What’s Your Work?

“We're people in a messy, complicated world, and most of us want to get some things done - how do we do that?” What’s it like to find the perfect place for you? Rich Watkins joins the podcast to talk about his unconventional route into some amazing work, as well as learning where and how he fitted in and the extraordinary contribution he was able to make. There’s also some discussion of his groundbreaking work with groups, what it means to function well as a group and how he supports teams working together. A must listen for anyone leaving school or university, or taking the next step in their career. Show Notes: Rich Watkins is the leader of Let's Go, a global network helping leaders and organisations make collaboration work - building skills in individuals, unlocking team potential and shaping the system so it supports collaboration. You can connect with him on LinkedIn @RichardDavidWatkins and with Let’s Go @LetsGoHQ.Further links for Rich include his website, the Let’s Go collaboration cards and Rich’s TEDx talk.Interested in the topic of integrity? Listen to our discussion with TikTok star Liv Pearsall.Want to find your fit? Try the FindMyWhy tool. Audio mix by Hula & Co. Music. A transcript of this podcast is available to read here.

“If it doesn’t really stand by my mission, it’s not worth it to me…” What is it like to be a full time online content creator? We talked to TikTok and YouTube star Liv Pearsall to find out. Liv shared her definition of the role and her story so far, as well as her aspirations for the future and the importance of analytics and craft behind her content. But even for those of us who don’t aspire to create content online, there’s some fascinating insight into how, if we approach our work with a strong sense of our values and our purpose, it can create a kind of confidence that we can close the gap between where we are today and where we aspire to be. And from that place, some amazing results can be created. Liv Pearsall is a full-time comedy content creator with over 169 million likes on TikTok. You can find her on TikTok and Instagram @liv.pearsall.Want to watch the YouTube content Liv mentioned? Subscribe to her YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/c/LivPearsall47Interested in the topic of Integrity? We talked to Helen Guinness about it in a previous episode, which you can listen to here.Interested in building your confidence? Check out this article on our website to read more.Audio mix by Hula & Co. Music A transcript of this episode is available to read here.

“You know, it’s never going to get solved if you don’t bring it up. So just talk…” Mental health at work: are we talking about it? Kickstart graduate Ryan Casey joins the podcast to talk about his experience opening up on male mental health, speaking out and being the change you want to see in the world. He also talks about his time training with Darius through the Kickstart Scheme, which lifted him out of long-term unemployment and into his current career, as well as dealing with imposter syndrome and launching his own podcast. The future is bright with people like Ryan in our workplaces - spend an hour with him here. Show Notes: Ryan Casey is a graduate of the UK Kickstart Scheme and is currently working as Communications and Projects Assistant for A New Normal Ltd. He also co-hosts the Diversity on Screen podcast which can be found on Spotify. You can connect with him on LinkedIn @ Ryan Casey.The blog post that Ryan wrote which we discuss in the episode can be read here: https://www.anewnormal.co/post/stigma-surrounding-men-s-mental-health.Interested in hearing from young people on the Kickstart Scheme? We employed our whole team through the scheme last year, and featured them in several episodes of the podcast. Here’s one to get you started.If you or someone you know is struggling with mental health, there are many resources that can help, including this one from MIND: https://www.mind.org.uk/need-urgent-help/using-this-tool/Audio mix by Hula & Co. Music. A transcript of this podcast is available to read here.

“If you’re in a crisis and you know you’ve got nothing left to lose, you become more decisive…” How do you start life in a Russian military unit and get to award winning entrepreneur in less than 30 years? Ekaterina Blake knows exactly what to do. She joins the podcast after winning the Young Professional of the Year Award to share her incredible journey, from dealing with school bullies to moving to the UK and ultimately starting her own successful business. Ekaterina also talks about pushing out of your comfort zone, going against the crowd and why you should never lie on your CV. The perfect listen for anyone facing challenges or starting a new adventure. Show Notes: Ekaterina Blake is the Founder and CEO of InspoHub, a creative agency specialising in Video Production and Live Broadcast. She is a passionate EDI advocate, mentor for creative young professionals and a hobbyist psychologist. Ekaterina recently won the Young Professional of the Year Award at the 2022 Dynamic Awards. You can connect with her on LinkedIn @EkaterinaBlake.Learn more about InspoHub by checking their Instagram and TikTok - @inspohub.io.Interested in the topic of overcoming adversity? A lot of our amazing podcast guests touch on it, but we particularly recommend our conversations with Gamal Turawa, Ian King and Alice Reeves.You can also read more about overcoming adversity on our website here.Want to listen to more on the creative industries? Get to know musician Alexandra Purpura in episode 2 and episode 3.Listen to What’s Your Work on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Amazon Music or watch the full episodes on YouTube. We also post clips and written content every week on TikTok, Instagram, Twitter, LinkedIn and YouTube, as well as our website www.whatsyour.work.Audio mix by Hula & Co Music.

