Dr. Alice Bunn works in space. Actual space. So when she talks about high-stakes collaboration, she means it. This conversation goes deep on leadership, trust, the courage to be wrong out loud — and why surrounding yourself with the right energy matters more than most of us admit.

Alice's full bio is below. 

Hope you love it 

Richard 🦋 

And if you'd like to book a free 30 minute discovery call with me to talk about some coaching can help get your Mojo back - just drop me an email. 

[email protected] 

The Mojo Podcast Hosted by leadership coach Richard Stokes from Ibiza @mojorichard on Instagram 

[email protected] www.mojo-leadership.com (http://www.mojo-leadership.com) 

Dr Alice Bunn is a globally recognised leader in science and engineering, with a distinguished career spanning strategic leadership, international diplomacy, and public engagement. Awarded an OBE in the Queen’s Honours List in 2022 for her services to the UK space sector, Alice is President of the UKspace Trade Association and has a 25- year career in the space sector where she has held leadership positions in national, European and global contexts. Alice sits on the Advisory Board of Strategy International and acts as strategic advisor to a number of companies spanning the UK and international space sectors. As former Chief Executive of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers, she led a global organisation of over 115,000 members, where she successfully reversed a 15-year financial decline and implemented a transformative strategy focused on societal impact. Previously, Alice served as International Director at the UK Space Agency, where she secured record investments in the European Space Agency and pioneered new approaches to civil space security and infrastructure. Alice is a passionate advocate for science communication and is a chartered engineer. Alice is regularly called upon as a media expert contributor to all things space and engineering, appearing on BBC, Radio 4, ITN, Sky News and in demand as a speaker at international summits and conferences such as Davos, UN Summits, TEDx and more. Alice has a PhD in Metallurgy from Darwin College, University of Cambridge, and is also a Fellow of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers and the Royal Aeronautical Society. As an avid wild swimmer, she proudly sits as the Chair of the Board at SwimTayka, a drowning prevention charity that teaches kids in developing countries to swim.

Oli Johnson is a 3x founder, exited entrepreneur, and the creator of PrescribeLife.AI, an AI-driven health tech solution helping leadership and performance coaches to help their clients stay healthy and high performing.

With two decades of experience in technology within investment banking in London before launching and scaling multiple ventures, Oli brings his own perspective on the high-pressure world of leadership, success, and sustainable performance. Having personally dealt with the intense demands of both corporate and startup life - culminating in his own experience of burnout - he has made it his mission to solve a problem he once faced: how do you stay at the top of your game without sacrificing your health?

This led to the creation of PrescribeLife.AI, a science-backed platform that uses biomarker data, facial scanning, and DNA resilience testing to detect burnout early and deliver personalised, actionable solutions.

Now living in Ibiza, Oli balances running his latest venture with a slower, more intentional lifestyle - proof that high performance doesn’t have to come at the expense of wellbeing. Together with his co-founder, a UK consultant psychiatrist, he’s on a mission to help other founders and executives thrive, not just survive.

Topics we explore:

- Burnout and recovery Oli shares his own founder story, how burnout hit him hard, and what recovery looked like.

- The challenges of startup life and leadership we look at the emotional and mental load founders carry, and how the current startup culture can be unsustainable.

- How AI is reshaping the health tech landscape How Oli's new business is using the latest AI supported digital health technology to build resilience and predict and prevent burnout in real time.

Remember to subscribe to be notified about new episodes. And please do rate & review this episode on Apple Podcasts.

Hope you love it

Richard 🦋

And if you'd like to book a free 30 minute discovery call with me to talk about some coaching can help get your Mojo back - just drop me an email.

The Mojo Podcast

Hosted by leadership coach Richard Stokes from Ibiza

@mojorichard on Instagram

www.mojo-leadership.com

"There is no White Knight coming to save you."

My former boss Lindsay Pattison said this to me recently, and it landed hard.

Lindsay was global CEO of Maxus, part of Mark Read's core WPP team, running a global agency network at what she calls "200 miles an hour."

