

Vanessa's Book The Ten Keys to Happier Living

Can organisations gain a strategic advantage by investing in their employees?

Stephan Meier, a Columbia Business School professor, and author of The Employee Advantage, shares, in this episode, the relationship between employee motivation, organisational culture, and profitability.

Stephan reveals that organisations prioritising employee well-being, ones that align with their core values, foster ethical behaviour and a positive work environment that benefits all with profitability and increased job satisfaction.

Hear Stephan share examples from companies like ING and Zappos, highlighting the benefits of an employee-centric approach. You'll also hear outlines for four key motivators: purpose, autonomy, competence, and relatedness, that drive employee engagement and satisfaction.

Stephan's tips for a happy workplace:

• Listen to employees and engage with them
• Trust what comes your way
• Be very intentional

Links and resources mentioned in this episode:

Stephan's Lego brick-by-brick videos

And here is Stephan's story of why he does them on YouTube

Kelly McGovern is the Chief Nurse at the West Hertfordshire Foundation Trust

In this episode, Kelly shares how she has fostered a transformative culture of trust and empowerment in a healthcare environment.

Kelly shares her leadership journey, highlighting the importance of empowering staff to drive change and celebrate small wins.

She recounts how her hands-on approach and role modeling have led to significant improvements in patient care, such as reduced waiting times and better discharge rates.

The conversation reveals the positive impact of a supportive work environment and the importance of breaking outdated rules toward fostering innovation and collaboration in healthcare.