“Most people listening to this: there’s a huge amount to be grateful for…” What happens when we take a moment to connect with gratitude? That’s the question Darius and producer Harry are discussing this week, as well as expressing gratitude to the people in your life, taking power from vulnerability and noticing the things in your life that you already have. Sometimes What’s Your Work? is about making changes and trying new things. But what have you already got to draw on? And how can you share it? Darius is joined by producer (and writer of these show notes - thanks for reading!) Harry. You can connect with me on LinkedIn @Harry McMullen. Like this format? We previously recorded a conversation on the topic of New Beginnings which you can listen to here.Want to practice internal gratitude? Read our piece on connecting with what you’re already resolved about here.As we said in the podcast, thank you for listening to the What’s Your Work podcast. We’re grateful for every listen we get. If you want to connect with us, there are many ways to do so. Listen on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Amazon Music or watch the full episodes on YouTube. We also post clips and written content every week on TikTok, Instagram, Twitter, LinkedIn and YouTube, as well as our website www.whatsyour.work.Audio mix by Hula & Co Music.

“That’s just the way it is, and I can’t be something I’m not” How joyful is your life? Alice Reeves joins the podcast to talk about audience-first marketing, as well as sharing her own journey with neurodiversity, starting her own business and owning who she really is - and how powerful that can be. It’s a wonderfully open and generous conversation, and if you’re interested in building an authentic and joyful working life for yourself - listen now. Alice Reeves is the Co-director and Founder of The Joyful - brand and marketing for movers, shakers, and change-makers. For everything from audience-led content marketing campaigns and SEO to community-focused social media, contact The Joyful here: https://wearethejoyful.com/contact/The eating disorder charity mentioned in the podcast is Beat. If you need support or want to find out more, visit https://www.beateatingdisorders.org.uk/.Interested in Alice’s story of changing careers? Check out Femi Bola’s story on the podcast here https://www.whatsyour.work/all-episodes/episode-18, and our podcast on New Beginnings here: https://www.whatsyour.work/all-episodes/episode-15.Are you feeling restless in your career? Read this article and connect with where you are in your journey: https://www.whatsyour.work/blog/change-your-life-right-now.Audio mix by Hula & Co Music.

“People think they have to know everything. And I don't think you can know everything” What would you do if you realised your calling was somewhere else entirely? If you’re Femi Bola MBE, you put your PhD in the bin and go pursue that calling. Femi joins the podcast for a fascinating conversation about her journey, as well as the mentors and relationships that changed her life and set her on her way. There’s also some great insight for young people feeling the pressure to know everything right away, sharing journeys and allyship in 2022. Show Notes: Femi Bola is an independent development consultant and former director with over 20 years experience tackling social inequality in relation to education, employment and training. You can connect with her on LinkedIn.Interested in the topic of self-trust? Listen to this podcast with Hazel Beckett.Want to connect with your own calling? Try reading this piece to get started.We want to hear from you! Write into the show by visiting our website: https://whatsyour.work/Audio mix by Hula & Co Music.

“It's such a gift that I've cultivated, received everything, that it's just very clear I want to share that with others” Zeeger Scholten, founder of INJOY, joins the podcast to share his mission: to support people expanding consciousness and raising their quality of life. In the conversation he and Darius define consciousness, as well as taking a mindful quiet moment to check in on it. Zeeger also shares the story behind his recent viral story, as well as discussing the relationship between surrendering to what is and creating what will be. What does it mean to have a mission? How can we live that practically every day? Show Notes: Zeeger Scholten is the founder of INJOY, which works to connect teams and support well-being, development, and engagement of each member of your team. You can connect with him on LinkedIn @Zeeger Scholten.Zeeger’s viral postWant to connect with your own vision? We’ve written about that - read here.We want to hear from you! Write into the show by visiting our website: https://whatsyour.work/Audio mix and edit by Hula & Co Music. A transcript of this episode is available to read here.