At that speed, you don't have time to question whether you're going in the right direction. You just go.

Until the day she realized: this pace was making decisions for her. So she did something radical. She chose to pause. Not because she had to. Because she wanted agency over what came next.

The conversation we had about this decision is one of the most honest I've recorded. It's about:

* What it really means to have agency when you're at the top (it's not what you think) * The responsibility that comes with leadership that nobody talks about

* How to make massive life decisions without certainty

* What happens when you stop running and start choosing

This is exactly why I'm launching the new series Mojo Under Fire - conversations about the crucible moments that forge great leaders

Remember to subscribe to be notified about new episodes. And please do rate & review this episode on Apple Podcasts.

Hope you love it

Richard 🦋

And if you'd like to book a free 30 minute discovery call with me to talk about some coaching can help get your Mojo back - just drop me an email.

The Mojo Podcast

Hosted by leadership coach Richard Stokes from Ibiza

@mojorichard on Instagram

www.mojo-leadership.com

Chapters 

00:00 Introduction and Initial Reflections on Mojo 

03:01 Understanding Mojo: Authenticity and Magnetism 

05:57 Navigating Change: The Power Pause 

08:42 Leadership Evolution: From Solving to Listening 

11:41 Agency and Accountability in Leadership 

14:48 Crucible Moments: Testing Belief and Confidence 

21:42 Gender Dynamics in Leadership: The Double Bind 

23:35 Navigating Ambition and Confidence 

26:02 The Importance of Supporters and Allies 

26:48 Empowering Women Through Programs 

30:27 Building a Network of Allies 3

2:23 Reframing Self-Doubt into Confidence 

34:01 Handling Pressure in High-Stakes Meetings 

38:51 Building Trust Through Crisis Management 

43:22 Embracing AI as a Transformational Tool

Lindsay is a seasoned marketing and media executive with extensive leadership experience across global organizations. Most recently serving as Chief People Officer at WPP she oversaw people strategy for 110,000 employees worldwide, led AI-powered workforce planning initiatives, and managed executive talent acquisition across all c-suite roles.

Previous roles include WPP’s Chief Client Officer, managing 50 Global Client Leaders, representing >£4.8bn revenue, successfully driving organic growth for Top 50 clients with a culture of ‘high performance, high support’.   

Lindsay was Global CEO of WPP’s fastest growing media agency Maxus in 2014-17 after an extraordinary period of success as UK CEO.

Lindsay currently serves as Senior Independent Non-Executive Director for Rugby World Cup and sits on the Board of NASDAQ-listed Waldencast PLC as Chair of the Compensation Committee. She is also an Advisory Council member for AI leadership coaching company Valence.

A passionate advocate for diversity and inclusion, Lindsay founded the ‘Walk the Talk’ initiative for senior women, which expanded globally across WPP and reached over 3,000 female colleagues. She also served as President of WACL in 2014.

After leaving WPP in June 2025, Lindsay on taking what’s been described as a ‘power pause’ or gap year, before beginning her next career chapter. 

When everything changes, how do the best leaders not just survive but find their groove? The Mojo Podcast: Mojo Under Fire explores the defining moments that either break leaders or forge them into magnetic forces others want to follow.

In this episode, Emma Stace shares her journey of leadership, emphasising the importance of self-awareness, accountability, and building relationships within teams. She discusses her personal experiences, including challenges and transformative moments that shaped her leadership style such as a difficult divorce. Emma highlights the significance of feedback culture, navigating conflict, and the need for intentionality in leadership, especially in a rapidly changing world influenced by AI. The conversation underscores the value of human connection and the continuous journey of personal and professional growth.

Emma helps teams make complicated things simpler. After years improving services in UK government, she now works at The Open University on strategy and digital change. She believes progress starts with listening, clear purpose and small steps that add up. Colleagues know her for plain speaking, curiosity and care. She’s happiest when the team gets the credit and the work speaks for itself.

Remember to subscribe to be notified about new episodes. And please do rate & review this episode on Apple Podcasts.

