Today’s guest is Samantha Connaughton, who works in the music industry, and who I knew would be a dear friend as soon as we met a few years ago. To borrow her own turn of phrase, she is simply a good egg, and has a knack for making everyone around her feel supported and safe.

In our conversation we discuss her gift of maintaining balance in all aspects of life, expanding empathy through your lived experience, and authentically expressing your sense of self.

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My guest today is Danika Gregg, who I met at high school and reconnected with now that we both live in the UK. Danika is Global Social Impact Communications Director at Dentsu and also has founded her own agency, The Comms Crew.

I love catching up with Danika because we always skip the small talk and jump straight into the deep stuff, and it’s always hard not to keep talking for hours on end, so it was such a treat to record this conversation for the podcast. We discuss her gift for making space for people to be their authentic selves, inheriting her eternal optimism from her parents, and where her unwavering self belief comes from.

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My guest for this episode is my friend Erin Boylan Allen. Erin works in television as a production manager, and also has her own small business named Ziggy Pop Shop where she beautifully crafts handmade earrings inspired by the music and fashion of the 60s and 70s.

In our conversation, we discuss how this love of music has played a significant role in all aspects of her life. We also discuss the determination that drives her, whilst making sure to always think about the bigger picture to allow joy to flow.

Both determination and warmth exist at the same time within Erin, and when you’re around her you really feel inspired by both energies, so I hope you come away from this conversation as inspired as I was!

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You can visit Ziggy Pop Shop on Etsy here and follow on Instagram here.

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My guest today is my friend Lizzy Crotty, who I think has had one of the most interesting and varied career and life paths for someone who is only in her thirties!

Lizzy began her career following her passion of conservation, which led her to live in multiple countries across several continents, and in between it all she also started her own business in a completely different sector. Now based in the UK, she is instrumental in growing philanthropic relationships in her role at Friends of Australian Wildlife Conservancy.

In our conversation, Lizzy talks me through how she grew her self-confidence by immersing herself in different experiences; why she always interacts with other people from a place of compassion, empathy and vulnerability; and an incredible story about a challenging moment in her life where she learned to persevere.

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My guest today is my dear friend Tash Zünd, who grew up in Switzerland and now lives and works as a writer and filmmaker in London.

Tash is one of those people who is endlessly curious about the world - she absolutely adores people, she loves getting to know them and listening to their stories, and she is also a masterful storyteller herself. Her work is always full of heart, creativity, and of course curiosity.

In our conversation today, we discuss placing as much importance on interpersonal skills as technical skills, looking for inspiration in diverse places, and how to expand your gifts by existing beyond your comfort zone.

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You can follow Tash Zünd on Instagram here.

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My guest today is an extra special one, because this time I am chatting with my mum, Lisa.

As I’ve gotten older, I have admired more and more how she often inspires other women in her life, not just myself and my sister, so I am super excited to bring her wisdom to the podcast.

In our discussion we talk about her gifts of connecting people and making space for them to be creative with their ideas. We also talk about why it’s so important as women to give ourselves permission and to stop guilt from holding us back.

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My guest today is Aneesha Aslam, who is honestly one of the most impressive young women I know. I met Aneesha a couple of years ago when I was one of her clients. She then later came to work for me for a time at my creative agency, Insignis.

Each month, Aneesha produces her own newsletter on LinkedIn called Monthly Marketing Tips, which has dedicated subscribers in the tens of thousands. She has built this audience all on her own by tapping into her unique strengths.

As you’ll hear in our chat, a big part of this was turning something that could have been seen as a weakness into one of her greatest gifts. So no matter how old you are or where you are at in your career, I suspect you will find some inspiration in Aneesha’s resilience and ability to reflect.

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You can subscribe to Aneesha's Monthly Marketing Tips newsletter here.

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My very first guest is Dr Margaret Mayston. Margaret is a friend I have made through work via the Australian community here in London. She is an Associate Professor at University College London, where she teaches human physiology. She is a trustee of several boards, founded the Australia House Ensemble, and has also been appointed a Member of the Order of Australia.

In our conversation, we reflect on Margaret’s life-long passions for music and for sharing knowledge. We discuss our thoughts on whether gifts are things we are born with or whether they are nurtured over our lifetimes. And we look for clues in our childhoods and upbringings for hints of what would become our gifts and purpose later in life.

I am so excited to share this conversation with you as Margaret was so generous - she cites one of her gifts as ‘sharing knowledge’, and she has absolutely given us that gift today. I hope you enjoy!

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Do you ever reflect on what your unique gifts and talents are?

It's rare as women to take a moment to think of ourselves in this way. But what would happen if we made an effort to dig into what our gifts are, and how we could get more enjoyment, growth and fulfilment from them in our everyday life?

This is Top Mast - The podcast for women in the middle of their personal and professional journey; who value continuous learning and growth; and who want to dedicate time to understand themselves better.

This is a space for us to collectively dive deep and witness our true talents, to feel seen by a community of women on a similar journey, and to celebrate and understand our gifts no matter where we are in life.

My name is Bec Newman. I’m a Creative Director living and working in London. In each episode of Top Mast, I’ll be in conversation with different people who identify as women about what they believe to be their greatest gifts in life. We’ll unpack how each woman discovered these gifts, how she nurtures them, and how they manifest in her professional and personal lives.

The women I speak to are so generous with sharing their journeys, and all of them are uncovering some brilliant insights, no matter how old they are, where they come from, where they work, or where their passions lie.

I hope that in listening to these conversations, you feel invited to reflect on what your own gifts are. Because I believe that once we acknowledge and nurture our unique gifts, we can find an ongoing sense of fulfilment, wonder, and purpose in our lives.

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