The Alternative Leader Podcast
by Mari Williams, The Mind Architect
The Alternative Leader Podcast, hosted by the award-winning Coach, Therapist and Mediator Mari Williams, The Mind Architect - "The Alternative Leader" has a mission: to enable the powerful insights and learnings of real people from all walks of life to be shared; to help us and our leaders of today to lead with new-found strength, humanity, determination and compassion, whilst achieving healthy life balance. The alternative leaders have learned from their successes and mistakes; now they're ready to share those lessons with Mari and all of us. How can we gain resilience? How can we make better decisions? How can we all become happier people? How can we lead, better?We focus on challenge and resilience by getting to the grit and discovering the gold in in-depth conversations on real life and its lessons: Leaders including, CEO's and entrepreneurs, actors and athletes, key influencers and key-workers; those alternative leaders who've forged their own path, those who've crashed and burned
Episodes
-
Building ARM and scaling a global tech company | Jamie Urquhart on leadership and innovation
Leadership, innovation and scaling a business are at the core of building companies that shape entire industries. In this episode, Mari Williams is joined by Jamie Urquhart, co-founder of ARM Holdings, the company behind the chip architecture used in over 99% of the world’s smartphones. Jamie...
-
From Harvard to career uncertainty | Anne Bailey on purpose and meaningful work
Purpose, career direction and meaningful work are increasingly shaping how people think about leadership and long-term fulfilment. In this episode, Anne Bailey, CEO and Co-founder of Form the Future, shares her journey from graduating from Harvard to navigating her own career uncertainty, which...
-
Sustainable fashion, feminism and entrepreneurship | Stacey Grant-Canham
Sustainable fashion, ethical business and entrepreneurship are increasingly shaping how brands are built and what they stand for. Stacey Grant-Canham, founder of Black & Beech, shares her journey from a part-time side hustle during maternity leave to building a mission-driven fashion brand....
-
Perimenopause, fitness and women’s health | Hannah Walker on hormones and mindset
Perimenopause, women’s health and fitness play a significant role in both physical wellbeing and mindset, particularly for women navigating hormonal change. Hannah Walker is a personal trainer and founder of Eton Fitness, where she works with women through her Empowered Female Programme…
more -
Gut health, microbiome and entrepreneurship | Goitseone Thamae on health and leadership
Gut health, the microbiome and physical wellbeing are increasingly linked to mental health, performance and long-term health outcomes. In this episode, Goitseone Thamae shares her journey from selling fruit and vegetables as a child in Botswana to founding Evobiome, a company focused on improving...
-
Public speaking, confidence and leadership communication | Julia Caddick
Public speaking, confidence and leadership communication are central to how we show up, influence others and progress in our careers.Julia Caddick, voice and presentation coach, shares her journey from a love of music and performance into working with leaders, executives and organisations to help...
-
Breathwork, ADHD and emotional healing | Lisa Sibley on stress and performance
Breathwork, ADHD and emotional healing are increasingly being recognised as powerful tools for managing stress, improving performance and understanding ourselves more deeply. In this episode, Mari Williams sits down with Lisa Sibley, a leading breathwork expert, to explore the connection between...
-
Financial independence and building wealth | Ken Okoroafor on money, mindset and freedom
Financial independence, wealth building and money mindset are increasingly shaping how people think about work, life and long-term security. Ken Okoroafor achieved financial freedom by the age of 34 and is co-founder of The Humble Penny, alongside his wife Mary. Together, they help individuals…
more -
From the RAF to leadership across industries | Michelle Child on challenge, authority and change
Leadership, authority and career transitions often require challenging assumptions and stepping into new environments. With a background in aeronautics, avionics and optoelectronics, Michelle Child has spent her career questioning stereotypes and pushing boundaries. After 20 years in the Royal…
more -
Emotional intelligence and leadership for young people | Corey Gaidzionis
Emotional intelligence and leadership development are starting earlier, shaping how the next generation understands themselves and others. Corey Gaidzionis is the founder of Big Emotions Academy, focused on helping young people develop emotional intelligence through simple, practical tools. With…
more -
Modern warfare, leadership and decision-making | John Spencer on military experience
Leadership, decision-making and human connection are tested at the highest level in military environments. John Spencer is an urban warfare expert, military leader, author and professor, with 25 years of service in the US military. He now advises major organisations including the United States...
