Episodes

This week, I’m getting personal and sharing how I burnt down my life, not once but twice! The times when I stripped back my life to the bare bones - got rid of relationships, people and jobs that weren’t working. In both occasions, I didn’t realise what I was doing or the long term impact. My hope in sharing my story is that we can get to have open conversations about how we navigate change more consciously in our lives. To the benefit of ourselves and all the people in our lives. CW: I cover ...

Ready to supercharge your decision-making skills? This week’s guest is Matt Mower, a former developer and CTO, who works with business owners to grow and build their business. Matt has created a framework for decision making that he teaches to his clients and shares this with us on this episode. We talk about: The importance of knowing your destination and stripping away assumptions to reveal your true goals. The significance of strategy in decision-making, including sequencing challenges an...

Ever wish people at work came with a User Manual? Tune into to find out how! This week, I delve into the overlooked and under-discussed topic of building and maintaining 'right' relationships in the workplace. I talk about the concept of 'right relationships' and how it differs from 'good relationships'. I share with you the 'User Manual' - a tool designed to help you express how you work best and learn the same about your colleagues. I cover what to include in your own 'User Manual' and how ...

Want to make sure your emails stand out for all the right reasons? This episode is aimed at helping you understand some key concepts of copywriting will help revive your email game. My guest is a copywriter coach, Jayati Vora who works with entrepreneurs to up their written communication game. I was completely new to copywriting when I started my own business, and was so excited when I learnt how to write persuasive text with integrity. That’s all copywriting is about. And that’s what you want...

Curious about what happens behind the scenes of executive coaching? In this episode, I do a dive into all the questions I get about coaching. What it is? What the benefits are? How to find a coach? And what to look for in a coach? Personal stories always help so I share my personal journey of finding my next coach. I go through my process that I’ve learnt after 10 years of what will a good fit for me. Here's the blog about how to choose an executive coach. Weekly newsletter | Ask Catherine |...

In this episode, I speak with Tom Carpenter, a management consultant and self-professed nerd who really enjoys solving problems. We discuss the value of hiring an executive coach, what might motivate one to become a coach, and why investing time in personal growth can set you up for happiness both personally and professionally. Tom believes in the growth mindset and the power of coaching to enable others to understand themselves and fulfill their potential. He explains how coaching can help...

Did you know that AI is already a part of your daily routine? Following on from Ep 21 on the topic of AI and Chat GPT, I was encouraged by feedback to do a deeper nontechnical dive into the implications of artificial intelligence. Tune into to find out: How AI is already integrated into various aspects of your daily lives. Understand how Chat GPT is one example of a type of AI GPT and AI's potential problems and ethical concerns. The uncertainty surrounding AI's implications and its impact on ...

Trigger warning: This episode touches on the topic of suicide. Please only listen if it's safe for you to be exposed to this topic, respecting your own sensitivites and boundaries. Do you feel like your workplace culture doesn't leave room for emotions like grief and loss? It can be challenging to navigate these emotions in a corporate environment, where the focus is often on productivity and efficiency. In this episode of the podcast, we speak with Bryony Wildblood, a One Spirit Interfaith Mi...

In this episode I break down what makes a team great and how to measure team performance. There are thousands of different approaches to team performance, and I share with you three that are the most popular: Tuckman, Google, and Lencioni. I talk about what I like and don’t like about each of these models, and share with you the assessment model I use as a team coach on a new coaching engagement. Listen now to discover practical strategies for improving your team's performance. Unlock the sec...

Language can be so powerful in directing us to see things as they really are and how it can be used to challenge systems of oppression! In this thought provoking episode, I chat with the fabulous Ettie Baily King who is an inclusive communication consultant. We talk about: how you can feel brave, confident and supported as you embed anti-oppression in your conversations and communications at work We dive into the world of inclusive language, where we can avoid harm and dismantle myths that n...

Office politics has a bad rap and my clients tell me they don’t want any part of politics. But what if you could reframe office politics in a way that served your career? In this very practical episode, I talk about: Why you should take office politics seriously How to make office politics work for you in an aligned way The four-step guide to mastering influence (aka office politics) Listen now to find out how to add influencing to your list of super powers. I also share the launch of a ne...

In this episode, we explore the concept of the shadows of leadership with my guest, and friend Neil Edwards. Neil is an experienced and skilled coach passionate about helping leaders unlock their potential by working through their shadows and using it as a tool for growth. He shares his expertise on exploring the shadows of leadership and how it can be used as a tool for growth. We touch on the importance of recognizing and working through personal and systemic shadows, the value of slowing do...

