Better Under Pressure

#43 - Emma Dagnes - Not Doing But Being

In this episode, I’m talking to Emma Dagnes, Chief Executive of Alexandra Park and Palace, an iconic public building towering over north London that is over 150 years old, was the original home of BBC Television and is now home to world sporting events, indoor and outdoor concerts and festivals, a theatre and even an ice rink. It’s also where I have pushed buggies and walked with my family and my dog over the last 25 years.

Of Emma’s 25 years working across entertainment, recreation and leisure, both in the public and private sectors, the last twelve have been at the Palace - helping to lift the organisation to be a recognised and respected cultural destination. Before becoming CEO, she led the growth of the trading subsidiary as Managing Director and then became Deputy CEO of the Charity, overseeing an award-winning restoration that cost £27 million. 

In our conversation, she shares
- How she learned that her dyslexia was a superpower
- Why the original Alexandra Palace Theatre was worth its multi-million restoration 
- And the impact of seeing your purpose play out every day.

#42 - Edith Bardin - The Pressure of Work, Family & Personal Goals

In this episode, I’m talking to Edith Bardin – Global Insights Manager at Shell. The word Global is very apt when referring to Edith. Born in Luxembourg - and consequently speaking 5 languages - her two decades building ‘global consumer insights’ expertise have taken her all sorts of places, including northern Europe, the UK, Canada and even Mauritius.  She now is a worldwide authority on everything from decoding consumers’ minds in retail, entertainment and packaging - to embracing the evolving landscape of air travel and, most recently, e-mobility.

In our conversation, Edith shares...
- What she discovered about her efficiency at work after she’d had children.
- What doing a charity swim taught her about herself.
- And how it affected her growing up as ‘an unexpected triplet’

#41 - Tom Hall - What Could Possibly Go Right?

In this episode, I’m talking to Tom Hall, Vice President and General Manager of LEGO Education International.

Having previously held leadership positions at Pearson and Penguin Random House UK, Tom is experienced in leading global teams through complex change management programs and creating partnership ecosystems.

As a trustee of AQA, the UK’s leading assessment provider, and a former board member of the British Educational Suppliers Association, it’s no surprise to learn that Tom is passionate about the impact education can make for individuals and society around the world and is dedicated to using LEGO Education solutions to deliver STEAM learning to empower teachers and students.

- In our conversation, Tom shares…

- What he does in order to check out on Friday feeling calm

- What it’s like leading in a cultural melting pot

- And why you’re only as good as the system you’re operating in.

Connect with Tom👇
LinkedIn: Hall Tom
Twitter: @tomjhall

#40 - Tom Sherrington - Rise Above Judgement

In this episode, I’m talking to Tom Sherrington – education consultant and author. With 30 years' experience as a teacher and school leader, Tom is now teaching teachers, through his ground-breaking series of WalkThru books – which, at the last count, are being used in 50 countries around the world. Everywhere from Brighton to Brazil, from Norwich to New Zealand. Tom also coaches through his blog, teacherhead.com, which has thousands of followers.

Tom is in demand worldwide and works with hundreds of schools and colleges providing training and consultancy support to improve the quality of teaching.  As such, he is a regular keynote speaker at many education conferences and festivals. 

In our conversation, Tom shares:

*What the students did to him as a supply teacher

*What an exhausted colleague did when the next class was arriving

*And why - when he couldn’t see the wood for the trees - Tom went to see the trees… in the wood.

#39 - Lara Milward - With Practice You Can

In this episode, I’m talking to Lara Milward, a NeuroLeadership Coach and athlete who has co-founded businesses in Leadership and Fitness.  She has worked in gender equality with Shine for Women and is a mentor for Resurgo. The official coach of Virgin’s Strive Challenge, Lara practises what she preaches - moving every day to challenge both mental and physical muscle and believes we all need to treat our mental muscle just like our physical muscle; giving it challenge, fuel, rest and recovery.

In our conversation, Lara shares...

• The power of a starting gun,
• What happened when she tried her first mountain climb up the Matterhorn
• And what she learnt about herself from witnessing her child in intensive care
  

#38 - Marcia Gay Harden - Preparation = Freedom

Today, I’m talking to Marcia Gay Harden. An actress with 40 years’ experience on film, TV and Broadway, Marcia has won many awards including an Oscar and a Tony in a career that lists cult films like Miller’s Crossing, Pollock and Mystic River. She’s featured in (and been nominated for) many of her performances in TV shows like, The Newsroom, Uncoupled and - one of my personal favourites - The Morning Show.  
Outside acting, her book, The Seasons of My Mother: A Memoir of Love, Family, and Flowers details her bond with her mother as they travelled the world, and how they dealt with her mother's Alzheimer's disease. 

She is a vocal supporter of LGBTQ+ and is on the advisory board of Hearts of Gold, a New York charity that supports homeless women and their children.

In our conversation - which is longer than normal by the way - Marcia shares:
- Why her children go mad when she takes her work home
- What the young Marcia would do when her father was coming home
- And why, for her, the key to freedom is preparation.