Every Monday and Thursday, I make sure to tune into the Diary of a CEO podcast with Steven Bartlett. In a recent episode, Bartlett interviewed former Google CEO Eric Schmidt, and I was struck by some of Schmidt's insights on critical thinking in the age of social media. Schmidt emphasized the importance of not just blindly believing what friends, family, or social media tells us. We have to develop the ability to critically assess claims and verify information, rather than passively accepting things as true just because they sound plausible. Another key point Schmidt made was the value of "failing fast." In today's fast-paced world, it's crucial to prioritize intelligence and quick responses over rigid experience and stability. You have to be willing to take risks and rapidly discard ideas that don't work, rather than clinging to the old and familiar. As Bill Gates said, "the most important thing is to fail fast." Embracing quick failures allows you to become the best version of yourself much faster. So don't be afraid to experiment, test new approaches, and be willing to change course when needed. Critical thinking and a willingness to fail fast are essential leadership skills in this era of abundant-but-unverified information.

Sunday Motivation: This weekend I listened to a fantastic podcast with Andew Huberman and Tim Ferris. Here are my Four Key Take Aways: 1. Never check your phone first thing in the morning. Instead, get light. Sunlight is best. 2. You're doing ALOT of sh*t that doesn't actually matter. If you can exercise in the first half of the day - it gives you the best odds to "win the day". 3. Audit your calendar on a weekly basis. Create two columns. Tasks that gave you energy, and tasks that took AWAY your energy. Then ask yourself, how can I repeat that? 4. Remove Social Media apps from your phone. If you cannot "be bored" for 5 minutes, without scrolling, you have a problem. Just deleted all apps from my phone. Curious, how do you limit yourself?

I have a confession to make: I rarely watch the news. Honestly, I'm overwhelmed. While access to information has never been easier, it also means we're drowning in a sea of noise. "Watch this show, read this article, listen to this podcast, and check these sites three times a day for the most up-to-date information." Nope. I can't; I'm spent. Especially during an emotionally charged election year. It's too much. As a former—and still occasional—journalist, I used to feel guilty for not being able to, or even wanting to, keep up with everything. But over time, I’ve realized that overconsumption of unnecessary information is damaging to both my psyche and productivity. I now understand the importance of being intentional about the content I consume, choosing quality over quantity. Of course, I value being informed, but I’ve become more selective about my deep dives, and I’ve determined that some topics are best left to the TL;DR version. I’ve also set specific times for my “scroll hole” sessions, so they don’t interfere with my day. Does anyone else find value in condensed, bite-sized, unbiased versions of the news? #LearningNewMeaningsofSelfCare #DigitalWellness #Productivity #MediaConsumption #ExecutiveRecruiter

Filling your life with 'stuff' yet feeling empty?😔 ... In this week's podcast episode, I will give you a simple hack to explain why you should create more space in your day! If you are like most women I work with you are probably very ambitious with a great career and a family to look after. You might also believe that you have to be a good mum, a good boss, great at what you do, and make people happy at work and home… 😩 and sacrifice your own health and well-being in the process and that’s OK!😭 This means you are likely to fill every moment of your day with 'stuff to do' for others and have no time for yourself because this is what society expects of you! Well, I am here to tell you it is NOT and no matter what society and others expect of you, this is not a way to live your life! In this video, I am going to talk about a great technique/hack you can use to create more space in your day and your life! After watching the full video you'll know 🤔 Why is it important to create space in your life 😲 Why is it so detrimental to fill every moment of your life with 'stuff' 💡 How can you create space in your life using the simple hack I will give you here? Don't take my word for it, go ahead and listen 🎧 to this episode on your favourite platform or watch the full video on YouTube now▶️. Be sure to SUBSCRIBE to my YouTube Channel to never miss a video again!

No One Chooses To Stay Sick. If What The Doctor Prescribed Isn't Working, You'd Get A Second Opinion Wouldn't You? But how many people will get a second opinion when your business is sick? Or not performing the way that it should? Of course you can talk in the office. Maybe you have friends that can help. There are a lot of people who are rooting for you. Sometimes though, having the right conversations with the wrong people ends up being an echo chamber. And your business dies. Getting another perspective will NEVER leave in a worse position than you are now. But not having the best information to solve your problems is a recipe for disaster. Here's a bit of an exchange between Caleb Nelson and I on the Sifted podcast - LEADER SHIPPING. What do you think? Are you a second opinion type person or do you prefer to go it alone? -------- ---------- ---------- ---------- ---------- Would your network find this interesting? Be the first to get it to their feed by commenting or sharing Interested in Deeper Dives right to your inbox 1x/wk 👇 Take 10 seconds to paste your email here: https://lnkd.in/dCsUAauR Want to submit a question for me to write about 👇 AMA: https://lnkd.in/e3RjBiJD

