The SEO Mindset Podcast

In this week's episode, Tazmin chats with Michelle about belonging & culture fit in the workplace, and the impact of not feeling like you belong.

About Michelle:

Throughout her career, Michelle has focused on making meaningful connections at a human level between companies and individuals. As she delved deeper into the realm of psychology to improve marketing efforts, Michelle discovered in herself a passionate advocate for mental health. She’s deeply empathetic toward the impact of marketing and advertising on the emotional health of customers and made it her mission to campaign for the personal wellness of others and improve everyone’s understanding of the role marketing plays in the mental health of a society.

Where to find Michelle:

Michelle's Website

Michelle on YouTube

Michelle Stinson Ross LinkedIn

About 'The SEO Mindset' Podcast

Build your inner confidence and thrive.

The SEO Mindset is a weekly podcast that will give you actionable tips, guidance and advice to help you not only build your inner confidence but to also thrive in your career.

Each week we will cover topics specific to careers in the SEO industry but also broader topics too including professional and personal development.

Your hosts are Life Coach Tazmin Suleman and SEO Manager Sarah McDowell, who between them have over 20 years of experience working in the industry.

Sign up to be a guest on the podcast here.

Get in touch

We'd love to hear from you. We have many ways that you can reach out to us to say hello, ask a question, or suggest a topic for us to discuss on a future episode.

Follow us on Twitter

Follow us on Instagram

Follow us on LinkedIn

Send us an email

Check out Tazmin's Website

Check out Sarah's Website

Click here to download your copy of our free 'Growth versus Fixed Mindset' ebook.

Click here to sign up for our newsletter to receive news and updates from the podcast eg latest episodes, events, competitions etc. We will never spam and you can unsubscribe at anytime.

Subscribe and never miss an episode: Listen to The SEO Mindset Podcast

Check all episodes: The SEO Mindset Podcast website

Copyright 2025 Sarah & Tazmin

Mentioned in this episode:

Donate & Support The Podcast

We have set ourselves up on Buy Me A Coffee, meaning that if you enjoy the podcast and our episodes you can give us a one-off donation to support us. If you leave us a message, we can also give you a shout-out.

Buy Me A Coffee

In this week's episode Tazmin and Sarah discuss how understanding DiSC personality types can help foster better relationships at work and in your personal life.

About 'The SEO Mindset' Podcast

Build your inner confidence and thrive.

The SEO Mindset is a weekly podcast that will give you actionable tips, guidance and advice to help you not only build your inner confidence but to also thrive in your career.

Each week we will cover topics specific to careers in the SEO industry but also broader topics too including professional and personal development.

Your hosts are Life Coach Tazmin Suleman and SEO Manager Sarah McDowell, who between them have over 20 years of experience working in the industry.

Sign up to be a guest on the podcast here.

Get in touch

We'd love to hear from you. We have many ways that you can reach out to us to say hello, ask a question, or suggest a topic for us to discuss on a future episode.

Follow us on Twitter

Follow us on Instagram

Follow us on LinkedIn

Send us an email

Check out Tazmin's Website

Check out Sarah's Website

Click here to download your copy of our free 'Growth versus Fixed Mindset' ebook.

Click here to sign up for our newsletter to receive news and updates from the podcast eg latest episodes, events, competitions etc. We will never spam and you can unsubscribe at anytime.

Subscribe and never miss an episode: Listen to The SEO Mindset Podcast

Check out all episodes: The SEO Mindset Podcast website

Resources used for episode

• Women in Tech SEO Global Community for Women in Tech SEO
• The DiSC Styles - DiSC Profile
• A Biography of William Marston, Creator of Wonder Woman (Web Exclusive, Extended Version) | Marin Theatre Company
• Free Simplified DISC Analysis Test | Surrounded by Idiots
• Surrounded by Idiots | Book By Thomas Erikson
• Surrounded by idiots - Thomas Erikson | Lecturer & Author

Copyright 2025 Sarah & Tazmin

Mentioned in this episode:

Donate & Support The Podcast

We have set ourselves up on Buy Me A Coffee, meaning that if you enjoy the podcast and our episodes you can give us a one-off donation to support us. If you leave us a message, we can also give you a shout-out.

