Calling Out Power: Ethics, Lobbying, and Leading With Conviction

I sat down with Gabe Winn, founder of Blakeney, and honestly, his career path is a full plot twist marathon. Actor dreams, Accenture, game ranger training in Zimbabwe, then yes, a BBC show that involved being trained like a spy, and somehow it all makes sense once you hear how he thinks about people, purpose, and influence.We get into the courage it takes to call out what’s wrong (especially when it makes you unpopular), why vulnerability is a leadership strength, and what it really looks like to build a business when the buck stops with you. Plus, Gabe shares the brutal lessons of a tough 2024, the reset that followed, and the kind of impact he wants his work to have.Highlights:(01:45) - Actor to consultant to game ranger to “spy”, the career path that makes zero sense, until it does(05:20) - SAS style wake ups at 2am, and the moment he thought, hang on, is this real?(11:19) - Why he’s calling out lobbying conflicts in the House of Lords, and why it matters(13:37) - Going viral, getting backlash, and refusing to be bullied into silence(21:45) - The leadership shift: vulnerability is not weakness, it’s trust(32:21) - The worst year, the hard decisions, and how Blakeney turned 2025 into a pivot pointConnect with Gabe:https://www.linkedin.com/in/gabewinn/https://theblakeneygroup.com/Connect with Emma:LinkedInWebsiteThis Podcast is proudly produced by Wavemakers Audio