“What you're committed to is what's going to show up in your life” When we’re passionately connected to an idea, we’re called forth in a different way. That’s been the journey of International Transformation Coach Helen Guinness, who joins the podcast to talk about living with integrity, people pleasing, saying no, finding courage and being fierce. What are you committed to? Helen Guinness has been a pioneer in the field of Personal Development and Coaching for over 40 years. Previous projects include Four by Four Consulting, Vision for Action and The Hunger Project UK. You can find Helen at her website helenguiness.com.Helen previously shared her work with us on our website - read more here.Interested in the topic of Integrity? We discussed this further in a previous podcast with Tom Goodwin - listen here.We want to hear from you! Write into the show by visiting our website: https://whatsyour.work/Audio mix and edit by Hula & Co Music. A transcript of this podcast is available to read here.

“Is it about you? Or what you’re creating?” What happens when we start something new? Darius is joined by producer Harry for a conversation around the energy of creation - be it a new job, career change, starting a venture or just a new chapter in your life. The two talk about being intentional from the beginning, the temptation to always “be in the story” and the relationship between “getting” and contributing. The podcast about who you are becoming asks, how do you start things? Show Notes: Darius is joined by producer (and writer of these show notes - thanks for reading!) Harry. You can connect with me on LinkedIn @Harry McMullen.Interested in the topic of new beginnings? Listen to our podcast on experimenting with a new habit, and read this article from us on resolutions.The video of Darius mentioned - Funny Interaction Between Kids Shovelling For MoneyWe want to hear from you! Write into the show by visiting our website: https://whatsyour.work/Audio mix and edit by Hula & Co Music. A transcript of this episode is available to read here.

“One conversation is sometimes all that’s needed” Ian King’s work is people. Since 2013 he has worked as a coach to help people realise their potential - but the truth is, he’s been supporting people far longer than that. Ian joins the podcast to reflect on his practice, his journey and his purpose in the world moving forward. Themes of the discussion include empowering others, being an agent of change, asking for help and ultimately self-compassion - something that can be in startlingly short supply. Ian shares some of his practices for finding ways to love yourself, as well as the missing pieces of community, camaraderie and learning. Show Notes: Ian King is an NLP qualified coach with 25 years’ experience working in client-focused roles, largely with vulnerable adults, people with long-term health conditions and disability, and for the past 13 years with healthcare workers in both the NHS and Independent Sector. He is also a Brilliance coach and student of mindfulness. You can find him at his website https://www.relatedness.co.uk/.This podcast is about deeply witnessing people, who and where they are, with a clarity and generosity and ease. Can you find an opportunity to do that for someone today? Can you do it for yourself?For more on the topic of working remotely, and the personal effects that can have, listen to our podcast with Tom Goodwin here.If you are dealing with a negative self-voice, or feeling stuck inside your own head, check out our blog post on the Inner Voice and how to make friends with it here.We want to hear from you! Write into the show by visiting our website: https://whatsyour.work/Audio mix and edit by Hula & Co Music. A transcript of this podcast is avalable to read here.

“The only way we learn is by finding the boundaries” Futurist Tom Goodwin joins the podcast to discuss a wide range of topics, including the quality of authenticity. How is it to simply be you at all times? What does that do? And in being in those questions, the quality of curiosity emerges - a powerful learning frame, simply to be curious about the people, places and things all around us. Tom and Darius also share stories of learning and growing in work, being with people and entrepreneurship, as well as suggestions for a vision of the future. Show Notes: Tom Goodwin is a world-renowned trends and transformation expert, and the founder of All We Have Is Now (AWHIN, Inc), an innovation consultancy. He also authored the business book Digital Darwinism, the second edition of which is published spring 2022. You can find him hosting The Edge on Euronews, at his website tomgoodwin.co, and on LinkedIn @TomGoodwin.The quality of Curiosity is one of the foundational pieces of the Radical Employability methodology, pioneered by Darius Norell at People and Their Brilliance. You can find out more about Radical Employability here.Interested in the idea of authenticity as Tom describes it? We have a blog post on our website about responsibility, accountability and ownership - being real with yourself and with others, and what that creates in the world. You can read that post here.You can also listen to our podcast with Gamal Turawa, who speaks beautifully about recognising yourself and others, and owning your part in your own life. See what connections emerge for you.We want to hear from you! Write into the show by visiting our website: https://whatsyour.work/Audio mix and edit by Hula & Co. Music. A transcript of this podcast is available to read here.