Buy Me A Coffee

This week on the podcast, Tazmin chats with Laura, about how to deal with anxiety, as she shares her own personal story and experiences.

About Laura:

Laura James is a seasoned SEO expert who currently holds the position of Senior SEO Consultant at Flow SEO. With a strong background in agency work, she possesses extensive knowledge across diverse sectors such as eCommerce, travel, education, and retail. Her commitment to delivering organic growth and strategic guidance shines through in her work with SaaS B2B and start-up clients. Laura's areas of expertise encompass international SEO, organic video optimization, and seamless site migrations, underscoring her wide-ranging proficiency and adaptable approach within the realm of SEO. She is also deeply passionate about mental health advocacy and is dedicated to promoting remote working as a means to foster a healthy work-life balance. When she's not immersed in her day to day work, Laura finds joy in her family, exploring different parts of the world (especially Greece), 90s music, sitcoms, Disney movies, and food.

Where to find Laura:

@LauraJamesVSEO on X

Laura James on LinkedIn

Laura's Website

About 'The SEO Mindset' Podcast

Build your inner confidence and thrive.

The SEO Mindset is a weekly podcast that will give you actionable tips, guidance and advice to help you not only build your inner confidence but to also thrive in your career.

Each week we will cover topics specific to careers in the SEO industry but also broader topics too including professional and personal development.

Your hosts are Life Coach Tazmin Suleman and SEO Manager Sarah McDowell, who between them have over 20 years of experience working in the industry.

Sign up to be a guest on the podcast here.

Get in touch

We'd love to hear from you. We have many ways that you can reach out to us to say hello, ask a question, or suggest a topic for us to discuss on a future episode.

Follow us on Twitter

Follow us on Instagram

Follow us on LinkedIn

Send us an email

Check out Tazmin's Website

Check out Sarah's Website

Click here to download your copy of our free 'Growth versus Fixed Mindset' ebook.

Click here to sign up for our newsletter to receive news and updates from the podcast eg latest episodes, events, competitions etc. We will never spam and you can unsubscribe at anytime.

Subscribe and never miss an episode: Listen to The SEO Mindset Podcast

Check out all episodes: The SEO Mindset Podcast website

Copyright 2025 Sarah & Tazmin

Mentioned in this episode:

Donate & Support The Podcast

We have set ourselves up on Buy Me A Coffee, meaning that if you enjoy the podcast and our episodes you can give us a one-off donation to support us. If you leave us a message, we can also give you a shout-out.

Buy Me A Coffee

We're teaming up with Search with Candour podcast to bring to you a LIVE podcast titled, 'Managing Energy Levels at Conferences', sponsored by SISTRIX.

Sarah, Tazmin and Jack, hosts of the above podcasts will be giving actionable tips and advice on how to manage energy levels, for both attendees and speakers. They'll also be sharing their own experiences.

The SEO Mindset and Search with Candour podcasts will be recording an episode which will be published on their podcast feeds. However, there is a twist!

This is no ordinary episode; it will be carried out in front of a live audience, at the wonderful venue Project The Lanes, meaning that our community will be able to gain a snapshot into the production of both the SEO Mindset and Search With Candour podcasts.

There will also be an opportunity for a live Q&A to really help you be part of the process!

Once the episode has been recorded, it will be available on the usual podcast directories, such as Spotify, Apple and Amazon Music.

The event will also be streamed live on Silicon Brighton's YouTube channel, so if you can't make the event in person, you can join online!

The SEO Mindset podcast gives actionable growth tips and development advice so that SEO professionals can optimise their careers, and not just the algorithms!

Each week hosts, Sarah McDowell and Tazmin Suleman, with the help of their guests, delve into important topics that are often not spoken about, sharing their own experiences, along with practical tips, guidance and advice. Topics covered so far include imposter syndrome, self-belief, anxiety, mindset etc.

Search With Candour features the latest SEO news and in-depth interviews with the world's best digital marketing professionals.

Each week, Jack Chambers-Ward is joined by one of the world’s leading SEO and PPC experts to discuss a topic of their choice ranging from broad topics such as avoiding burnout as a content creator and the importance of cultural understanding to more technical subjects like pagination in ecommerce and how to conduct SEO audits.

