Leader Insider Secrets

Roz very kindly endorsed my book, Inner Brilliance · Outer Shine: 10 Antidotes to Imposter Syndrome, Workaholism and Stress. We trained together as coaches 18 years ago and what’s always impressed me about her, is that she makes a success of whatever she turns her hand to. She’s been a partner in a firm of patent attorneys in Derby, run a coaching business and is now an award-winning crime author with Harper Collins with her DI Meg Dalton Crime Series. This episode of Leader Insider Secrets was recorded from her writing shed overlooking a field where she thinks about murder plots. We talk about: · Her murder board. · How she uses repetitive activities to think creatively. · How she knows when it’s time to change something in her work or life. · Her tips for focusing and concentrating. · The positive childhood experience which taught her to ask for help and to trust people. · How she doesn’t get hung up on goals which she can’t control. She focuses on things she can make happen. · How she handles 1 star reviews. · How it’s important to let yourself feel ‘it’ and be genuine in your emotions. · How she cheers herself up if she feels down, when she needs to get a job done. · The worst piece of advice she’s been given. Roz is one of the most interesting people I know and has a brilliant brain. It was easy to see, listening to her, why she makes a success of things. The best place to connect with Roz is on Twitter. You can find out more about her books here, the first in the series is The Devils Dice. You can connect with me Estelle Read, book a free 30 minute discovery session, get free resources or order my book Inner Brilliance · Outer Shine: 10 Antidotes to Imposter Syndrome, Workaholism and Stress here. Thank you for listening to Leader Insider Secrets. You can help this podcast grow by leaving an honest review. Also, if you want to get future episodes remember to hit subscribe.

I was privileged to interview podcasting royalty Professor Damian Hughes. He’s the co-host of UK’s most popular pod, The High Performance Podcast with Jake Humphrey and they’ve interviewed some amazing guests ranging from Mathew McConaughey, Rio Ferdinand, Alastair Campbell, Dame Kelly Holmes and Mel Robins. Damian is an international speaker and the author of many best-selling books. I was therefore honoured when Damian agreed to come on my podcast AND endorse my book, Inner Brilliance · Outer Shine: 10 Antidotes to Imposter Syndrome, Workaholism and Stress. As you might expect with Damian, this episode is jam-packed with thought provoking statements and advice about recreating high performance.  We talk about: · How success leaves clues. · How to establish a culture of high performance. · The person Damian thinks of when he thinks about success. · How imposter syndrome at school, positively drove him on to where he is today. · How confidence comes from evidence. · How to create psychological safety. · The importance of a ‘blueprint’ for high performance, which is based on strengths and looking for what has already been done successfully. · And of course, sport! He has worked with and interviewed many international sporting heroes. Damian is someone I’ve looked up to for a long time. We first met 16 years ago at the launch of his first book and I can remember thinking wow back then. I was left feeling even more impressed following our conversation. He’s candid, funny, holds a wealth of knowledge and generously shares his time and expertise. You can connect with Damian on LinkedIn, Instagram or find out more about him here. This is where you can listen to his podcast and find his latest best-selling book. You can connect with me Estelle Read, book a free 30 minute discovery session, get free resources or order my book Inner Brilliance · Outer Shine: 10 Antidotes to Imposter Syndrome, Workaholism and Stress here. Thank you for listening to Leader Insider Secrets. You can help this podcast grow by leaving an honest review. Also, if you want to get future episodes remember to hit subscribe.

