Better Under Pressure

In this episode, I’m talking to Tamsin Addison, a member of the Irish Equestrian team for over 10 years now, who has enjoyed international wins on multiple horses, was placed in the top ten in the last European championships and became a Paralympian at the Tokyo Olympics

Starting her career as a psychologist and undertaking a PhD on Pain in Sport, Tamsin was at the same time diagnosed with parosteal sarcoma in her right upper arm.  Determined not to let bone cancer hinder her passion for horse riding, Tamsin became the first person in the world to regrow an arm bone.

After working in the corporate world for 20 years,  she was tempted to ride for her country and didn’t look back. She now runs her own business rehabilitating horses after injury or surgery and combines that with competing at national and international equestrian events.

In our conversation, Tamsin reveals:

• Why she changed her phone passcode to a specific number in the future
• The mental and physical toll it took to re-grow her right arm
• And what happened when someone told her that her horse was watching Netflix

Outline📍
00:00 Intro
02:34 What was the first time you experienced pressure?
08:34 Space as an important part of managing pressure
11:34 Conserving your energy
13:16 What was the worst pressure you ever faced?
17:19 What really helped you through that period?
19:38 Insight 1: Lessons learned
21:00 What happened to you when you were 21 years old?
23:49 Pressure vs Stress
31:29 How do you manage other people’s pressure?
34:51 Do you anticipate future pressure to foster further growth?
36:14 What's the significance of your relationship with the horse in staying on the right side of pressure?
41:37 What 2 pieces of advice would you pass forward to be better under pressure?
45:32 Insight 2: Lessons learned
48:15 Second pay forward
52:03 Holiday Outro

Today, I'm having a conversation with Adam Garfunkel, a true pioneer in the world of sustainability. With an impressive 35-year career dedicated to creating positive change, Adam brings a wealth of knowledge and experience to the table.

As a former campaigner and communications advisor, Adam has been at the forefront of driving sustainable practices across various industries. Now, as the co-owner of Junxion Strategy, an international consultancy firm, he is on a mission to help leaders shape the success stories of the purpose economy.

Beyond his remarkable professional accomplishments, Adam's personal life is equally fascinating. Married with two daughters, he calls north London his home, where his family roots run deep. When he's not working towards a sustainable future, Adam finds joy in indulging in delicious food, cheering on his favourite football team, and cold-water swimming adventures. 

During our conversation, Adam shares:

• What he learnt from Mr Patni while working in a vegetarian Indian restaurant. 
• The importance of striving for something magnificent that makes the world a better place. 
• What he gets from plunging into open water at three degrees above zero.

Outline📍
00:00 Intro
02:44 What does pressure mean to you?
04:16 Adam’s organization purpose, mission, and the pressure involved
07:34 What empowers you to progress daily despite pressure, even through small steps?
11:53 What was it that created this drive for you?
18:25 How do you maintain the relationship between pressure & positivity, ambition, and resilience in people, while making a meaningful impact?
25:13 Insight 1: Lessons learned
28:16 How can you maintain your inner light before anyone else?
34:17 We’ve got to look out for ourselves
37:23 Insight 2: Lessons learned
39:37 How do you effectively manage & alleviate pressure for the people that work with you?
47:21  "It's a natural human craving to find meaning."
49:36 Giving them your full energy
51:18 What 2 pieces of advice would you pass forward to be better under pressure?

Today I’m talking to Lesley Paterson, a professional triathlete who’s represented Great Britain and has a dozen medals as well as a film producer with an Oscar-winning film under her Belt.

Having started competing in triathlons aged just 16, Lesley combined her competing with a degree and then a master's in Drama. Her triathlon career has not been without setbacks, having contracted Lymes disease in her 30s and, famously winning one triathlon with a shoulder she had broken just the day before. That particular experience dovetails neatly with her passion for drama and her most recent triumph as screenwriter and producer of the multi-award-winning Netflix film, All Quiet On The Western Front – made despite (or perhaps because of) countless pressures.

In our conversation, Lesley also shares…
*What she learnt as a child from being the only girl playing rugby with 250 boys 
*The importance of physically connecting with the land, mud and dirt. 
*Why she was glad she had done her one-arm swimming training. 