“That’s the work that makes your eyes light up” Charlie Welch has made a career of working with young people, helping them to be at their natural best. She joins the podcast to share some of her own incredible life story, as well as stories of the brilliant young people she has worked with along the way, native genius, and how finding the things in life that light you up allow you to make a lasting impact. Show Notes: Charlie Welch is a training and development consultant who has challenged, trained and motivated clients from over 100 organisations during the last 30 years. These have ranged from individual research students to leaders working in global brands including GSK, General Electric and the University of Oxford. Charlie is also a trained Brilliance coach with People and Their Brilliance.Interested in hearing more from Charlie? She shared another story with us in a blog post on our website, which you can read here.Benjamin Zander - Shining Eyes.Jane Adhsead GrantNancy Kline - Time To ThinkSimon Sinek - The Art of ListeningWe want to hear from you! Write into the show by visiting our website: https://whatsyour.work/Audio mix and edit by Hula & Co. Music. A transcript of this podcast is available to read here.

“Do you know how powerful you are?” Hazel Beckett is an expert in working with young people, giving them the opportunity to make their voices heard. She joins the podcast to share some of her own journey, getting to the heart of meaningfully engaging with young people and the growth mindset of learning. Hazel then meets with the No Alarm Clock group as they check in with their ongoing experiment, exploring the deeper questions of trust, the authentic self and how our view of the world can change radically through deep work. Some podcast discussions are eye-opening; for a world-opening exploration, listen to this episode now. Show Notes: This episode is a continuation of the No Alarm Clock experiment, which was raised in the previous episode - listen here.Interested in the topic of authenticity? Check out this episode on finding out what’s important to you, and this episode on building trust in yourself. We also have a blog post on our website about identifying things that are already resolved and strong in you which you can read here.We used the quote above from Hazel because this idea of discovering and owning your own power is such a key part of what this podcast is. We make What’s Your Work for you to find these connections for yourself and to draw power from, and she named that so beautifully in this episode.Hazel Beckett has worked for the past 10 years in roles focussed on giving young people the opportunities they need to become the best version of themselves. Previous projects include the ICS, National Citizenship Service and supporting child refugees during the European Refugee Crisis in 2015. Hazel is currently working as an Operations Manager for Catch 22 - you can find out more about them here.Alex worked as a Recruitment Administrator for People and Their Brilliance and is now continuing to work part time in recruitment whilst pursuing her career in music. You can connect with her on LinkedIn @Alexandra Purpura.Casey is currently working in digital marketing and is due to graduate from the Kickstart scheme in May. You can connect with her on LinkedIn @Casey White.Henry is currently working in digital marketing and recently graduated from the Kickstart Scheme. You can connect with him on LinkedIn @Henry Dewar.Todd worked as a Training Administrator before graduating from the Kickstart Scheme. You can connect with him on LinkedIn @Todd Wheatland.We want to hear from you! Write into the show by visiting our website: https://whatsyour.work/Audio mix and edit by Hula & Co. Music. A transcript of this podcast is available to read here.

