Mind Your P's: The Purposeful Leader's Guide

If one quote helps to sum up this episode, it’s: ‘You catch more flies with honey than you do with vinegar’. Join us for this episode of Mind Your P’s, where we’re joined by Martin Mason, Founder and CEO of Unleashed, which offers (Equity, Diversity, Inclusion) consultancy and training. Martin tells us about growing up gay in an ex-mining community and how that presented him with a choice: rail against discrimination or try and change people’s minds. And that’s just what Unleashed has set out to do. Founded in 2020, their mission is to help businesses’ to unleash the potential of their people. They help organisations break down barriers and unconscious biases, consulting on everything from strategic decision-making, to recruitment processes and meetings. He tells Caroline about how he uses commonality, humour and frankness to help clients relate to people with different lived experiences. But removing barriers is no small feat, they chat about the reality of achieving equity in the workplace, and his top tips on building a culture where inclusion is at the forefront. Other topics discussed were the role that technology plays when it comes to recruitment, how it has the potential to create hidden barriers for applicants and one clever idea on how to avoid this. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Claire Russell is Founder, Speaker and Trainer at Mental Health in Business. Launching 4 years ago, MHIB has been delivering vital mental health training to businesses and employees in the UK.Their client list includes names like Under Armour, Ministry of Defence, Chartered Insurance Institute, and the O2. MHIB offers mental health first aid training for team leaders, resilience toolkits for: men, women and non-binary people and also offer 1-2-1 coaching to help upskill business leaders to cope with the increasing pressure on the mental health of workers around the UK. Her career began in insurance, and starting off her own brokerage at age 20 and building a successful business before selling it on. Claire shares her dealings with her own mental health issues and how that led her to change careers and launch MHIB 4 years ago. In this episode, she highlights the importance of psychological safety at work, and what you need to integrate into your culture to achieve it. She also shares hands-on advice for what to say when you don't know what to say. In the hybrid world that we're all now accustomed to, the ability to spot if a team member is struggling with their mental health is even harder in a remote setting. Claire describes some of the key things to look out for to spot if one of your team might be struggling, and how to start that conversation. Let us know who you'd like us to speak to on the show, or tell us your thoughts on Twitter @sgconnect1. We'd love to hear your two cents! Episode transcript and links at: socialgoodconnect.org/podcasts/claire-russell-mental-health-in-business/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Energy, enthusiasm and self-reflection. When it comes to these 3 things, you could say Gavin is an expert. He's a six-time author, keynote speaker, Managing Director and owner of Tree of Knowledge, working with brands such as Nike, NHS, Shell, British Gas and more. Gavin kicked off his career on the comedy scene, gigging across the world and creating bonkers sketches with his friends. With a Fringe award in his back pocket, he married up his love of comedy with his teacher training, and has been delivering inspirational talks and events with Tree of Knowledge since 2004, later leading a management buy-out in 2009. Since then, he's inspired tens of thousands of school children across Scotland and the UK and continues to share his story about the definition of 'making it', managing anxiety and making the most of the journey along the way. If you liked this episode, leave us a rating and let us know your thoughts! For links to the episode transcript, Gavin's socials, and all sorts of other lovely stuff go to https://socialgoodconnect.org/podcasts/gavin-oattes-tree-of-knowledge/ Follow us on Twitter: @sgconnect1 LinkedIn: Social Good Connect Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

James Routledge is the co-founder of Sanctus, best-selling author and mental health advocate. His business, Sanctus, offers 1-2-1 mental health coaching for employees. From starting his first business in university, to dropping out and starting again, James shares his journey through entrepreneurship and how that's led him to discover the roles that are right for him. Listen to this episode to hear James' down-to-earth perspective on why he stepped down from CEO of his company to explore what made him feel fulfilled. Find the show notes, links to socials and where to buy James' book at socialgoodconnect.org/podcasts/james-routledge-sanctus/. What's something you struggle to give yourself permission to do? Tell us on Twitter @sgconnect1. Thanks for listening! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Season 2 is back with a bang, and we're kicking off with none other than Masami Sato, founder and CEO of B1G1. Since B1G1's launch in 2007, they've helped business create over 230 million giving impacts. From clean water projects to gifting meals for families, Masami has adopted the mantra of 'the power of small' to create big changes for communities across the globe. Listen now to hear Caroline and Masami chat about her journey from being a chef to a social impact advocate, a 2x TEDx speaker and bestselling author. Also covered in this ep: how we're limited by our own personal experiences and how to start a culture conversation internally. Find the show notes, transcription, links, and all that lovely stuff at socialgoodconnect.org/podcasts/masami-sato-b1g1 If you liked this episode, remember to subscribe and leave us a 5* review, or let us know what you thought of it @sgconnect1 or using the hashtag #MindYourPs Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