You never forget Matt when you meet him; he’s statesman-like, tenacious, honest, really passionate about his business and how people are led. He also has an amazingly creative mind. In this episode we talk about: His presentation at a People Strategy day. He really shone in that moment. Matt talks about how he gets nervous doing speeches; it really wasn’t evident on the day and was one of the best key note speeches I have seen. Imposter Syndrome and what it’s related to for him. His experience of Havening and how he overcame events from his past. His daily routine. He has clear time boundaries, which help maintain a healthy work-life balance. He shares his tips. What people get wrong about him. He’s been told he can be blunt hostile and insufferable. However, it’s just a front. He really cares and is terrified of people thinking ill of him. Organisational culture and the importance of trust. A high performance model which incorporates trust and the behaviours which grow trust within businesses. Matt Trewartha is a Partner at Fisher German and joined the business in April 2013. He is a Property Manager and Consultant for large Corporate and Private Clients. This involves the proactive management of property assets on behalf of clients to maximise income, optimise opportunities, reduce risks, protect the capital value of the asset and remove the distraction to allow the owners to captain their industry, protect their heritage or simply enjoy their time. You can connect with Matt on LinkedIn here. You can find out more about Fisher German here. You can connect with me Estelle Read, book a free 30 minute discovery session, get free resources or order my book Inner Brilliance · Outer Shine: 10 Antidotes to Imposter Syndrome, Workaholism and Stress here. Thank you for listening to Leader Insider Secrets. You can help this podcast grow by leaving an honest review. Also, if you want to get future episodes remember to hit subscribe.

Lisa Sachwell is a Pain Management Specialist and Yoga Teacher. I refer to Lisa as the ‘miracle women’, because years ago she sorted out my painful and immobile shoulder. It was only afterwards I realised that there was an emotional connection to the pain I was feeling. I was shouldering too much responsibility. This is where there’s synergy between the work that Lisa and I do; Lisa facilitates change in the body and I facilitate change in the mind, which is why I thought it would be good for us to chat. For example, did you know that fMRI studies show that the same areas of the brain become activated when we experience rejection, as when we experience physical pain? In this latest episode of Leader Insider Secrets, which is centred around the topics in my book, Inner Brilliance. Outer Shine: 10 Antidotes to Imposter Syndrome, Workaholism and Stress, Lisa shares how you can look after your mind, body and soul, because how can you shine if you’re in pain! Lisa is a fascinating person and she talks about the tools and techniques she uses to manage her wellbeing and lots of other things including: · How she positively programmes her unconscious mind first thing in the morning and sets herself up for success. · Managing your inner critic – Lisa shares a simple but powerful technique. · How she intuitively knows where the pain is, in a client’s body. · How she’s rebellious and doesn’t like routine. · Trees, nature and grounding yourself. Shoes are an issue! · Death and managing the transition and stages of grief. · Energy and auric fields. · Her Yoga practice – she has a fabulous relaxing retreat coming up. It’s not a mainstream conversation…it’s a really interesting one! Lisa presses the reset button on pain, you can find out more about her and the retreat here. You can connect with Lisa on Facebook or Instagram. You can connect with me Estelle Read, book a free 30 minute discovery session, get free resources or order my book Inner Brilliance · Outer Shine: 10 Antidotes to Imposter Syndrome, Workaholism and Stress here. Thank you for listening to Leader Insider Secrets. You can help this podcast grow by leaving an honest review. Also, if you want to get future episodes remember to hit subscribe.

Debbie Jenkins was my book coach, so it seemed fitting that I interviewed her for Series 2 of Leader Insider Secrets, which focuses on the topics covered in my book, Inner Brilliance · Outer Shine: 10 Antidotes to Imposter Syndrome, Workaholism and Stress. Without Debs, my book would never have got published. She is one of the best businesswomen I know. Full of fun, ideas and chaos! We talk about chaos a lot on this episode and how you can turn clever thoughts into assets. Debs has run businesses and led people for a long time. She had beanbags in chillout rooms before they were even a thing at Google – this is how her mind works. Always ahead of the curve. Originally an electronics engineer, but since then has run a marketing company, written many books, and coached lots of authors. Here’s what we cover: · How to use chaos effectively – it needs constraints. · Being polymathic. I’d never heard of the word until this episode. · How she is recovering from control freakery which stems from being the oldest child of four. This led to always feeling responsible, stepping forward and getting things done. However, it got exhausting. · How imposter syndrome keeps her humble and on her toes. · What ‘4 am Dave brain’ is and how she deals with it. · How a story which her headmaster told her each year, became a burden initially, but then inspired change. She learnt not to compare herself with others. We laughed a lot on this episode like two naughty school girls, as I suspected we would. You can connect with Debs on most social media platforms @debsjenkins. You can find out more about the work that Debs does at: https://theassetpath.com/ or https://debbiejenkins.com/ You can connect with me Estelle Read, book a free 30 minute discovery session, get free resources or order my book Inner Brilliance · Outer Shine: 10 Antidotes to Imposter Syndrome, Workaholism and Stress here. Thank you for listening to Leader Insider Secrets. You can help this podcast grow by leaving an honest review. Also, if you want to get future episodes remember to hit subscribe.