“Now everything is motivated by me, rather than anxiety or shame” The No Alarm Clock experimenters return to the podcast for a discussion on how the experiment went and what they learned from waking up without an alarm clock for seven days. There’s reflections on the impact of setting an intention, being afraid to let go of control, being rigorous about how we commit to experimenting and how we measure results, as well as the magic that can happen in the world when we connect to a deep trust - in ourselves and in the energy of the universe around us. Show Notes: This episode is a follow up to episode eight, which you can listen to here.In this episode, the role of trust and anxiety in how we show up recurs several times. The voice in your head and what it tells you can make such a big impact on who you become - we talk more about this in a blog post which you can read here.Interested in running this experiment for yourself? Try it for seven days and see what you notice. You can share your progress and what you learn with us by writing in on the podcast website whatsyour.work, or by emailing harry@thebrilliance.co.uk.Alex worked as a Recruitment Administrator for People and Their Brilliance and is now continuing to work part time in recruitment whilst pursuing her career in music. You can connect with her on LinkedIn @Alexandra Purpura.Casey is currently working in digital marketing and is due to graduate from the Kickstart scheme in May. You can connect with her on LinkedIn @Casey White.Henry is currently working in digital marketing and recently graduated from the Kickstart Scheme. You can connect with him on LinkedIn @Henry Dewar.Todd worked as a Training Administrator before graduating from the Kickstart Scheme. You can connect with him on LinkedIn @Todd Wheatland.We want to hear from you! Write into the show by visiting our website: https://whatsyour.work/Audio mix and edit by Hula & Co. Music. A transcript of this episode is available to read here.

“If we had 100 million, what would we do? Exactly what we do now…” CEO of Tufflederskarptraning and author of Coaching Jobseekers, Karin Tenelius, is an expert in creating work places built on employee power. In this episode she and Darius discuss the flaws in conventional working weeks, how covid has changed the way that businesses operate, and a vision for how day-to-day working could be. Karin also explains being “allergic to meetings that aren’t empowering” and what happens when your work is rooted in your calling. Show Notes: We packed a lot into a short period of time this episode, so here are some links to various resources for different themes. On this idea of having a job that relates to your life’s mission, you can listen to our first podcast episode on Values here, and read our blog post here. On changing the way you or your team works for the better, you can read a blog post from Karin on reinvention here.Tuff Leadership Training, the company Karin founded, delivers self-management and coaching courses which you can enroll in here.Karin Tenelius is a pioneer in coaching jobseekers, entrepreneurship and leadership training. In addition to founding Tuff and her decades of experience working all over the world, she is the author of two books: Coaching Jobseekers and Moose Heads on the Table: Stories about self-managing organisations from Sweden (co-author Lisa Gill.) You can find her on Twitter @ktenelius.We want to hear from you! Write into the show by visiting our website: https://whatsyour.work/Audio mix and edit by Hula & Co. Music. A transcript of this episode is available to read here.

“It feels good to be living on purpose…” The People and Their Brilliance team comes back together on the topic of resolutions. Harry feeds back on his experiment with a new sleeping habit, which leads to a discussion about the relationship between new habits and trust. Darius shares a deep wish for everyone to develop the kind of deep trust in the self that forms the foundation of confidence, of ease and of power. Then the team explores the challenge of a no alarm clock experiment to bring back in a future podcast. If there’s one thing the What’s Your Work podcast is about, it’s creating more ease and more spaciousness in the world, and this episode speaks to that in a powerful way. Show Notes: As the title suggests, this episode is a direct follow up to a previous podcast on the same topic, which you can listen to here.Interested in this topic, or even trying this experiment for yourself? We have a blog post on our website which you can read here.If you try this for yourself, we’d love to hear from you! You can contact us here with your reflections, noticings, challenges and questions.Alex worked as a Recruitment Administrator for People and Their Brilliance and is now continuing to work part time in recruitment whilst pursuing her career in music. You can connect with her on LinkedIn @Alexandra Purpura.Casey is currently working in digital marketing and is due to graduate from the Kickstart scheme in May. You can connect with her on LinkedIn @Casey White.Henry is currently working in digital marketing and recently graduated from the Kickstart Scheme. You can connect with him on LinkedIn @Henry Dewar.Todd worked as a Training Administrator before graduating from the Kickstart Scheme. You can connect with him on LinkedIn @Todd Wheatland.We want to hear from you! Write into the show by visiting our website: https://whatsyour.work/Audio mix and edit by Hula & Co. Music. A transcript of this podcast is available to read here.

