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The Within Podcast
The Within Podcast episodes
- #8- I Wish I Would’ve Known This About My Calendar
SUMMARY
In this special I Wish I Would’ve Known edition of the podcast, Nicky, Ali, and Heidi unpack one of the most deceptively simple but impactful lessons of their careers: learning how to truly own their time. What starts as a conversation about calendars quickly turns into a deeper reflection on identity, productivity, and the pressure especially for women to always appear on and busy.Heidi shares her experience transitioning out of corporate life and realizing how conditioned she was to justify her worth through meetings and a packed schedule. The group discusses the guilt that comes with white space, the fear of being judged for not being constantly booked, and how hard it is to break the habit of equating busyness with value. From blocking time intentionally to redefining what productivity actually means, the episode highlights the mindset shifts required to protect energy, not just hours.
The conversation widens to the invisible mental load many women carry leading at work, managing at home, and serving as the default logistics manager everywhere in between. Through honest stories, humor, and self awareness, Nicky, Ali, and Heidi make the case for white space not as a luxury, but as a necessity for sustainability, leadership, and health.
ABOUT WITHIN
Within is a podcast hosted by Nicky Wallace and Ali Payne, founders of The People Co. It explores what happens when organizations stop chasing surface-level solutions and start doing the real work from within. Each episode unpacks stories of leadership, burnout, growth, culture, and the messiness of being human at work. Whether you’re in HR, leading a team, or just rethinking how work fits into your life, Within offers a candid and refreshing look at how people-first business gets built.Connect with them on LinkedIn at www.linkedin.com/in/nwallace515/ or www.linkedin.com/in/alipayne/ and www.linkedin.com/in/heidibuttolph/
9 min - #7- How to Build a Culture Employees Actually Feel
SUMMARY
In this episode of the Within Podcast, co-hosts Allie, Heidi, and Nikki unpack one of the most talked-about yet misunderstood aspects of business success, culture. Drawing on decades of combined experience across fractional HR, large enterprise leadership, and organizational consulting, the trio digs into what culture actually is (hint: it's not your office or perks), why it matters more than ever, and how to start shaping it with intention.Allie kicks off with a powerful framing: culture isn’t your environment, it’s the feeling your employees get when they engage with your business. From there, Nikki shares insights from supporting small businesses that often assume they “have culture” because of closeness, only to discover misalignment and quiet disengagement. Heidi rounds it out with lessons from large-scale organizations, where misaligned leadership teams can send culture sideways fast.
Whether you’re running a 15-person startup or managing teams across departments, this conversation will make you rethink how you define, measure, and evolve your culture. Expect practical takeaways on listening sessions, culture assessments, and how to align leadership around shared values and purpose, before turnover or toxicity set in.
ABOUT WITHIN
Within is a podcast hosted by Nicky Wallace and Ali Payne, founders of The People Co. It explores what happens when organizations stop chasing surface-level solutions and start doing the real work from within. Each episode unpacks stories of leadership, burnout, growth, culture, and the messiness of being human at work. Whether you’re in HR, leading a team, or just rethinking how work fits into your life, Within offers a candid and refreshing look at how people-first business gets built.Connect with them on LinkedIn at www.linkedin.com/in/nwallace515/ or www.linkedin.com/in/alipayne/ and www.linkedin.com/in/heidibuttolph/
21 min - #6- Unlearning Urgency: Reclaiming Your Time After Corporate Burnout
SUMMARY
In this special edition of the Within Podcast series “I Wish I Would've Known,” We sit down for a candid conversation about unlearning the toxic time constraints of corporate life and embracing a more human, flexible approach to work. Nicky reflects on her early days in recruiting under the notorious "1-24 Rule"—a rigid system where emails had to be acknowledged within one hour and resolved in 24. Though she thrived in that structure, it left a deep imprint that took years to unravel.Now on the other side, Nicky shares how she gradually untethered from the constant pressure to respond immediately and found peace in delayed communication, autonomy over her schedule, and honoring her personal rhythms. Through stories of early morning panic calls, boundary-setting with leadership, and syncing schedules with her team (who might be walking on treadmills mid-meeting), Nikki reveals how redefining expectations can transform not just your productivity, but your well-being. This episode is a must-listen for anyone navigating the transition from corporate rigidity to entrepreneurial freedom.