Andrew Bridge, Managing Partner of Fisher German (FG) really embodies what it means to be a great, modern leader. FG employs over 600 employees and is 60-person partnership. This is no mean feat when it comes to creating alignment, because it’s like having 60 business owners! Andrew is purpose driven. He recognises how his organisation can make a difference to the survival of the human race through their services. He genuinely thinks highly of his team (he says they are amazing) and very much achieves results through them.  What’s evident about Andrew’s success is his mindset. Always seeing the opportunity in challenges but also continually growing and helping his team to be the best they can be. We talk about the things that contribute towards both his and FG’s success: How a big part of leadership involves talking to people and listening. How taking time to think and reflect enables him to be focused on what he’s going to achieve each day. How, since lockdown he is more conscious of what a good day or meeting looks like and the outcomes which are necessary. That profitability comes from your people being happy and enjoying what they're doing and your clients being happy and content with the service. He reads a lot! His favourite book is Legacy. He also has my book on his bedside cabinet, which he kindly endorsed. The business subscribes to Audible and they have a book club so that people can share their learning.  How imposter syndrome creates fear and self-doubt, which exists in everybody, but that having the right level of support around you helps. How you must appreciate that some things are outside of your control and that worrying about them isn’t going to make any difference. How he sees himself as a guardian who is ensuring they are all working together as one team moving in the right direction. How he felt that at school he was always chasing his tail and wasn’t academic, so instead learnt how to communicate and convince people effectively. He loves standing up in front of people and being able to talk without a script! How he has been constantly trying to prove himself to make those people around him proud – in particular his mum and dad.  He recognises that he’s not perfect and never will be, but if he can make himself a little bit better than he was yesterday, then that's progress. How he’s developing a culture where it is a safe place to fail, which is easier to say, but a lot more difficult to create. This is not because they deliberately set out to fail. It’s about doing something different next time [when things go wrong], but also being able to express yourself without fear, so that you reach your boosted potential. When he thinks about success, he thinks about his Dad. Andrew is a great person and would love you to connect with him. He’d like you to realise that leaders are normal people, who want other people to be able to talk to them; relate to them. You can connect with Andrew Bridge on LinkedIn. You can find out more about Fisher German here. You can connect with me Estelle Read, book a free 30 minute discovery session, get free resources or order my book Inner Brilliance · Outer Shine: 10 Antidotes to Imposter Syndrome, Workaholism and Stress. Thank you for listening to Leader Insider Secrets. You can help this podcast grow by leaving an honest review.  Also, if you want to get future episodes remember to hit subscribe.  