-
Anxiety, depression and building a business | Joel Stone on marketing and mindset
Anxiety, depression and mental health can shape how people build businesses, make decisions and lead their lives. Content warning: Please note this episode discusses suicide Joel Stone is the founder of marketing agency Codebreak, co-founder of Andy & Joel’s Growth Academy, author of the Amazon...
-
Chronic pain, weight loss and performance | Brendan Turner on recovery and health
Chronic pain, physical performance and long-term health are often more connected than people realise, particularly for leaders and professionals under pressure. Brendan Turner is a Personal Trainer and Human Biomechanics Specialist who works with business owners and executives experiencing pain,...
-
Leadership, identity and life experiences | Emma on the Balkans, loss and perspective
Leadership and identity are often shaped through life experiences, loss and the environments we move through. Emma shares her journey from working in post-conflict cultural conservation in the Balkans, where the work extended far beyond preservation, into something deeply human and complex. She...
-
Policing, PTSD and life after trauma | Gareth Squance
PTSD, trauma and mental health can have a lasting impact on those working in high-pressure roles such as policing. Gareth joined the police at a young age, with his life shaped by years in the force, including two near-death experiences that led to PTSD. He reflects on the reality of that work…
more -
Building a global community on LinkedIn | Anna McAfee on connection and growth
LinkedIn, community building and authentic connections are becoming central to how individuals and businesses grow. Anna McAfee is a LinkedIn trainer, community strategist and author, known for creating the #LinkedInLocal movement, which brought online connections into real-world meetups across...
-
Remote working, burnout and leadership without a team | Nola Simon
Remote working, burnout and leadership are often more complex than they first appear. In 2010, Nola applied for a leadership programme but was refused because she needed additional support around learning and childcare, with long commutes meaning she rarely saw her children. She moved roles to...
-
ADHD in women and the ‘good girl’ pattern | Michelle Minnikin
ADHD, identity and behaviour patterns often shape how people experience work, relationships and leadership. Michelle grew up as an army child, moving frequently before choosing to go to boarding school, where she thrived on structure and routine. Over time, she recognised how she had fallen into…
more -
Leadership behaviour and psychological safety | Terry on trust and team culture
Leadership, behaviour and psychological safety play a central role in how teams perform and communicate. Terry is a senior leader who believes strongly that leaders need to understand the impact of their behaviour on others. He finds it difficult to watch poor leadership, particularly where it...
-
From council house to MD | Phil Jones on leadership, resilience and non-academic success
Leadership, resilience and career progression do not always follow a traditional path. Phil Jones, Managing Director of Brother UK, shares his journey from growing up in a council house to leading a major organisation, having bypassed university along the way. He reflects on what he has learned...
-
From homelessness at 15 to CEO | Tammy on abuse, resilience and leadership
Content warning: This episode includes themes of abuse and suicide (no detail). Leadership, resilience and overcoming adversity are often shaped long before someone steps into a role. Tammy came out of an abusive childhood determined to enable others to do the same. Homeless at 15, she sought out...
-
Heart attack at 45, burnout and leadership stress | Esther Stanhope
Leadership stress, burnout and performance under pressure can have real consequences. After a heart attack at 45, Esther reflects on her workaholic personality. Did it begin when her father died when she was five, or does she simply love her work? Known as the ‘Impact Guru,’ Esther is a former…
more -
Parenting, leadership and flexible working | Sophie on co-founding Roleshare
Sophie, co-founder of Roleshare, shares her journey from California to London and how she built a business focused on flexible working and diverse teams. We explore leadership, parenting and the reality of balancing professional responsibility with family life, alongside how ways of working have...
-
Parenting, career pause and leadership under pressure | Ian’s story
Ian shares how the birth of his daughter, following an emergency caesarean and a rare chromosome deletion diagnosis, reshaped both his life and leadership. We explore how these experiences influenced his thinking, including putting his career on hold for seven years, navigating responsibility and...
-
From rural Cambridge to Alzheimer’s Research UK | Lucy on resilience, dyslexia and leadership
Lucy shares her journey from growing up on a farm in rural Cambridge to becoming Director of Supporter-Led Funding at Alzheimer’s Research UK. We explore how early experiences, including a mother with rheumatoid arthritis, a husband living with PTSD and her own diagnosis of dyslexia, shaped her...