Hope you love it

Richard 🦋

And if you'd like to book a free 30 minute discovery call with me to talk about some coaching can help get your Mojo back - just drop me an email.

The Mojo Podcast

Hosted by leadership coach Richard Stokes from Ibiza

@mojorichard on Instagram

www.mojo-leadership.com

Key Takeaways

- Mojo is about the connection between heart and mind.

- Leadership requires humility and accountability.

- Building relationships is key to effective leadership.

- Conflict can lead to commitment and better teamwork.

- Feedback should be a two-way street in teams.

- Intentionality in leadership helps set boundaries.

- Resilience is crucial during challenging times.

- Creating a safe space for feedback fosters growth.

- Leadership is about empowering others, not just directing them.

- The future of work requires keeping the human element at the forefront.

Chapters

00:00 Finding Your Mojo: The Connection of Heart and Mind

03:06 The Journey of Leadership: Embracing Imperfection

05:56 The Energy of Leadership: Self-Reflection and Team Dynamics

08:57 Crucible Moments: Transformative Experiences in Leadership

11:48 Building a Team: The Shift from Hero to Collaborator

14:57 Values and Boundaries: Defining Work-Life Balance

18:00 Continuous Growth: The Ongoing Leadership Journey

25:04 The Art of Slowing Down

27:36 Creating a Feedback Culture

30:17 Intentional Leadership and Team Dynamics

32:13 Navigating Conflict for Commitment

36:27 The Loneliness of Leadership

39:18 Hybrid Work and Human Connection

41:45 Advice for Leaders in Crisis

45:23 The Future of Leadership in an AI World

As we close the  6th series we’ve been reflecting on Commitment. A concept we all understand but that can prove elusive and even fearful for us. In this series we’ve gone under the skin of Commitment - how we can commit to ourselves, to our values  our purpose - and the payoff we can see when we literally choose not to have any more choice -commitment is one of life’s beautiful paradoxes

It’s been a privilege to have these powerful and vibrant conversations - with amazing guests from the arts, business, sport, adventurers, influencers, pioneers

Everyone has brought something new and fresh - so do have a listen back to the previous 9 conversations

To complete the series I have a fabulous guest for you with her on profound story of change, consciousness and commitment - and her shift really was a massive life pivot. From medical doctor to medicine woman…

Alex Pardhy Alex is a medical Dr turned Medicine Woman with a passion for Mens work & Worldwide systems change using the tools of plant medicine, shamaism & straight Coaching. Since graduating as a Medical Doctor in 2010, she has spent nearly 10years bridging the allopatic & alternative healing Worlds in Service to the deep, lasting transformation of those she serves.

@alchemy_with_alex

Remember to subscribe to be notified about new episodes. And please do rate & review this episode on Apple Podcasts.

Hope you love it

Richard 🦋

And if you'd like to book a free 30 minute discovery call with me to talk about some coaching can help get your Mojo back - just drop me an email.

The Mojo Podcast

Hosted by leadership coach Richard Stokes from Ibiza

@mojorichard on Instagram

www.mojo-leadership.com

My guest this week is Holly Budge the founder of UK Charity, ‘How Many Elephants’, and World Female Ranger Week. Her impactful work has been celebrated worldwide, including by Sir David Attenborough and HRH Prince Edward. She was recently voted ‘Woman of the Year in Non-Profit’, listed in the Top 100 Women in Social Enterprise, and is an official UN Women UK Delegate. 

As a professional speaker Holly has inspired thousands globally to think big. Her adventurous pursuits, including summiting Everest and becoming the first woman to skydive Everest, create a platform to raise awareness and funding for conservation. To date she has fundraised over £500,000.

We speak the week of World Female Ranger Week which aims to amplify the voices of these brave women, breaking down social stigmas and shining a light on their incredible achievements and the unique challenges they face. Holly’s insights reveal a complex picture of poaching, from individuals driven by desperation to organized syndicates involved in wildlife crime. She emphasizes the moral dilemmas faced by rangers and the indispensable role women play in building community relationships and reducing corruption.