Once per month, Jack is joined by his co-host Mark Williams-Cook to host a live episode of the podcast recapping that previous month’s biggest SEO news stories.

You may recognise SISTRIX as the sponsor from Search With Candour and we’re very excited to say that SISTRIX is also sponsoring this live podcast.

SISTRIX is the all-in-one SEO toolbox for those who want to succeed on Google, Amazon and Facebook. With SISTRIX's market-leading tools, you can optimise your website according to the latest Google guidelines, track competitors on Amazon and easily generate and easily perform research across Tiktok, Instagram and YouTube.

You can try some of their free tools and a 7-day free trial of the SEO toolbox.

Some of the SISTRIX team will also be there in person to present the latest Visibility Leader awards.

We have 5 free tickets to give away to brightonSEO happening on Thursday 14th & Friday 15th September 2023 thanks to the amazing Sistrix. They're also giving away beanies too!

We'll pick 5 lucky winners at random, all you need to do is fill in the form below to be in with the chance to win. We'll be in touch with the lucky winners! Good luck everyone.

Enter the competition now!

Shout out to Silicon Brighton, who have helped make this event possible. They have been involved from the very start, and have helped us to find a great venue for the live podcast, and will be making sure everything runs smoothy from a tech perspective.

Silicon Brighton is a community-led initiative supporting digital growth in the South East, belieiving in Brighton, its people, and its potential.

Working hand-in-hand with the local tech community, they provide individuals with free opportunities for networking, training, up-skilling and development, helping them to take their careers and businesses forward.

Find out more about Silicon Brighton

Also shoutout to Projects, who offer coworking spaces and memberships, along with meeting and event spaces, a podcast sute, cafes, bars and even a gym! The event will be taking place at one of Projects event spaces called, Projects The Lanes. It's an awesome space, and the team have been very accommodating for the event, even giving us a cheeky discount for hiring out one of the rooms!

At Projects, their mission is to provide a home for better business. They create and operate inspiring spaces that make everyone feel included. With 2 beautiful buildings open in the heart of Brighton and many more set to open across the UK, Projects is proud to house a community of collaborative businesses. They believe economic success can and should also have a positive impact on people and the planet. Through their spaces and programmes, they empower individuals and teams to reach their full potential, personally and professionally, within a supportive environment.

Find out more about Projects, by visiting their website. Get in touch to book a free trial day and experience their workspaces, meeting rooms, event spaces, podcast suite, cafes, bars and gym, plus meet our welcoming team and members: [email protected].

Tazmin and Sarah are back for Season 6, and in the first episode of the season, they talk about resilience in the workplace and beyond, covering what it is, why and where it is important, and also give actionable strategies for developing your own resilience.

About 'The SEO Mindset' Podcast

Build your inner confidence and thrive.

The SEO Mindset is a weekly podcast that will give you actionable tips, guidance and advice to help you not only build your inner confidence but to also thrive in your career.

Each week we will cover topics specific to careers in the SEO industry but also broader topics too including professional and personal development.

Your hosts are Life Coach Tazmin Suleman and SEO Manager Sarah McDowell, who between them have over 20 years of experience working in the industry.

Sign up to be a guest on the podcast here.

Get in touch

We'd love to hear from you. We have many ways that you can reach out to us to say hello, ask a question, or suggest a topic for us to discuss on a future episode.

Follow us on Twitter

Follow us on Instagram

Follow us on LinkedIn

Send us an email

Check out Tazmin's Website

Check out Sarah's Website

Click here to download your copy of our free 'Growth versus Fixed Mindset' ebook.

Click here to sign up for our newsletter to receive news and updates from the podcast eg latest episodes, events, competitions etc. We will never spam and you can unsubscribe at anytime.

Resources used for episode

• We chat to Roxana Stingu all about Self Belief | The SEO Mindset Podcast - The SEO Mindset Podcast
• Taking charge of your Inner Chatter | The SEO Mindset - The SEO Mindset Podcast
• Differences Between the Fixed & Growth Mindset [Part 1] - The SEO Mindset Podcast - The SEO Mindset Podcast

Subscribe and never miss an episode: Listen to The SEO Mindset Podcast

Check out all episodes: The SEO Mindset Podcast website

Copyright 2025 Sarah & Tazmin

8DB2qA7VVaNHAhsSRQEZ

Mentioned in this episode:

Donate & Support the Podcast

We have set ourselves up on Buy Me A Coffee, meaning that if you enjoy the podcast and our episodes you can give us a one-off donation to support us. If you leave us a message, we can also give you a shout-out. Use the link below.