ABOUT WITHIN
Within is a podcast hosted by Nicky Wallace and Ali Payne, founders of The People Co. It explores what happens when organizations stop chasing surface-level solutions and start doing the real work from within. Each episode unpacks stories of leadership, burnout, growth, culture, and the messiness of being human at work. Whether you’re in HR, leading a team, or just rethinking how work fits into your life, Within offers a candid and refreshing look at how people-first business gets built.Connect with them on LinkedIn at www.linkedin.com/in/nwallace515/ or www.linkedin.com/in/alipayne/ and www.linkedin.com/in/heidibuttolph/
10 min - #5- Rethinking Ambition: What Today’s Workplace Still Misses About Women’s Career Choices
SUMMARY
In this candid and insight-packed episode of the Within Podcast, hosts Nicky Wallace and Ali Payne unpack the latest McKinsey Women in the Workplace 2025 report and reflect on the real-world implications they’ve seen across their careers. Drawing on their experiences in corporate leadership and entrepreneurship, they explore the hard truths behind why women are stepping back from advancement, what “flexibility” really means, and how internalized barriers, especially from other women, still stifle progress.Ali and Nikki don’t shy away from the uncomfortable. From being told to “work harder” after maternity leave to calling out the stigma of flexible work, they go deep on the emotional labor women carry, at home and at work. The episode surface's themes of identity, inclusion, support systems, and cultural change. It’s not just a commentary on gender equity; it’s a rallying cry for leaders to get honest about what’s really holding women back, and what needs to shift.
Whether you’re a CEO, HR leader, or someone navigating career growth yourself, this conversation will challenge assumptions and offer actionable insight into how to build more inclusive, supportive workplaces—starting with listening better.
ABOUT WITHIN
Within is a podcast hosted by Nicky Wallace and Ali Payne, founders of The People Co. It explores what happens when organizations stop chasing surface-level solutions and start doing the real work from within. Each episode unpacks stories of leadership, burnout, growth, culture, and the messiness of being human at work. Whether you’re in HR, leading a team, or just rethinking how work fits into your life, Within offers a candid and refreshing look at how people-first business gets built.Connect with them on LinkedIn at www.linkedin.com/in/nwallace515/ or www.linkedin.com/in/alipayne/
28 min - #4- Why Asking Questions Could Change Your Career and Health
SUMMARY
In this episode of the "Wish I Would've Known" series from the Within Podcast, Heidi opens up about a deceptively simple but powerful idea: the courage to ask questions. Alongside co-hosts Nicky and Ali, she dives into her personal evolution from feeling silenced to embracing curiosity as a superpower, especially in midlife, leadership, and healthcare.What begins as a reflection on childhood scoldings for “talking too much” unfolds into a deep and relatable conversation about vulnerability, self-advocacy, and the ways women especially are conditioned to stay quiet. Heidi shares how asking the right questions, even the uncomfortable ones, helped her navigate misdiagnoses in her health journey and drive clarity in high-stakes business settings. Together, the trio explores the nuances of authentic listening, the difference between curiosity and interrogation, and why seeking to understand can unlock breakthroughs in both life and leadership.
If you've ever second-guessed speaking up or wished you’d known better questions to ask in a doctor’s office, meeting, or conversation, this episode is your permission slip.
ABOUT WITHIN
Within is a podcast hosted by Nicky Wallace and Ali Payne, founders of The People Co. It explores what happens when organizations stop chasing surface-level solutions and start doing the real work from within. Each episode unpacks stories of leadership, burnout, growth, culture, and the messiness of being human at work. Whether you’re in HR, leading a team, or just rethinking how work fits into your life, Within offers a candid and refreshing look at how people-first business gets built.Connect with them on LinkedIn at www.linkedin.com/in/nwallace515/ or www.linkedin.com/in/alipayne/ and www.linkedin.com/in/heidibuttolph/
9 min - #3- Unlocking the People Strategy: Fractional HR, Employee Experience & The Power of Wellness
EPISODE SUMMARY
In this foundational episode of The Within Podcast, hosts Nicky Wallace and Ali Payne pull back the curtain on what makes The People Co such a transformative partner for businesses. With decades of combined experience, they break down their approach to aligning people strategy with business growth, starting with fractional HR and recruiting, expanding into deep employee experience work, and culminating in their passion project, The Potential Within summit.Nikki shares how she began her journey in recruiting before launching The People Co, offering fractional HR support to small and scaling companies who desperately needed strategy without the overhead of a full-time HR team. Ali, meanwhile, highlights her work designing employee experiences that actually engage, educate, and retain talent. They discuss the realities leaders face, from overpaying for ineffective job ads to not knowing what resources their employees have (or need), and how The People Co bridges that gap.