If you want to kickstart your 2022 with some habits which are scientifically proven to boost your productivity, listen to Will Mellors-Blair in my first podcast episode of Series 2 of Leader Insider Secrets.  I’d describe it as: uplifting, inspirational, motivating, honest and with easy to adopt strategies for your mental and physical wellbeing. Will Mellors-Blair is the CEO of Fitpack and he has set himself the goal to empower 1 billion people to better their work day routines through his technological platform for HR professionals.  Will has a passion for formulating human health optimisation and his research and models have been utilised in organisations globally. It’s no surprise he’s been invited to be a TEDx speaker!  His interest in health first stemmed from being a 9 year old signed to play football for Manchester United. He was surrounded by the world’s best manager of the time, Sir Alex Ferguson. Being around elite athletes made him want to be the best. He began wondering what he could do to be faster, fitter and sleep better.  This led him to his research questions. Will surrounded himself with experts in the fields of performance nutrition and psychology. He shares his science backed tips in this episode, including: 3 things you can do to optimise your performance; why pressing snooze is bad for your brain and how to meditate easily.  You can connect with Will on LinkedIn or Instagram. You can find out more about Fitpack here.  You can connect with me Estelle Read, book a free 30 minute discovery session, get free resources or order my book Inner Brilliance · Outer Shine: 10 Antidotes to Imposter Syndrome, Workaholism and Stress here.

Paul Snape is the Deputy Chief Executive at The Bridge which is a registered charity established in 1993. They help those who are homeless, threatened with homelessness, vulnerably housed or having difficulties managing their accommodation and offer a range of specialist services in Leicestershire and Rutland. Paul talks about: Dealing with personal challenges whilst navigating a new role, the pandemic, growing the organisation and getting super-fit - all at once! How he has creatively brought his team together to accommodate hybrid working. He shares some brilliant ideas for away days and running meetings as a leader. How his personal and the organisational values align. Honesty is really important to Paul which is about knowing his limits, and being honest about who he is. As a gay guy, Paul came out later in life compared to today. He has learnt to understand and love who he is; to be genuine and be himself.  You can connect with Paul on LinkedIn or Instagram. You can connect, book a free discovery session and access resources with Estelle Read from Beee here.

This weekend my family and I saw a gentleman who was contemplating taking his life, so this is a shout out to all men who are bottling up feelings. You are not alone. Other men are secretly getting help. I explain how to effortlessly resolve limiting beliefs, behaviours and feelings in this episode. One of the by-products of the approach I share with you is often enhanced #success, #productivity, #performance, #happiness #wellbeing and generally being the best version of you. If you want to find out more, why not book a free 30 minute Coaching Discovery Call here.

Do you sometimes shoulder the burden of everyone else's problems, take charge and responsibility to resolve them? Do you care, passionately about other people, especially during periods of change and adjustment? Or maybe you help others at the drop of a hat. These are all great qualities.  Have you heard the phrase, 'Any strength overdone can become a weakness'? We can be our own worst enemy sometimes by overdoing these strengths, which ultimately damage our performance, effectiveness and resilience. This was me a few weeks ago, whilst dealing with some difficult news.  I share 8 lessons from a sh*t storm, which I unintentionally created and how we can bring these strengths back into to balance and ensure we look after ourselves, as well as the rest of the world / workforce / family. I recorded this podcast as a tribute to my Dad on a significant day. A day on which everything could change direction in a second.  You can connect, find out more or book a free 30 minute discovery session here: https://linktr.ee/EstelleAtBeee

Chrissie Spencer is the Director of Marketing & Communications for the UK & Europe at DDC, who provide customer experience solutions and business processing services. Chrissie also ran her own marketing agency for many years and so gave interesting insights to both corporate and entrepreneurial business-life. If you’re in need of your spirits lifting, this is a great episode to listen to, as Chrissie’s laughter and positive way of looking at work and life transmits over the digital airwaves. We cover lots of ground in 60 minutes: How imposter syndrome can drive success. The power of having a community of people around you, which raise her up when she thinks she can’t do something. We talk about ‘putting your big girl pants on’. She has overcome lots of challenges over the years and has done so with strength and grace. She rarely moans. Why she doesn’t really get stressed. The positives that have come out of COVID and how her business has adapted. The impact of a positive culture at work and how her company lives up to its values. The phrases and self-talk she uses to navigate a successful and happy work-life. Chrissie is intelligent, funny, warm, creative and a pragmatist, which make her a brilliant leader and business women.