Holly’s dedication to conservation goes beyond just talking about the issues; she’s about actionable change. She passionately discusses the importance of funding in conservation efforts, encapsulating her belief that "conservation without funding is just conversation." Her campaign not only raises awareness but also aims to attract crucial support and resources.

In this episode, we delve into the profound impact of personal experiences on advocacy, the power of media in driving global awareness, and the inspiring stories of female rangers fighting against the odds. Holly also shares her new venture, Wildlife Positive Travel, offering immersive experiences with anti-poaching teams in Africa and Kenya.

www.worldfemalerangerweek.org

www.howmanyelephants.org

www.hollybudge.com

Instagram: @worldfemalerangerweek @howmanyelephants @hollybudge

Facebook: @worldfemalerangerweek @howmanyelephants @hollybudgeadventure

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/hollybudge/

Remember to subscribe to be notified about new episodes. And please do rate & review this episode on Apple Podcasts.

Hope you love it

Richard 🦋

And if you'd like to book a free 30 minute discovery call with me to talk about some coaching can help get your Mojo back - just drop me an email.

The Mojo Podcast

Hosted by leadership coach Richard Stokes from Ibiza

@mojorichard on Instagram

www.mojo-leadership.com

My guest this week is Scott Gray is an Artist and DJ from London. He is joint founder of Ibiza's iconic Melon Bomb DJ collective and creator of the art and design brand Chapter. The Island of Ibiza (where Scott now resides) is the main influence and really kick-started  his art and musical career.

We met at Scott’s home in Ibiza - where the walls are filled with his favourite art and he serves a cracking cup of coffee.

We talked about the incredible change Scott and his wife Mandy created in their lives - when whilst on holiday in Ibiza Scott has a near breakdown moment and realised he could not continue with his stressful if successful career in recruitment. Another life called them.

Fast forward a few years and Scott followed his intuition again to bring together some fellow DJs to create the now globally renowned and frankly Island favourite  - House Music Collective Melon Bomb.

We talk about the life of a DJ, the joys the pressures the creative process and of course just what it’s like to move a crowd to your rhythms.

I really enjoyed getting to know Scott better through this chat and he says an abundance of wisdom and advice for anyone thinking about change and anyone finding their mojo not to be in the groove they’d like.

Remember to subscribe to be notified about new episodes. And please do rate & review this episode on Apple Podcasts.

And if you'd like to book a free 30 minute discovery call with me to talk about some coaching can help get your Mojo back - just drop me an email.

Hope you love it

Richard 🦋

More on Scott...

As part of Melon Bomb, he regularly plays at Hï for Defected’s Glitterbox, at Pikes, Pacha and solo at O Beach, as well as international duties across the globe. He produces dance music under a string of aliases including Kuwahara, Capitolo Three and Chapter.

His art work often draws inspiration from the dance music scene that Scott has been involved with since he can remember. His art can be seen all over the Island in homes, private villas and business venues such as Wi-Ki-Woo, Urban Spaces and Pikes Hotel. He has exhibited at events including Smile Britannia and Urban In Ibiza and has contributed to both Pacha and Soul Survivors magazines. He has designed for many tee-shirt companies over the years, with a current collection for Wasted Heroes.

Find Scott on Instagram: @melonbombmusic  and @chapteribiza

The Mojo Podcast

Hosted by leadership coach Richard Stokes from Ibiza

@mojorichard on Instagram

www.mojo-leadership.com

Luke Sutton was a professional cricket player for nearly 20 years. He was club captain of Derbyshire CCC and also played for Somerset CCC and Lancashire CCC. Although he was primarily a wicketkeeper, he was also a very skilled batsman.

Luke is now an agent to a number of high profile sports and media stars, and an owner of multiple businesses within the sports industry.

He has weekly podcast called ‘Understanding Men’ and has written four books “Back from the Edge”, “The Death of You”, "The Life of a Sports Agent - The Middleman" and “Welcome to the Wonderful World of Wicketkeepers”.