“Our stories belong to the world” Gamal Turawa has unlocked some amazing conversations by sharing his experiences, and is now the subject of Bafta-awarded film The Black Cop. He joins the podcast to talk about his experience making the film and the moments in his life it depicts, as well as giving up control, compassion for others, imposter syndrome and meeting people where they are in their journey. He also shares some personal stories from childhood, the angels he’s met along the way, and how that’s shaped his life’s work. Gamal is a brilliant guest and we hope listening to his story is as powerful for you as it was for us. Show Notes: Gamal won the BAFTA! Since recording, The Black Cop won the 2022 BAFTA Short Film Award. You can watch it for yourself here. Massive congratulations to all at The Guardian and to G.“This painting is going to meet people that I will never meet.” What an incredible example of a value creating mindset; the realisation that our expression and our whole self is of value to others. We have such an opportunity to make a difference with everything we do in our lives. How do we make things better around here? We have a blog post on this very topic which you can read here.Gamal Turawa spent 25 years in the London Metropolitan Police Service, delivering programmes on Diversity, Inclusion and Personal Development whilst becoming the UK's first openly Gay Black police officer along the way. His time with the police included a five year secondment to the National Police Improvement Agency where he trained in excess of 3000 officers from all over the world. He is now the founder, managing director and Lead facilitator for Purple Frog Connections, dedicated to “Creating Space For Conversations to take Place.” You can learn more about Purple Frog here.We want to hear from you! Write into the show by visiting our website: https://whatsyour.work/Audio mix and edit by Hula & Co. Music. A transcript of this episode is available to read here.

“I’d like to think that if I wanted something to change, I would just do it.” In this compact edition of What’s Your Work, the team starts off the New Year thinking about resolutions. What is this practice of New Year’s Resolutions? And how come it never works? The conversation also turns to habits, how they get created, how to sustain new habits and letting yourself fail as part of the journey. Thinking of connections for yourself - what are your habits? What happens when you try to affect change in your life? And what would you like to try and shift for yourself moving forward? Show Notes: This is a good episode to come back to at the beginning of the year, this natural point in the calendar where we look both backwards and forwards. Whatever year you’re arriving here, if you’re wanting to look backwards first, try listening to our episode on End of Year Reflections here.Interested in the topic of Resolutions? We have more on our website in this blog post which you can read here.Alex worked as a Recruitment Administrator for People and Their Brilliance and is now continuing to work part time in recruitment whilst pursuing her career in music. You can connect with her on LinkedIn @Alexandra Purpura.Casey is currently working in digital marketing and is due to graduate from the Kickstart scheme in May. You can connect with her on LinkedIn @Casey White.Henry is currently working in digital marketing and recently graduated from the Kickstart Scheme. You can connect with him on LinkedIn @Henry Dewar.Todd worked as a Training Administrator before graduating from the Kickstart Scheme. You can connect with him on LinkedIn @Todd Wheatland.We want to hear from you! Write into the show by visiting our website: https://whatsyour.work/Audio mix and edit by Hula & Co. Music. A transcript of this podcast is available to read here.

"This is the beautiful gift that you can give yourself" At the end of the year, the team at People and Their Brilliance sit down to reflect on where they are at and what is the work they want to do moving forward. First, Harry leads a group discussion of what they want to bring to this episode’s conversation, thinking about “what is the best use of our time together?” Then Darius hears each of the burning questions, opening up a conversation around drive, confidence, motivation and action. At the root of all these themes is the courage and skill of asking the question: “Is what I am doing wanted and needed?” It can be so easy to sleepwalk through life, unaware of the answer to that question. By being in that question, and confronting the answer, so many possibilities open up. Show Notes:  Darius and his habit of no alarm clock will return in future episodes, but for now you can read more about it in a blog post on our website here.For more on this idea of “negative” feedback being really valuable, we recommend watching this brilliant video from Benjamin Zander.Alex worked as a Recruitment Administrator for People and Their Brilliance and is now continuing to work part time in recruitment whilst pursuing her career in music. You can connect with her on LinkedIn @Alexandra Purpura.Casey is currently working in digital marketing and is due to graduate from the Kickstart scheme in May. You can connect with her on LinkedIn @Casey White.Ciaran worked as a Recruitment Administrator before graduating from the Kickstart Scheme. You can connect with him on LinkedIn @Ciaran Keogh.Henry is currently working in digital marketing and recently graduated from the Kickstart Scheme. You can connect with him on LinkedIn @Henry Dewar.Todd worked as a Training Administrator before graduating from the Kickstart Scheme. You can connect with him on LinkedIn @Todd Wheatland.We want to hear from you! Write into the show by visiting our website: https://whatsyour.work/Audio mix and edit by Hula & Co. Music. You can read a transcript of this episode here.