What is all the fuss about Chat GPT? We get into this and the broader topic of Artificial intelligence on today’s episode with my guest Wei Wang. Wei is one of the geek’s in my life who I turn to for these intellectual conversations on complex topics. His current role is Commercial Excellence Director at Align Technologies in Switzerland. We discuss: The potential benefits of AI, including its ability to increase productivity and creativity The concerns around AI, such as the lack of human und...

ADHD is an invisible disorder that is often misdiagnosed, undiagnosed or sometimes masked from employers and the rest of the world. Brooke Schnittman joins me on this episode to tell us about her journey to becoming an ADHD Coach. Our conversation covers a lot of ground including how we can make workplaces more welcome for people with ADHD. Brooke started out as a special education teacher working with students with ADHD disability and the whole time didn't know that she herself had ADHD. In an...

Tired of communication breakdowns, whether personal or professional? Do you find yourself getting defensive, critical, or contemptuous when talking with others? Then you won't want to miss this episode, where I share my insights on the "four horsemen" of unhealthy communication patterns. With humor and warmth, I will explain how these destructive behaviors can sneak into our conversations, and how to recognize and counteract them. By the end of the episode, you'll be armed with practical tips ...

We’re diving into the topic of generational perspectives at work in this episode where I will represent the Gen Xers, along with my guests Shanta Hareesh, who comes from the Millennial Generation, and Poppy Couling, from Gen Z. While the older generations often express frustration in managing and leading younger generations, we’ll discuss how the different age groups view the world of work. You’ll hear us discuss a wide range of topics, including how the pandemic has affected us, what each gene...

In this episode, we delve into the inner critical voice that often sabotages our efforts to lead fulfilling lives. We explore the common tendency to be harsher on ourselves than we would ever be with a friend and discuss a tool that can help deal with this critical voice. By getting to know this voice better, we uncover what it's trying to protect us from and have some fun with it to regain control of our lives. We use the metaphor of a board of directors to mediate the different aspects of ours...

In this episode, we’ll explore the idea of having needs and the consequences of ignoring them with intuitive coach, writer, and podcast host, Mara Glatzel. Mara will help us understand that it's okay to have needs and how we can embrace them as a courageous act of care of ourselves. Mara deeply understands how we often relegate our needs to the bottom of a long to-do list in an attempt to prove our worth. She believes that the ultimate act of self-care is rebuilding the breach in our relationsh...

How do we unlock the power of self-talk? In this episode, I share a tool that will help manage these critical voices. Leveraging the often hidden gifts of these voices will help you feel more confident about life. I share an example of one of my inner critics, the "Army Major General", and how I use this tool to manage him. Join my weekly email list for more tips and stories Check out how to work with me Email stories, thoughts or fave tune to catherine@conversationsattheedge.co.uk Big shout ou...

In this episode, we talk about living with the condition of Bipolar with Mia Hodgkinson. We discuss the misunderstandings and misconceptions surrounding the condition. Mia explains how the language used in the workplace and in media can contribute to these misunderstandings, and how it can be harmful for people who live with these conditions. We talk about Mia’s path to diagnosis, how telling her boss about her bipolar condition went horribly wrong. She shares her tips on what to do if a colleag...

In this episode, we talk about racism through understanding the experience of my guest, Michelle Tackie Obende. The conversation delves into the subtle ways that racism can show up in the workplace, such as microaggressions and the "angry black woman" trope. The conversation touches on the idea of intersectionality and how different identities intersect and can affect how one experiences and perceives discrimination. The episode aims to shine a light on the often-unspoken truth of racism in the...

Giving feedback can often be such a difficult conversation to have that people might want to avoid it. Be sure to check out the previous episode 11 for more tips and insight into navigating hard conversations. In this episode, we’ll take a deep dive into “COIN”, an important tool that can help you approach this kind of experience, and I’ll provide examples of how this process can work for managers, team leaders, and executive professionals. Join my weekly email list for more tips and stories Ch...

Are you tired of struggling with difficult workplace conversations? Do you want to learn how to deal with feedback and professionalism in a way that benefits everyone? In this episode of our podcast, I'll talk with Ghilaine Chan, a project manager and expert in expectation setting. She shares her experiences and insights on how to treat employees so that they will be there for you when you need them, as well as how to navigate difficult feedback conversations. She also discusses the importance ...

Attention all Monday haters, clock watchers and victims of feeling “meh” at work, in this episode, I’ll tell you how to know if you are in a career rut. I’ll explain the symptoms of the four typical kinds of career ruts that I’ve seen in my coaching, so that you can find awareness of which one you’re in and hopefully see your way out of it. Whether you love your environment but hate the role you’re in, or vice-versa, or maybe you just plain hate all of it, I will provide some questions you can ...