-
Depression, suicide and recovery | Peter Snellgrove-Hawkins on mental health and self-worth
Content warning: This episode includes discussion of suicide and depression. Peter Snellgrove-Hawkins shares his experience of living with depression, including the impact of low self-worth, mental health struggles and the process of recovery. He speaks openly about difficult periods, what it…
more -
From Lagos to fintech | Tobi Fasipe on family, resilience and success
Tobi Fasipe, a fintech professional, shares his experience of growing up in Lagos, Nigeria, and how family shaped his outlook through both challenge and success. We explore loss, financial struggle and the role of education, alongside the energy and perspective that have carried him into his…
more -
From breast cancer to building a business | Connie on resilience and recovery
At 39, Connie was diagnosed with breast cancer. She is now a 12-year survivor. In this conversation, she shares her experience of diagnosis, treatment and recovery, and how it led her to build a business supporting others going through similar journeys. Through her organisation, Get Your Rack…
more -
From Paralympian cycling to cooking | Lora Turnham on life, resilience and identity
Lora Turnham (now Fachie), a multi-award-winning Paralympian cyclist, shares her experience of growing up blind and building a life that extends far beyond sport. Alongside her achievements in cycling, Lora has developed a passion for cooking, writing about food and navigating everyday life with...
-
Turning loss into purpose | Ben Kirk on Inspired Schools and leadership
Ben Kirk, founder of Inspired Schools, shares how the loss of his best friend Luke led him to create an organisation focused on improving physical literacy (exercise) in schools across the UK. He reflects on how this experience shaped his outlook on life, including the role of loss, masculinity…
more -
From stage 4 cancer to a new path | Mo Haque on resilience and perspective
Mo Haque shares his experience of being diagnosed with stage 4 cancer in his early 30s, the uncertainty that followed and the decisions he faced when treatment options were limited. We explore resilience, perspective and how this experience shaped his approach to life and work, including his…
more -
Jude Jennison: Leadership & horses, what's the connection?
After being told she would never have a career as a woman, Jude went on to have a very successful one and now runs her own business. Where do the horses come in? Jude runs an equine facilitated leadership company where she helps develop teams and helps them be more 'human.' The results are…
more -
From a New York penthouse, to losing everything | Gavin Gallagher on business and identity
Gavin Gallagher had built significant success, including a penthouse in New York, before the recession led to the loss of almost everything. In this conversation, he shares what it took to rebuild, alongside the impact this had on him personally — not just as a business owner, but as a man, and…
more -
Building income beyond time for money | Lorraine Gannon on business and freedom
Lorraine Gannon shares her journey from the corporate world to building a business centred around recurring income and greater freedom. Her life shifted significantly when her son Ben was born with cerebral palsy, leading her to rethink how she lived and worked. Since then, she has run pubs…
more -
From executive stress to purpose and a 4-day week | David Cann
David Cann of Target Publishing, shares his journey from executive stress to redefining his work and leadership. David gave up a high profile life to downsize, in the process he started a brand new business. We explore the decision to move to a four-day working week, how it impacted productivity...
-
From childhood to Paralympian | Neil Fachie MBE on resilience and high performance
Paralympian Neil Fachie MBE shares his journey from childhood, hiding his sight loss, to competing at the highest level and becoming a leader on the world stage. We explore resilience, pressure and what it takes to perform as a blind athlete, including the trust required to race at speed on a...
-
Becoming an Alternative Leader with Mari Williams, The Mind Architect.
In this pilot episode, your host Mari Williams shares her journey to Alternative Leadership, inviting you into a more intentional way of leading that starts with you and extends into the wider world. From sitting in an apple tree as a child to becoming a mother of five and building her work as…
more
About this show
The Alternative Leader Podcast, hosted by the award-winning Coach, Therapist and Mediator Mari Williams, The Mind Architect - "The Alternative Leader" has a mission: to enable the powerful insights and learnings of real people from all walks of life to be shared; to help us and our leaders of today to lead with new-found strength, humanity, determination and compassion, whilst achieving healthy life balance. The alternative leaders have learned from their successes and mistakes; now they're ready to share those lessons with Mari and all of us. How can we gain resilience? How can we make better decisions? How can we all become happier people? How can we lead, better?We focus on challenge and resilience by getting to the grit and discovering the gold in in-depth conversations on real life and its lessons: Leaders including, CEO's and entrepreneurs, actors and athletes, key influencers and key-workers; those alternative leaders who've forged their own path, those who've crashed and burned
Hosted by
Mari Williams, The Mind Architect
Categories