Buy Me A Coffee

International Search Summit 2023 - Barcelona

Working on international websites and campaigns can be exciting and rewarding but it can also be challenging, frustrating and sometimes a little lonely.

Search Summit Barcelona

This is a special episode, not only is it the season finale (don't worry we'll be back with Season 6 soon) but Sarah is also joined by two guests from our season sponsors BrightLocal, Founder and CEO Myles Anderson, and Local SEO Expert Claire Carlile, to talk about company culture, and how it helps when leading through a crisis.

About Myles:

Myles Anderson is the CEO and Co-founder of BrightLocal, a technology company with a mission to help marketers become brilliant at local SEO.

Where to find Myles:

Myles Anderson LinkedIn

About Claire:

Where to find Claire:

Claire Carlile LinkedIn

Where to find BrightLocal

BrightLocal Twitter

BrightLocal LinkedIn

BrightLocal Website

Find out more about Active Sync - the smart way to manage and protect your online listings on the platforms where your customers discover, evaluate, and engage with your brand.

About 'The SEO Mindset' Podcast

Build your inner confidence and thrive.

The SEO Mindset is a weekly podcast that will give you actionable tips, guidance and advice to help you not only build your inner confidence but to also thrive in your career.

Each week we will cover topics specific to careers in the SEO industry but also broader topics too including professional and personal development.

Your hosts are Life Coach Tazmin Suleman and SEO Manager Sarah McDowell, who between them have over 20 years of experience working in the industry.

Sign up to be a guest on the podcast here.

Get in touch

We'd love to hear from you. We have many ways that you can reach out to us to say hello, ask a question, or suggest a topic for us to discuss on a future episode.

Follow us on Twitter

Follow us on Instagram

Follow us on LinkedIn

Send us an email

Check out Tazmin's Website

Check out Sarah's Website

Click here to download your copy of our free 'Growth versus Fixed Mindset' ebook.

Click here to sign up for our newsletter to receive news and updates from the podcast eg latest episodes, events, competitions etc. We will never spam and you can unsubscribe at anytime.

Resources used for episode

• Patrick Lencioni
• Simon Sinek – The Optimism Company
• Areej AbuAli
• Leading Through Crisis, by Myles Anderson - BrightLocal

Subscribe and never miss an episode: Listen to The SEO Mindset Podcast

Check out all episodes: The SEO Mindset Podcast website

Mentioned in this episode:

Season 5 Sponsors are BrightLocal

This season is sponsored by BrightLocal, the all-in-one local SEO platform that helps businesses and agencies drive traffic and leads from local search. It’s the only platform that’s 100% focused on helping you succeed in local search, with a range of tools and features including local rank tracking and auditing, review management, citation building and more! They also have a wealth of free courses in their academy to help you learn and develop your skills to succeed in local SEO.

BrightLocal

Donate & Support The Podcast

We have set ourselves up on Buy Me A Coffee, meaning that if you enjoy the podcast and our episodes you can give us a one-off donation to support us. If you leave us a message, we can also give you a shout-out.

Buy Me A Coffee

BrightLocal Active Sync

Take control of your listings on the sites that really matter with BrightLocal's Active Sync. Active Sync is the smart way to manage and protect your online listings on the platforms where your customers discover, evaluate, and engage with your brand.

BrightLocal Active Sync

Thanks for joining us for another episode of The SEO Mindset, and your host today is Sarah. This week we’re chatting about stepping outside our comfort zones with Rejoice, including benefits, overcoming obstacles, and Rejoice will be sharing her own personal experiences.

About Rejoice:

Rejoice Ojiaku is an SEO Account Manager , as well as the Co-Founder of B-DigitalUK – a platform for showcasing and empowering black talent in the UK digital marketing scene. Her expertise lies in SEO, Diversity and inclusion, all bolstered by strong personal branding both online and offline.

Where to find Rejoice:

@Rejiaku on Instagram

@RejiYates on X

About 'The SEO Mindset' Podcast

Build your inner confidence and thrive.