Misinformation is everywhere. From your social media feed to well-meaning friends who’ve been sucked into the latest diet fad, we’re bombarded with conflicting health advice. But as doctors, we’ve got this all figured out, right? WRONG. Even we, with our years of training, white coats, and alphabet soup of credentials, are just as susceptible to misinformation as anyone else. On today's podcast episode, Matthew Facciani, PhD, brings a fresh perspective, some hard truths, and a little humor to an issue we all need to get better at tackling: https://buff.ly/3ZKch18

Move over Diary of a CEO, the real behind-the-scenes action happens in the diary of THIS Virtual Executive Officer! 👊🏻💥 Don't worry... this isn't a post about me launching a podcast, that would be a disaster of Epic Proportions 🙈. I do however want to draw your attention to International Podcast Day, which is, today - 30th September. And I for one, an avid podhead, thinks this genre needs celebrating 💃🏻. Woohoo!! 🥳 You see, while I spend my day rescuing inboxes and untangling calendars 🗓 I love to escape during dog walks with a podcast 🐕🦺. 👉🏻 Investigative, in-depth crime, or fly-on-the-wall interivews with fascinating people doing amazing things — it’s my way to disconnect 🧘🏻♀️. Current Top Five Fave Podcasts - in no particular order: 🎧 Steven Bartlett's Diary of a CEO - he’s good. Very good. And his guests/interview second-to-none 👌🏻. I'm not just saying this to assuage his legal team (sorry guys!) for my loose play on his branding today... he is, quite simply, TOP of his game. 🎧 Joe Rogan - if you want to know how to hold a conversation... tune in. A powerhouse of brilliance. 🎧 Trigonometry - diverse selection of guests, discussions, ideas, perspectives. 🎧 Chris Williamson's Modern Wisdom - if I had a son, I’d steer him to this podcast. Not just for men, but a great male role model. 🎧 True Crime - after the first season of Serial - there was nooooo going back. If you want to dip your toes in, be warned. I'm in deep. 🤔 Did I say five? Ha! Currently listening to Heaven’s Gate. About a US UFO cult. 📍 Podcasting is HUGE in the UK - one of the fastest-growing forms of media consumption in recent years with around 20 million people tuning in. Little me included. 📍 Any podcasters need some virtual help? I'm at my desk 🖥. 📍 Any podcast recommendations? I'm all ears! 👂🏻

My friend Amber Hacker hosts a podcast that examines money and meaning - work, life, spirit, creative - and this episode really hit for me. Especially the parts where guest, psychotherapist Dr. Hollis, asks us to examine what truly drives us. What wants to be expressed through us? And what is it that gives us the kind of energy that is sustaining? Once we make enough money to put food on the table, or otherwise diminish the pervasive anxiety that underpins financial insecurity, what is it that truly mobilizes us? So much wisdom and universal application in this conversation!

Calling Operator has always been about showcasing operators under the belief that we don't hear enough of their stories. But what happens when the founder and operator converge? 🤔 Due to one of the busiest months of my life, there won’t be a new episode of Calling Operator this week. But don’t worry, you probably missed a fantastic one recently… A couple of weeks ago, I had the pleasure of interviewing Gaby Howard. With Sunrise and timing (note: avoid the feed during a festival!), many of you might have missed it. If you haven't heard it yet, go back and give it a listen. Gaby is naturally infectious, and she’s an absolute gun founder and operator. This episode was particularly interesting as it touched on life’s shifting directions. I started Calling Operator because I believed we had so many founder profiles and not enough operator profiles. And, I still believe that’s true. However, I’ve developed a new opinion: Founders are often incredible operators, especially in the early days. 💪 In a funny way, when an operator becomes a founder, they become the ultimate operator. What’s even more intriguing about this chat is the discussion around returning to the operator role: How much to hold onto? When to step aside? How deep should you get? For Gaby, it was also a realisation that she’s someone who can’t ‘not care’ about what she does. Gaby is the anti-quiet quitter. She dives into everything with 110%, not in a structured, 5-year plan way, but in the ‘I took a holiday and ended up painting the whole house’ kind of way. One of the things I love most about this podcast is that it gives you more examples you can see yourself in. Great people aren’t carbon copies of what we are told success is. Gaby is great and hugely successful, but she often makes decisions based on intuition. She’s not meditating or joining the 5 a.m. club; the real secret is to back yourself. 👂 Listen wherever you get your podcasts or at callingoperator(dot)com

I call it a POD; Trudie disagreed but then did what Trudie does: research and add value. Come with us on a deep dive into all things griefy, from theory to practice. This podcast is designed to give therapists, trainee counsellors and volunteers the knowledge and skills they need to work with grief and loss with confidence and insight. As you will see from this blooper reel, this topic might feel heavy, but we have a light touch. We bring huge amounts of passion to this project, and we have fun too. We’re responsible rebels – not afraid to shine a light on established understanding or to pursue cutting-edge research by experts in the field. We invite you to become responsible rebels too. Please share this with anyone you think would enjoy or benefit from listening. https://lnkd.in/eyB327gB Probably, maybe, available from where you listen to your favourite pods.