Luke has always been incredibly honest about his struggles with addiction and mental health and his recover journey since being admitted to a rehabilitation clinic in 2011.

Remember to subscribe to be notified about new episodes. And please do rate & review this episode on Apple Podcasts.

Hope you love it

Richard 🦋

And if you'd like to book a free 30 minute discovery call with me to talk about some coaching can help get your Mojo back - just drop me an email.

The Mojo Podcast

Hosted by leadership coach Richard Stokes from Ibiza

@mojorichard on Instagram

www.mojo-leadership.com

Today's guest is Azeem Amir. Azeem is 25 and has been visually impaired since birth.

However, he has never let it be a barrier to success. Azeem plays Blind Football professionally for the England and Great Britain blind football team and is working towards achieving international success. Playing across the globe he and the team are aiming to qualify for the next Paralympics. His football skills on the pitch have paved the way for him to be a part of several national and international media campaigns, working with brands from an array of industries from across the globe.

Alongside his football, Azeem has also just completed a Master’s Degree from the University of Salford.

Azeem Amir recently became the youngest blind person to complete Tough Mudder; a gruelling 12-mile obstacle course, featuring muddy ditches, huge walls and electric fences, raising substantial funds for charity! Since running Tough Mudder, Azeem has risen to fame as a highly respected advocate for disability rights. He is now an ambassador for several disability awareness charities and organizations and through public speaking (TedTalks), coaching and workshops aims to inspire as many young people as possible to achieve their own version of success. He has just stepped into the world of Enterprise launching his own organisation called Learn With ESS, with the ESS standing for education, sport and speaking.

Learn with ESS is a workshop initiative that uses classroom and sport based activities to provide a unique and interactive team cohesion experience with the purpose of promoting the advancement of education. With the aim to benefit the public by stepping into the shoes of someone with a disability to address stigmatized issues surrounding the topic. These workshops can be tailored and bespoke to any audience to promote and highlight the importance and benefit of inclusive and empathetic mannerisms and practices. Working with educational institutions, sports clubs and corporates organisations.

Thank you to Athlete Media Group for setting up this conversation - Mojo Leadership is excited to now be partnering with AMG to bring amaing talent like Azeem to your office, boardroom or conference. For more detail please do get in touch.

Remember to subscribe to be notified about new episodes. And please do rate & review this episode on Apple Podcasts.

Hope you love it

Richard 🦋

And if you'd like to book a free 30 minute discovery call with me to talk about some coaching can help get your Mojo back - just drop me an email.

The Mojo Podcast

Hosted by leadership coach Richard Stokes from Ibiza

@mojorichard on Instagram

www.mojo-leadership.com

My guest in epsiode 5 of series 6 is Sam Dean - co-founder of theHub Ibiza A very special professional community space where I live and where I’m a long standing member. Forget what you think you know about co-working spaces, what Sam and the team have created is much more as he’ll explain

This is a refreshingly candid conversation about founder energy, being an entrepreneur and a leader of a fast scaling business - which happens to be in one of the most well-known islands in the world. Professional life and Ibiza I hear you ask - isn’t that a contradiction in terms? Absolutely not AND it also adds a special flavour to Sam’s approach to business, to how he personally gets his inspiration and vision and how he makes decisions

We cover a lot of ground, Sam shares his wisdom and the benefit of his experience - the highs and the lows - we talk about Trust in your self and team, how he moves from being the Ideas guy to Executing and creating, how he escapes from short term thinking and gains his much wider perspective. And of course how’s he’s been able to commit to this project when there are so many shiny new things to chase

Insta links - @sam_plan @thehub.ibiza @thehubibizastudios

Mojo for Sam - energy, vitality, outlook and perspective

Remember to subscribe to be notified about new episodes. And please do rate & review this episode on Apple Podcasts.

Hope you love it

Richard 🦋

And if you'd like to book a free 30 minute discovery call with me to talk about some coaching can help get your Mojo back - just drop me an email.

The Mojo Podcast

Hosted by leadership coach Richard Stokes from Ibiza

@mojorichard on Instagram

www.mojo-leadership.com