The SEO Mindset is a weekly podcast that will give you actionable tips, guidance and advice to help you not only build your inner confidence but to also thrive in your career.

Each week we will cover topics specific to careers in the SEO industry but also broader topics too including professional and personal development.

Your hosts are Life Coach Tazmin Suleman and SEO Manager Sarah McDowell, who between them have over 20 years of experience working in the industry.

Sign up to be a guest on the podcast here.

Get in touch

We'd love to hear from you. We have many ways that you can reach out to us to say hello, ask a question, or suggest a topic for us to discuss on a future episode.

Follow us on Twitter

Follow us on Instagram

Follow us on LinkedIn

Send us an email

Check out Tazmin's Website

Check out Sarah's Website

Click here to download your copy of our free 'Growth versus Fixed Mindset' ebook.

Click here to sign up for our newsletter to receive news and updates from the podcast eg latest episodes, events, competitions etc. We will never spam and you can unsubscribe at anytime.

Resources used for episode

• Ashley Liddell SEO Content Strategist

Subscribe and never miss an episode: Listen to The SEO Mindset Podcast

Check out all episodes: The SEO Mindset Podcast website

Copyright 2025 Sarah & Tazmin

Mentioned in this episode:

Season 5 Sponsors are BrightLocal

This season is sponsored by BrightLocal, the all-in-one local SEO platform that helps businesses and agencies drive traffic and leads from local search. It’s the only platform that’s 100% focused on helping you succeed in local search, with a range of tools and features including local rank tracking and auditing, review management, citation building and more! They also have a wealth of free courses in their academy to help you learn and develop your skills to succeed in local SEO.

BrightLocal

Donate & Support The Podcast

We have set ourselves up on Buy Me A Coffee, meaning that if you enjoy the podcast and our episodes you can give us a one-off donation to support us. If you leave us a message, we can also give you a shout-out.

Buy Me A Coffee

This week on the podcast, Tazmin and Sarah are talking about the differences between a Coach & Mentor, as often these terms are switched around, however, there are really important differences.

About 'The SEO Mindset' Podcast

Build your inner confidence and thrive.

The SEO Mindset is a weekly podcast that will give you actionable tips, guidance and advice to help you not only build your inner confidence but to also thrive in your career.

Each week we will cover topics specific to careers in the SEO industry but also broader topics too including professional and personal development.

Your hosts are Life Coach Tazmin Suleman and SEO Manager Sarah McDowell, who between them have over 20 years of experience working in the industry.

Sign up to be a guest on the podcast here.

Get in touch

We'd love to hear from you. We have many ways that you can reach out to us to say hello, ask a question, or suggest a topic for us to discuss on a future episode.

Follow us on Twitter

Follow us on Instagram

Follow us on LinkedIn

Send us an email

Check out Tazmin's Website

Check out Sarah's Website

Click here to download your copy of our free 'Growth versus Fixed Mindset' ebook.

Click here to sign up for our newsletter to receive news and updates from the podcast eg latest episodes, events, competitions etc. We will never spam and you can unsubscribe at anytime.

Resources used for episode

• Mentorship with Montse Cano [Podcast Episode]

Subscribe and never miss an episode: Listen to The SEO Mindset Podcast

Check out the website for all episodes: The SEO Mindset Podcast website

Copyright 2025 Sarah & Tazmin

Mentioned in this episode:

Donate & Support The Podcast

We have set ourselves up on Buy Me A Coffee, meaning that if you enjoy the podcast and our episodes you can give us a one-off donation to support us. If you leave us a message, we can also give you a shout-out.

Buy Me A Coffee

Season 5 Sponsors are BrightLocal

This season is sponsored by BrightLocal, the all-in-one local SEO platform that helps businesses and agencies drive traffic and leads from local search. It’s the only platform that’s 100% focused on helping you succeed in local search, with a range of tools and features including local rank tracking and auditing, review management, citation building and more! They also have a wealth of free courses in their academy to help you learn and develop your skills to succeed in local SEO.

BrightLocal

The Importance of Worrying Less with Katie McDonald

About Katie:

SEO mad, after 8 years! Nature lover, tea drinker. Always looking for new ways to do things better.