The episode culminates with a deeply personal story from Nikki about her own health crisis, and how it inspired The Potential Within, a wellness-centered summit designed to educate and empower employees with real-life tools and community. It’s a must-listen for anyone building a people-first organization or trying to.
ABOUT WITHIN
Within is a podcast hosted by Nicky Wallace and Ali Payne, founders of The People Co. It explores what happens when organizations stop chasing surface-level solutions and start doing the real work from within. Each episode unpacks stories of leadership, burnout, growth, culture, and the messiness of being human at work. Whether you’re in HR, leading a team, or just rethinking how work fits into your life, Within offers a candid and refreshing look at how people-first business gets built.Connect with them on LinkedIn at www.linkedin.com/in/nwallace515/ or www.linkedin.com/in/alipayne/
29 min - #2- Health Gadgets, Hormones, and the Hidden Cost of Stress
SUMMARY
In this deeply personal and refreshingly honest episode of the Within podcast’s “I Wish I Would’ve Known” series, the speaker (name not specified) opens up about her year-and-a-half-long struggle with a seemingly simple goal: losing five pounds. Despite being a dedicated runner with healthy habits, sleep tracking via an Oura Ring, balanced blood glucose levels, and functional medicine check-ins, the scale wouldn’t budge. What unfolded was a raw exploration of how even the most optimized health routines can be derailed by one invisible saboteur: chronic stress.The conversation evolves into a shared therapy session of sorts, as the group unpacks stress responses, cortisol, and how even “rest” in overstimulating environments fails to restore us. From trying PEMF mats to abandoning nightly social scrolls, the episode delves into the emotional and physiological toll of modern wellness culture. It’s a must-listen for high-achievers wondering why data, devices, and discipline still fall short, and what it might actually take to feel well.
ABOUT WITHIN
Within is a podcast hosted by Nicky Wallace and Ali Payne, founders of The People Co. It explores what happens when organizations stop chasing surface-level solutions and start doing the real work from within. Each episode unpacks stories of leadership, burnout, growth, culture, and the messiness of being human at work. Whether you’re in HR, leading a team, or just rethinking how work fits into your life, Within offers a candid and refreshing look at how people-first business gets built.Connect with them on LinkedIn at www.linkedin.com/in/nwallace515/ or www.linkedin.com/in/alipayne/ and www.linkedin.com/in/heidibuttolph/
14 min - #1- Burnout, Reinvention, and Building The People Co from Within
Summary
In this debut episode of Within, hosts Nicky Wallace and Ali Payne unpack the deeply personal journeys that led them to create The People Co, a consultancy born from burnout, bold pivots, and a shared belief that real transformation starts from the inside out.Nicky shares how motherhood, corporate disillusionment, and health challenges led her to quit her high-performing sales job with no backup plan. What started as a break turned into a booming recruitment business, which she later sold after realizing she wanted more meaningful impact. Ali, meanwhile, details her own professional unraveling in the corporate wellness space, questioning surface-level fixes and pushing organizations to truly invest in their people. After losing her job for challenging the status quo, she teamed up with Nicky to build something different.
Together, they walk through how The People Co was born, what it means to build people-first strategies, and why so many HR professionals are stretched too thin to solve real organizational problems. This is more than a consulting story, it's a conversation about career rebirth, rethinking workplace wellness, and helping companies do better by their people.
About WithinWithin is a podcast hosted by Nicky Wallace and Ali Payne, founders of The People Co. It explores what happens when organizations stop chasing surface-level solutions and start doing the real work from within. Each episode unpacks stories of leadership, burnout, growth, culture, and the messiness of being human at work. Whether you’re in HR, leading a team, or just rethinking how work fits into your life, Within offers a candid and refreshing look at how people-first business gets built.Connect with them on LinkedIn at www.linkedin.com/in/nwallace515/ or www.linkedin.com/in/alipayne/
23 min
About The Within Podcast
From the publisher's feed
Two sisters. Two completely different paths. One shared mission.
The conversations you’ve been waiting for someone to start.
We’re here to help women feel empowered to live their…
best life, with more intention, less shame, and a whole lot more fun. Through honest, unfiltered conversations with each other, trusted experts, and real practitioners, covering wellness, mindset, relationships, motherhood, entrepreneurship, and everything in between - we cut through the noise and start the conversations that actually matter.
Real talk for women building a life that finally feels like theirs.