And that's a wrap! As we finish up our very first season, Caroline looks over some of the best bits, and gives her thoughts on what our guests had to say about purposeful leadership. We've discussed the highs and lows of leadership, what purpose looks like in practice, and dropped the P-bomb in more ways than we can count! Listen to hear some of the advice our guests had, and the things that really made us think. Never miss a beat: make sure to subscribe to our podcast updates at socialgoodconnect.org/podcasts. Please like, subscribe, share, and review - your feedback is so important to us, and we want to deliver the kind of content that can help shape the business world into a more purposeful, kinder place. So let us know what you want to hear more of at info@socialgoodconnect.org. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

A music manager turned keynote speaker, James draws from his artistic and business experience to educate people on how they can unlock their creative potential. He's travelled globally, addressing some of the world's biggest organisations on the barriers that stand between us and our true capacity to innovate. He shares his story with us, leading us from show business to corporate business, Bali to Bombay. Listen as he tells us about achieving a flow state between a team, and the hidden benefits of diversity you might have never have thought of before. Show notes at: https://socialgoodconnect.org/podcasts/james-taylor-keynote-speaker Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Fanchea Kelly is the CEO of Blackwood Homes, and has led her team for 7 years. With over 1,500 homes in Scotland, Blackwood Homes provides accessible homes for people with assisted needs that are as beautiful as they are functional. Fanchea tells us about Blackwood's mission to help their customers live independently and how she goes above and beyond to deliver that purpose, with their customer at the heart of every decision they make. They chat about asking your employees for help, plus, Fanchea and Caroline chew the fat over their favourite P of all: Prosecco. They discuss their love for fizz and get interrupted by a mischievous cat. Show notes at: https://socialgoodconnect.org/podcasts/fanchea-kelly-blackwood-homes If you liked this episode, subscribe, leave a rating & review, and listen to our other brilliant guests. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Josh Littlejohn, MBE, is the co-founder and CEO of Social Bite Group, a social business dedicated towards helping to end homelessness in Scotland. Josh tells us about how his purpose came to him by chance, as it all started when a young man dealing with homelessness walked into his cafe and asked for a job. Josh and Social Bite have a chain of cafes in Scotland that employ people from homeless backgrounds and a village of pre-fab homes for people struggling with homelessness. Listen to hear about how he was awarded an MBE, his big plans to expand and provide more homes, and how Social Bite used their philanthropic might to help the needy during the pandemic. Show notes and resources at: https://socialgoodconnect.org/podcasts/josh-littlejohn-social-bite Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Edel Harris is the CEO of Mencap, the leading voice for people with learning disabilities in the UK. She took up the reigns in 2020, a mere 8 weeks before the pandemic hit the UK. Edel joined the charity at a time when people with learning disabilities were experiencing disproportionately high rates of death from Covid. Mencap successfully lobbied to include people affected into high-priority groups, and since then Edel has continued to champion equity and support for people with learning disabilities. She discusses how her people-first purpose is a guiding light through tough times and how approachability is central to how she leads her 9000-strong team. Edel gives her advice on how important it is for employers to recruit inclusively, and what they can do to support people with learning disabilities in their team. Transcription & show notes at: https://socialgoodconnect.org/podcasts/edel-harris-mencap/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Joy Lewis is the founder and CEO of AAI EmployAbility, the award-winning not-for-profit that is tackling inclusivity and diversity issues in the recruitment market head-on. She witnessed first hand the inequalities that unpaid internships presented for graduates entering the job market, and in 2009 Joy founded AAI (formerly Adopt An Intern) to create accessible job opportunities to people from low-income families. 12 years on and AAI has grown to create opportunities and promote gender and racial diversity within the workplace. Joy shares with us her advice for attracting diverse applicants, the bottom-line benefits of inclusion, and how to push yourself out of your comfort zone. Show notes at: https://socialgoodconnect.org/podcasts/joy-lewis-aai/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Sitting around the table with her two daughters, Celia reflected on how hard it was for her raising three kids as a single mum on benefits. Determined to do something to help end period poverty, the three contemplated how they could make an impact. And so Hey Girls was born. In 2018, Celia and her daughters launched their social enterprise selling period products on a 'buy one, give one' donation model. 3 years on, and nearly 15 million products have been donated to families in need in the UK. We talk to Celia about how her purpose is her guiding light, the trials and tribulations of going up against sanitary-giants like Tampax, and how she says Hey Girls do it better. Plus, we got the low-down on how to create a work environment for your team to encourage positive challenges and better working. Show notes at: https://socialgoodconnect.org/podcasts/celia-hodson-hey-girls/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