Where to find Katie:

@Katemcdonald321 on Instagram

Running Blogger

About 'The SEO Mindset' Podcast

Build your inner confidence and thrive.

The SEO Mindset is a weekly podcast that will give you actionable tips, guidance and advice to help you not only build your inner confidence but to also thrive in your career.

Each week we will cover topics specific to careers in the SEO industry but also broader topics too including professional and personal development.

Your hosts are Life Coach Tazmin Suleman and SEO Manager Sarah McDowell, who between them have over 20 years of experience working in the industry.

Sign up to be a guest on the podcast here.

Get in touch

We'd love to hear from you. We have many ways that you can reach out to us to say hello, ask a question, or suggest a topic for us to discuss on a future episode.

Follow us on Twitter

Follow us on Instagram

Follow us on LinkedIn

Send us an email

Check out Tazmin's Website

Check out Sarah's Website

Click here to download your copy of our free 'Growth versus Fixed Mindset' ebook.

Click here to sign up for our newsletter to receive news and updates from the podcast eg latest episodes, events, competitions etc. We will never spam and you can unsubscribe at anytime.

Resources used for episode

• Genie Jones Knowledge Graph Manager at InLinks

Check all episodes: The SEO Mindset Podcast website

Subscribe and never miss an episode: Listen to The SEO Mindset Podcast

Copyright 2025 Sarah & Tazmin

Mentioned in this episode:

Support the podcast & donate!

If you enjoy the podcast and listening to our episodes, you can support the podcast by donating a coffee via Buy Me A Coffee for as little as £5. If you leave us a message we can also give you a shoutout! Link below!

Buy Me A Coffee

Season 5 Sponsors are BrightLocal

This season is sponsored by BrightLocal, the all-in-one local SEO platform that helps businesses and agencies drive traffic and leads from local search.

BrightLocal

In this week's episode of the podcast, Tazmin chats with Leyla about confidence, including what it means, how common it is, how to be more confident and more.

About Leyla:

Leyla Okhai is the founder and Director of Diverse Minds UK Ltd. Diverse Minds aims to create a positively productive workplace for all through training, coaching and consultancy. The focus is placed on wellbeing, mental health and by understanding differences. Leyla has over 18 years’ experience in developing and implementing diversity, inclusion and equality practices, with senior leadership teams. She is also the host of the award-winning Diverse Minds Podcast a weekly show about mental health and inclusion. She is a TEDx Speaker, her talk on the connection between race, culture and mental health

Where to find Leyla:

Leyla's Website

@diversemindsuk on X

@diversemindspodcast on Instagram

Leyla's Facebook page

Leyla's Facebook group

About 'The SEO Mindset' Podcast

Build your inner confidence and thrive.

The SEO Mindset is a weekly podcast that will give you actionable tips, guidance and advice to help you not only build your inner confidence but to also thrive in your career.

Each week we will cover topics specific to careers in the SEO industry but also broader topics too including professional and personal development.

Your hosts are Life Coach Tazmin Suleman and SEO Manager Sarah McDowell, who between them have over 20 years of experience working in the industry.

Sign up to be a guest on the podcast here.

Get in touch

We'd love to hear from you. We have many ways that you can reach out to us to say hello, ask a question, or suggest a topic for us to discuss on a future episode.

Follow us on Twitter

Follow us on Instagram

Follow us on LinkedIn

Send us an email

Check out Tazmin's Website

Check out Sarah's Website

Click here to download your copy of our free 'Growth versus Fixed Mindset' ebook.

Click here to sign up for our newsletter to receive news and updates from the podcast eg latest episodes, events, competitions etc. We will never spam and you can unsubscribe at anytime.

Subscribe and never miss an episode: Listen to The SEO Mindset Podcast

Check out all episodes: The SEO Mindset Podcast website

Copyright 2025 Sarah & Tazmin

Mentioned in this episode:

Donate & Support The Podcast

We have set ourselves up on Buy Me A Coffee, meaning that if you enjoy the podcast and our episodes you can give us a one-off donation to support us. If you leave us a message, we can also give you a shout-out.

Buy Me A Coffee

Season 5 Sponsors are BrightLocal

This season is sponsored by BrightLocal, the all-in-one local SEO platform that helps businesses and agencies drive traffic and leads from local search.

BrightLocal