What if fulfilment became your operating system for work, family, and the country you choose as your home? We sit down with Laszlo Kiszely, entrepreneur, angel investor and startup mentor, to unpack how curiosity, clear rules, and honest tradeoffs can shape a life.

From early side hustles to corporate launches and startup pivots, Laci shares why skin in the game teaches faster than any classroom. His advice to those thinking about entrepreneurship is straight: it might not be for everyone, but if you have an idea, just try. 

The conversation stretches beyond business into the choices that define a life. Laci has lived and worked across multiple European countries, and his guidance on relocation is grounded and personal. We also talk about what it's like to become the default parent as a father, discuss demographic shifts, and why the next competitive advantage is cross‑generational teams that learn from each other.

If this speaks to where you are in your life right now, press play, or share it with a friend who’s weighing a big move or a startup leap.

To discover more about Laci's work, get in touch with him on LinkedIn.

Thank you for sharing your thoughts with us Laci!

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What happens when your dream job stops loving you back? Alexandra Dolea, archeologist, career mentor, and creator of the Career Excavation Framework, walks us through how she spent nearly two decades in field archaeology across Europe and the Mediterranean, only for everything to unravel during the pandemic: work disappeared, burnout set in, and the story she told herself about success no longer fit. That breaking point became a blueprint for change.

We also get personal about health, rest, and the myth of balance. Alexandra shares how severe illness reordered her priorities and why movement (hiking, lifting, martial arts) became a daily anchor. She makes a case for doing nothing on purpose, noticing invisible work, and asking for help without shame. 

If you’ve ever felt trapped by your own resume or worried your best chapters are behind you, this conversation opens a door. Hit play, rethink your next step, and if it resonates, share it with someone who needs permission to pivot.

To discover more about Alexandra's work please visit alexandradolea.com or get in touch with her on LinkedIn. 

Thank you for sharing your thoughts with us Alexandra!

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If you’ve ever had to build a life in a new culture, this conversation will meet you right where you are. It was a pleasure to sit down with Sarah Leibovitz‑Dambre, intercultural trainer and expert in French and English language and culture, to unpack the emotional and practical realities of moving to France: navigating bureaucracy, managing language anxiety, and finding belonging without losing yourself.

Sarah traces her journey from a multicultural childhood in France to a pivotal move to the U.S., a moment that sparked her calling to help international professionals thrive across cultures. We explore why facts about a country aren’t enough, how real integration starts with embodied connection, and a surprising twist: in France, corrections often signal inclusion, not criticism. 

Beyond intercultural perspectives, the conversation gets personal as Sarah reflects on the deeper questions in life. 

Whether you’re an expat in France, a global professional, or someone rebuilding identity after a big change, you’ll find this conversation incredibly useful. Press play to learn how to build meaningful connections, reframe tough feedback, and design a life that feels like home. 

To discover more about Sarah's work please visit cultureinsight.fr or get in touch with her on LinkedIn. 

Thank you for sharing your thoughts with us Sarah!

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I created this short episode to mark the transition from Wellbeing in Focus to ZestPal. 

First of all, I want to say thank you.
Thank you to everyone who listened to Wellbeing in Focus. That podcast focused on wellbeing and parenthood through conversations with experts, and it’s something I’m still very grateful for.

But over time, something shifted for me.

I realised that while wellbeing is important, it’s only one part of a much bigger picture. What I’ve become more and more interested in are the deeper questions in life.

That’s why Wellbeing in Focus is becoming ZestPal.

ZestPal is about life in a broader sense: life skills, life lessons, meaning, regret, joy, resilience, and of course, zest for life. 

Thank you for being here, whether you’re continuing from Wellbeing in Focus or just joining now.

I’m really glad you’re here.

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It was a pleasure to interview Lee Chambers and hear his thoughts on workplace wellbeing. Lee is an award-winning business psychologist, keynote speaker on wellbeing, inclusion, and leadership, and the founder of Essentialise Workplace Wellbeing. As a highly respected Black, disabled entrepreneur, Lee is a champion of inclusive wellbeing. He’s also a supporter of gender equity, and he’s an award-winning male ally and menopause champion. Lee’s first book, the Millennial's Guide to Wellness, is due to be released later this year.

During our conversation Lee talked about the importance of wellbeing at the workplace and the need for it to go beyond fruit bowls and gym passes. He also explained what "wellbeing washing" is and emphasised the need for companies to implement their wellbeing policies in practice. 

Lee highlighted that wellbeing and inclusion sit closer together than most people think, and because they work together in a cycle, workplaces need to foster them both together. We also talked about neurodiversity, gender equity and allyship in more detail, which are all causes that Lee is passionate about. 

To discover more about Lee's work please visit his website Essentialise Workplace Wellbeing, or get in touch with him on LinkedIn. 

Thank you for sharing your thoughts with us Lee!

Listen to this insightful episode and enjoy 🎙

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I thoroughly enjoyed this inspiring conversation with Valerie Cockerell about how parenthood equips us with valuable leadership skills. Valerie is a consultant, keynote speaker, and author of the book “Manage Like a Mother: Leadership Lessons Drawn from a Mother's Playbook”. After a brilliant career at Disney, Valerie is now part of Cockerell Consulting with her husband Dan, where she facilitates workshops and shares her expertise and methodology in leading teams and delivering outstanding customer service. 