Hear ‘dare to be a different’ accountant Francesca Tricarico Managing Director of Future Cloud Accounting talk about how: · She increased her LinkedIn followers from 3.5k to 23k in 2020 – and she’s not done yet! · She grew her business to a team of 6 people without a website. · Sometimes she questions whether she’s ‘too brave’. · Her body ‘is better now, than before I had two kids’. Fran shares a key mindset shift and her passion for weightlifting. · She loves to help people and their businesses grow by making things simpler and easier for her clients. Her ‘fire’ to support others comes from having been through a lot herself and her frustrations as a kid.  · She used to try and ‘fit in’ with the crowd, but then created her own path. · Her regimented routines have enabled success. · She uses her inner dialogue positively. Fran is a strong woman both mentally and physically and leaves you with the impression that she will achieve whatever she envisions. You can follow Fran here: Francesca Tricarico MAAT | LinkedIn

Are you in need of some New Year inspiration? Caitrina Oakes is the MD of Vetoquinol UK which is 9th largest global animal health company.  Following her interview, she left me with the feeling that she is a living superwoman. Not only does she lead a team of 73 people, she manages to exercise twice a day, look after two children and is the Senior Vice Chair for NOAH (National Office of Animal Health) .  Caitrina has achieved impressive results within her business and does all of this with calmness, composure, compassion and bravery. Caitrina reveals the secrets to her success in this latest episode. If you enjoyed my podcast, it would help massively if you could leave a review on iTunes here and or subscribe. Much appreciated :-) You can connect with me, Estelle Read Executive Coach, Trainer and Author at Beee here or book a free 30 minute discovery call here.

Simone Jenkinson is a Creative Director for Cuerda Creatives and La Casa Pepanova, which is an Artistic Retreat in Galicia, Spain. She comes up with imaginative ideas that help brands and businesses showcase their vision. She works with teams to coordinate large scale events that communicate everything that the company feel’s is inspiring about their brand.  Her company has worked with some amazing organisations including: Coca Cola, Glasgow 2014 Common Wealth Games, Oral B, M TV, Ford, Spotify, Stella Artois and the Discovery Channel. Before that she worked in aerial theatre in a spellbinding show called De La Guarda which toured around the world.  In this episode we talk about: Her world tour, which included the Round House in London and the famous people who came to see her show including Madonna and Mick Jagger...she touched Madge's ankle ;-) The importance of 'finding your tribe' at work so that you feel accepted for who you are. The childhood experiences which made her feel like she didn't fit in. Moving from Argentina to Spain and shifting from the corporate world to community based arts projects, see: www.sinerxia.net  How she deals with rejection. How you can make a difference as a leader by stepping back and allowing the team to 'find the light'. Her insider secrets and nuggets of genius that optimise her performance. You can follow Simone here: @artistretreatgalicia

Listeners, you are in for a treat. I struggled to pick one soundbite from Sarah Walker-Smith's interview - there were so many. Sarah is the CEO of Shakespeare Martineau and the only female, non-lawyer CEO in the legal top 55. She was recently named as the UK’s most influential legal CEO on social media. A trained accountant having worked for PWC and Deloitte, so commercial know-how is second nature but Sarah firmly puts people at the core of everything she does, as well as the marketing and branding experience she gained during her eight years at Boots. In Sarah's interview she talked about: Her values/principles which included: fairness, freedom, abundance mentality, creating a level playing field and the ability to challenge things and see the world differently. The childhood experiences that influenced Sarah’s values. The mindset she's adopted which has resulted in 'happy [career] accidents' and believing I can have a go at that. Sarah uses a why not mentality and has gone with the next opportunity. She has pushed herself and discloses the events growing up, which created this attitude. How she feels blessed by her adversity because it has been those experiences that have equipped her to deal with this pandemic and channel it into something positive. This has enabled Sarah to run into a fight not away from it. How she thinks she is 'so normal' and has just as many hang-ups as everyone else. She talks about the limiting beliefs she's overcome, including, 'I am not worthy or entitled to things'.  Throughout the interview, it was easy to see why Sarah is as successful as she is, (although I know she may disapprove of me saying this - as she is so humble and authentic). I can highly recommend you following Sarah. She's a thought leader and has been a definite guiding light during this crisis. You can connect with Sarah on LinkedIn here:  linkedin.com/in/sarah-walker-smith-4708a5b or on Twitter here: @pgwalkersmith.