After being hospitalised in Nepal from drinking unclean water, Alan realised the value of safe, accessible drinking water. His passion for this combined with his love of craft beer led him to found Brewgooder - a brewery with a difference. With 100% of profits donated to clean-water projects, Brewgooder have already impacted the lives of over 150,000 people in Malawi. From introducing a pay-it-forward scheme to provide NHS frontline workers with beer, to supporting theatres throughout the cancelled panto season, and their mission to bring safe water to 1 million people, Brewgooder's impact is felt at home and abroad. Alan tells us about how about purpose and how his values give employees the freedom to learn from mistakes. Plus, the two discuss diversity issues in the brewing industry and the concept of authenticity around purpose. Show notes at: https://socialgoodconnect.org/podcasts/alan-mahon-brewgooder/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Lisa is the founder and CEO of Purpose HR, a specialist consultancy that provides HR services to start-ups and high-growth businesses. Lisa's a pro at building a people-first culture, she and her team help businesses hone in on how they can create an inclusive environment at a key stage in their development. She tells us how to attract the right talent, overcome knock-backs and how she gives back through mentoring and volunteering. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Craig Nicol says he realised Thorntons Law LLP's potential when he first joined in 2003. Since taking up the reigns as Managing Partner, he tells us how he was able to realise that potential by cultivating a culture of ambition. 10 years on, Craig shares with us what he's learned about leading his team of 500 throughout a pandemic without making a single redundancy, and how purpose helped him to make decisions that were right for Thorntons' people. Listen to hear how he doubled the size of the business in 5 years and how he believes the best things in life can't be rushed. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

She was a fashion buyer, he ran a kilt company, can I make it any more obvious? Together, Emma Macdonald and her husband Fergus combined their talents and founded The Tartan Blanket Co. Since then, her values of kindness and sustainability have become core to the brand: with 2% of profits dedicated to charitable causes supporting the environment and planet. Emma tells us about leading with empathy, ethics and everything in between. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Bruce Walker has been entrepreneurial since he was 17, co-founding FutureX at age 23. He's went from a self-employed magician, to multi award-winning entrepreneur. The CEO tells us about how FutureX is an educational innovation hub for purposeful start-ups and business leaders, and how he makes sure FutureX stays on-purpose. With advice from how to make sure you're a consistent pioneer, to understanding misconceptions, you'll learn how Bruce manages his people according to purpose. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Our first guest is Darina Garland, Co-founder and Chief Experience Officer of Ooni Pizza Ovens, an Edinburgh company turned global brand, who’s portable pizza ovens have established them as a global brand and a lockdown must-have. Darina talks about how culture is as important as the product, and how creating an empowered workforce has bottom line benefits. Not everyone can boast that Barack Obama has their product in their backyard - but Ooni can. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Nearly 30 years ago Andy worked in investment banking in London. Wanting to make an impact and create jobs up in Scotland - Andy returned to Scotland to found Insights Group with his father in his hometown of Dundee. Now the Group CEO, Andy has won EY's Entrepreneur of the Year award in 2016 and leads his organisation by championing self-awareness and putting purpose before profit. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Gavin has worked with IMV Imaging for over 20 years, providing innovative technology providing veterinary radiography tools to help to quickly diagnose animals. IMV Imaging's purpose is simple: help to diagnose animals, making life easier for both vets and animal owners. Gavin shares all about supporting employees and how to keep them engaged to give them the leading-edge. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.