In her new book, "Manage Like a Mother", Valerie brings a simple to understand and easy-to-implement take on leadership inspired by a mother's playbook. As she explains, there are many similarities between how mothers nurture their children in order to bring out the best in them, and how leaders can do the same with their team members.

Valerie encourages everyone to recognise that maternity leave or a career pause due to having children does not have to be a setback. Women gain valuable soft skills through parenthood, and those skills are transferable to the workplace. She advises parents to get back into the workforce with confidence; and companies to give women returners a chance, because they bring valuable contributions to the table. 

To discover more about Valerie's work please visit cockerellconsulting.com or get in touch with her on LinkedIn. 

Listen to this insightful episode and enjoy 🎙

Thank you for sharing your thoughts with us Valerie!

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It was great to talk to Matt Pinkett and learn more about the mental health of boys in this podcast episode. 

Matt is a leading authority on gender and masculinity in schools, and as a teacher who has worked in a variety of educational settings, he challenges toxic masculinity and calls for schools to do more to help boys’ mental health and wellbeing. Matt is also the best-selling author of ‘Boys Don’t Try? Rethinking Masculinity in Schools’, and his new book, ‘Boys Do Cry: Improving Boys' Mental Health and Wellbeing in Schools’ was released this summer.

During this conversation we're chatting about masculinity and the male suicide crisis, and why it's crucial for boys to see better role models. Matt also tells us about the importance of bromance and loving relationships in boys' lives, and we talk about what schools and parents can do to support the mental health of boys better.

Matt regularly does talks for schools on a variety of topics, so if you'd like to get in touch with him you can email him at [email protected] or reach out to him on Twitter.

Listen to this insightful episode and enjoy 🎙

Thank you for sharing your thoughts with us Matt!

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It was a pleasure to interview Valerie Lynn and learn more about Malaysian postpartum practices in this podcast episode. Valerie is a postnatal care specialist and has been a significant force in introducing after-birth recovery practices from Malaysia, its traditions, techniques, and treatments to women globally.

Valerie has benefited first-hand from Eastern medical modalities while living in Asia for over 20 years. She wrote her first book The New Mommy Plan: Restoring Your Post-Pregnancy Body Naturally, Using Women’s Traditional Wisdom, which resulted from a yearlong research project via the Malaysian Ministry of Health, Traditional Complementary Medicine department. The New Mommy Plan is endorsed by several leading childbirth educational organizations in the U.S. and internationally for postpartum doula and new parent education certification.

Valerie’s cookbook, Healing Meals: Simple Recipes for New Moms, is based on postnatal food science. Both books are the basis for her coaching services and corporate workshop for the public and private sector. 

Valerie explains to us why Malaysia is a true global benchmark when it comes to postpartum recovery and how other countries could learn from their practices. She tells us how perinatal mood disorders and postpartum recovery are connected, and that it is no coincidence that Malaysia has the lowest rates of postpartum mood and anxiety disorders at just 3%. Comparing this number to the 25% in the US, it becomes clear that we in Western countries still have a long way to go to achieve proper postpartum support - but the journey is not hopeless. And Valerie has the roadmap. 

To discover more about Valerie’s work please visit her website ecopostnatalcare.com or get in touch with her on LinkedIn. 

Listen to this insightful episode and enjoy! 🎙🤗

Thank you for sharing your thoughts with us Valerie  💞

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It was lovely to chat with Elly Taylor about perinatal relationships in this podcast episode. Elly is a relationship counsellor, award winning author of "Becoming Us: The Couple's Guide to Parenthood", keynote speaker, and founder of Becoming Us: a perinatal relationship education and training for care professionals. 

We talk about how preparations for birth and parenting are important, but there is currently a gap when it comes to preparing parents for parenthood and the changing relationships with each other and themselves. Elly shares some tips with us how couples can navigate this journey and keep their relationship on track.

Elly explains that parenthood can often cause couples to grow apart; but it doesn't have to be this way. She also gives us some insight into the most common issues couples experience in their relationships, and how they can avoid them.  

And there is so much more - listen to the episode and enjoy! 🎙🤗

Thank you for sharing your thoughts with us Elly 💞

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In this podcast episode I'm interviewing Emma Jarvis, founder of Dearbump and co-founder of Parent Promise, helping workplaces support parents during pregnancy, parental leave, and early parenthood.

Emma shares with us how her own experience of feeling unsupported  and overlooked as a new mum at her workplace made her leave the company and set up her own business instead supporting parents. 

Her experience is far from being unique. Statistics show that 77% of mothers experience discrimination at work, 80% of new mums consider leaving their job during maternity leave, and 46% of mums change employers. These shocking numbers highlight the enormity of the issue and the need for workplaces to address it.

With diversity and inclusion being high on the agenda parents expect more help and support from their employers, and rightly so. Emma explains how creating family-friendly policies makes perfect business sense: it helps retain employees and saves the huge costs of having to find and replace talent, not to mention that parents who feel supported and valued by their companies are more engaged and motivated to do their best at work.

To discover more about how workplaces can support parents please visit the Parent Promise website or get in touch with Emma on LinkedIn.

Thank you for sharing your thoughts with us Emma!

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