Dan Jarvis is a leader at Plastribution, a supplier of plastic raw materials. I have worked with Dan for 7 years and have seen him grow and develop exponentially. This has resulted in a variety of role changes and him advancing his team.  Dan was very candid during his interview and talks openly about: The plastic debate and sustainability. This was an education! His personal development journey, which includes training as a coach and mental health first aider. How coaching can seep into every conversation. Imposter syndrome and self-doubt. Values, limiting beliefs and stress. The things that optimise his performance.  The new hobby which helps him unwind and has taught him patience.

Over the last few months, I have noticed an increase in the levels of stress, anxiety and panic in my clients, as a result of the pandemic and recession. Often I find those that experience these states have been strong too long. State of mind is important in business because it influences our actions and behaviour. Leaders, lead states of mind in their team. Teams unconsciously observe a leader's non-verbal cues, to check that everything is OK. This is why we must lead with great states of mind. In this podcast, I walk you through 4 steps to help you to do this. Connect, find out more or book a free discovery session here: https://linktr.ee/EstelleAtBeee

Inside(r) Exec Secrets Interview with Matt Read who is Head of Digital at #SpaceAndTime. Matt is both humble and bold. He’s determined, authentic & an #emotionallyintelligent #leader responsible for 46 people. He’s been selected for promotion 8 times in the last 11 years & recognised through BIMA 100, twice, as being an individual who is shaping the future of Britain’s digital industry. There are many intriguing things about Matt. Here's a taster: 👉 He's worked at Amazon – we get to hear a few inside(r) secrets about their #culture. 👉 He’s a #millennial, so gives a totally fresh take on #leadership. 👉 How to adapt your leadership style to the incoming #workforce. 👉The impact of childhood on #values, #resilience & #stress. 👉 The effect of ‘no winners on sports day’. 👉How when it comes to recruitment he can ‘teach anyone digital marketing but cannot teach someone how not to be an arse hole’. 👉 The importance of an open & safe environment at work so that people can be themselves & be honest. 👉 How it’s ‘OK to not be OK even when you’re in a senior position’. #mentalhealth This brilliant being also happens to be my stepson & his Dad & I are very proud of him. Enjoy! If any of the subjects have piqued your interest, you can connect and or book a free coaching discovery session with me here? https://linktr.ee/EstelleAtBeee

How often do you procrastinate or fall at the final hurdle because of a fear of failure, getting something wrong or it not being 'perfect' enough? I know I procrastinated for 10 years before I got round to writing my book and it is such a popular topic in my coaching practice. In this podcast I explain: Where these fears come from. How to overcome fear related procrastination, using my simple 3 step formula, so that you get unstuck, move forward, grow, succeed and start progressing again. If any of these topics have piqued your interest, you can book a free coaching discovery session or connect with me here: https://linktr.ee/EstelleAtBeee

Made for busy leaders and entrepreneurs; we get to the 'sauce' and 'source', fast. Hear from execs who bare all and share their inside(r) secrets along with my episodes aimed at optimising your productivity, success, and wellbeing. This includes: Inner fears, stressors, and doubts – you are normal! How adversity can drive your success and be a tipping point. Exec nuggets of genius, experience, and learnings.  This is my first podcast recorded from my swing seat - so apologies, it is a little rough around the edges! I thought it only fair that I dish the dirt on myself, before interviewing my execs. You can connect and find out more here: https://linktr.ee/EstelleAtBeee