 

Outline📍
00:00 Intro
02:56 How would you describe your relationship with pressure?
06:25 Seeking out pressure at a very young age
09:36 Maintain determination during challenging times
17:18 What actions do you take to shift your mood and mindset?
27:50 Insight 1: Lessons learned
29:42 Lesley's past anecdote
33:38 Were you driven by your purpose or competitiveness when participating in the race with one arm despite the pain?
35:40 How do you manage other people’s pressure?
38:06 How do you deal with maintaining passion when you're tired or hungry?
40:13 Insight 2: Lessons learned
42:18 What 2 pieces of advice would you pass forward to be better under pressure?
43:28 Outro

Today I’m talking to Dr Mandy Lehto, a former investment banker who, as Director at a global investment bank, worked in Fixed Income Sales covering hedge funds and central banks.  She has a doctorate from Cambridge University and, since leaving the banking world, has coached senior executive women around the world, as well as becoming a columnist for Psychologies magazine and having work published in the Times, Forbes, Psychology Today and The Huffington Post among others. She’s also the magnificent host of “Enough, The Podcast” for recovering perfectionists and overachievers like her.

In our conversation, Mandy shares…
- The impact of what her father said to her when she was eight,
- Who controls her first thoughts
- And what it’s like to be - by her own admission - a hardaholic

 

Outline📍
00:00 Intro
02:25 When do you remember first experiencing pressure?
09:20 What happened with your relationship with pressure as you grew older?
13:26 Pressure management skills for personal growth
15:38 Did you play it safe or take risks in the areas where you could excel?
20:12 How did you realise the negative impact of bad energy?
22:15 What signs do you wish you had noticed earlier and taken action upon?
28:14 Knowing your dosage
32:20 Insight 1: Lessons learned
37:15 What is your relationship with pressure now?
43:12 “Don’t trust my first thought”
48:44 Insight 2: Lessons learned
55:03 What would be your advice to people, on how to be better under pressure?

In this episode, I am talking to Lee Georgs, Chief Operating Officer at Eighteen48 Partners, a London-based Private Investment Office serving families and endowments. She’s worked in the global financial services industry for almost three decades, starting in Private Banking and Wealth Management in New York with Citibank and JP Morgan. She moved overseas in 2006, to become Director of Global Accounts for RGP in Hong Kong, before ending up in London and M&A Project Management at Credit Suisse. She stepped into the COO role, first at Redington in 2017 (where she also served as Executive Board Director) and then, six years later, at Eighteen48 where she is now.
An Ambassador for The Diversity Project (the U.K.’s Investment Management Industry Diversity body), Lee is also an LGBT Great Ally as well as a volunteer with Speakers for Schools (an organization dedicated to encouraging young people to pursue careers in Financial Services) and GAIN (Girls are Investors).
In our conversation, Lee shares…
🔵 The importance of showing the messiness of life
🔵 What she learnt when she was 5 and how that still shows up for her.
🔵 And why - for Lee - it’s always about the people!

 

Outline📍
00:00 Intro
02:42 How do you experience pressure?
06:10 What is the relationship between pressure and guilt for you?
09:57 What produces pressure for you in your role now?
11:35 What’s the worst pressure you’ve ever experienced?
15:13 How did you overcome the need for permission to speak your mind?
21:45 Insight 1: Lessons learned
24:24 How do you combine your roles as a female role model, and successful working mum, to help you manage pressures?
28:55 How do you support team members who are visibly under pressure?
32:59 Do you intentionally create an environment in meetings that encourages people to share their thoughts and foster both formal and informal connections?
35:55 What is your relationship with pressure in terms of your own ambition? 
43:19 Insight 2: Lessons learned
45:06 What 2 pieces of advice would you pass forward to be better under pressure?
50:32 Outro

In this episode, I’m talking to DaeWha Kang. Based in London, DaeWha is a Korean designer, architect, and artist with a passion for creating beauty and timelessness in his work.
In 2014, he founded DaeWha Kang Design, which has since taken on a wide range of projects, from the regeneration of a Christopher Wren church to a concert hall in central London, and even a fine arts museum in Saudi Arabia. Focusing on improving well-being through design, DaeWha's studio lives by the statement "beauty built with wisdom."

During our conversation, he also shares:
- What it’s like to lead a team when none of you know what you’re doing…
- The importance of finding your positive sparks
- And what made him get up rather than give up...

 

Outline📍
00:00 Intro
02:25 How do you experience pressure?
03:30 Can you remember when you first experienced pressure?
05:20 Do you still manage pressure the same way that you used to?
07:40 The “flow” of positive energy from pressure
10:37 Pressure and ambition
13:10 Balance between positive pressure and debilitating pressure
15:54 Highlight 1: Lessons learned
17:48 How do you distinguish “flow state” from negative pressure?
20:47 How do you remind yourself of your purpose?
21:52 Physical and mental rest
23:35 How do you spot negative pressure in your team?
26:12 Shared values while escalating your business 
30:21 How do you use positive pressure as a driving force?
35:55 Are opportunities a result of your individual or group decision-making?
37:50 Can you recall a time when you felt the most pressure?
48:10 How do you lead others under pressure?
50:40 What 2 pieces of advice would you pass forward to be better under pressure?