My Career Story

In the 100th episode of the My Career Story podcast I open the episode with an important career update of my own, before diving into answering the questions previous guests on the show have submitted including Katherine Jennick, Polly McGee, Michael Stephens, Kathy Caprino, Asifa Lahore, Rebecca Bayuk and Carolyn Parry.

Christopher Kenna is CEO and Founder of Brand Advance (BA), a startup 100 2020 company which connects brands with diverse audiences globally, through Insights, Media and Creative that more authentically engages these communities. Chris is also the Director of Diversity and Inclusion at OUTvertising, the Advertising industry Lobbying Group and as a mixed race, out gay father - is a strong advocate for diversity and representation within the Media and Advertising industry as a member of the WFA Diversity Advisory Board and is also on the advisory board for the V&A Museums. An award winning entrepreneur having received the Innovator of the Year Award at the second annual Ex-Forces in Business Awards and was recently named on EMPower's 100 Ethnic Minority Executives 2020.

Bobbi was the first openly transgender person in bp and as co-chair of bp Pride's Transgender Group has transformed trans awareness within the company. She is the founder of “Trans in the City” - a corporate collaboration of over 250 organisations to further transgender awareness globally. Bobbi is a Diversity Role Model and a very proud champion of Stonewall Housing. She was voted #1 in the OUTstanding 50 LGBT+ Future Leaders' List 2019, #4 in 2020, included in the PWC Stonewall 50 Inspirational Role Models 2019, was winner of the Rainbow Honours LGBTQ Champion Award 2019, the Nestle Diversity Champion Award at the 2020 British LGBT awards, placed #14 in the Pride Power List 2020 and was a business nominee in the 2021 Diva Awards. She plays guitar and bass and sings, has two grown up children and lives in Brighton, UK.

Patrick is a Website Operations Specialist in the Online Fashion Retail sector. He gas been in this field for 12 years, falling into it randomly after giving up as an actor and briefly working in recruitment (which he was dreadful at). In his current role at Levi's he is also the Membership Secretary and Culture Lead of the European LGBTQ+ ERG.

This bonus episode captures the live audio of a panel discussion recorded as part of the virtual shortlist reveal for the 2021 Queer Student Awards, focusing on the timely conversation around reclamation of the word 'Queer' by the LGBTQ+ community globally. Your hosts: Spencer Cooper, Mufseen Miah The panellists: Alan Shannon-Smith, Harriet Lunney, Annie Gainsborough, Khadija Lewis About Queer Talk Queer Talk is an LGBTQ+ Podcast bringing you a regular dose of positive news stories and fabulous interviews, hosted by Spencer Cooper and Mufseen Miah.

Ultra Naté. She reps hard for Baltimore, Maryland and is a world renown singer, songwriter, DJ, producer, label owner and promoter. She has released nine studio LPs [1990-2017] and travels the globe performing and spinning live for a variety of audiences. From horse races and the fashion elite to house parties and dance festivals. Concedes Ultra, “I've been writing my own songs since the beginning of my career. This was pivotal in establishing me as an artist with a distinct style all my own. I was one of the first artists in house/dance music signed to a major record deal with Warner Brothers in the UK in 1989 and I have more than 25 years of experience making groundbreaking music - having collaborated with a wide array of artists such as: The Basement Boys, Nellee Hooper, D-Influence, Mood II Swing, Nona Hendryx, Lenny Kravitz, Frankie Kuckles, N'Dea Davenport, DJ Class, NERVO, Tony Moran, StoneBridge, Todd Terry, David Morales, Michele Williams (of Destiny's Child), Boy George, 4 Hero, Deee-lite, Masters at Work, Roger Sanchez, Morgan Page, Chris Willis, Quentin Harris and others!” Ultra Naté has delivered her classics, new tunes and energetic dj sets all over the globe performing everywhere from Amsterdam, Paris, London, Japan, Moscow, Sweden, Dubai, Italy, Brazil, Norway and Spain to residencies in Ibiza and such varied events as Glitterbox, children of the '80's, Greenpeace Festival, Battle Hymn, U.S. National Cherry Blossom Festival to name a few! Her spirited presence has graced the stages of New York's massive Summer Stage in Central Park, Nile Rodgers acclaimed FOLD Festival sharing the stage with the likes of CHIC, Duran Duran, Pharrell and Beck to Lincoln Center's annual Midnight Summer Swing and numerous Pride events around the World. In Ultra's nearly three decades of making music, she has remained a musical chameleon, embracing a variety of sounds. Her sound embraces a variety of genres including house, soul, disco, electro pop, R&B/hiphop and rock. Ultra is honored to be considered an icon of the Dance and LGBTQ communities worldwide. She was recently named one of Billboard Magazine's "Greatest of All Time" *Top Dance Artists (#12) along with having three entries in the industry bible's respective “Greatest Of All Time” *Top 10 Dance Club Songs including the perennial, platinum-selling #1 anthem, “Free.” Ultra's most recent album collaboration, 'Ultra Naté & Quentin Harris as Black Stereo Faith' reached Top 5 on I-Tunes and has spawned the Billboard Top 10 single and video, “I'm Too Sexy (Touch This Skin)” - a spirited alt-funked out cover of Right Said Fred's classic. Ultra Naté, your original 'party girl' keeps bringing the party right back to you.

In this episode we share the career advice gifted to us from some of the LGBTQ+ guests who shared their career stories in the first 3 seasons of the podcast. Featuring - Chloe Davies, Aaron Carty, Lorna Reeves, Michael Newton, Neil Thornton, Divina De Campo, Debbie Cannon, Davide Pagnotta, Paul Russell, Chris Allan, Jamala Osman, Katrina Kibben and Eman Carballo.

John spent over twenty years working in the worlds of advertising, TV and content production, launching and running his own firm along the way. He now helps founders to grow their businesses.

DOM&INK, is a freelance illustrator and merman based in London, from Bolton, via Narnia. He loves to create work that makes you feel empowered, confident and all warm and fuzzy inside. Recurring themes in his work are LGBTQ+ rights, mental health awareness, body positivity, drag and girl bands (he can’t resist drawing a Little Mix video lewk). Throughout his years illustrating, Dom has created art for Little Mix, Cheryl, iWeigh, The X-Factor, Selfridges, Skinny Dip, Emma Watson’s ‘Our Shared Shelf’ and more. He was also the official illustrator Ru Paul’s Drag Race UK Season 1 and for Little Mix : The Search. Something he still pinches himself about daily. 'Free To Be Me' an LGBTQ+ journal of Love, Pride and Finding Your Inner Rainbow is his third book and is published by Penguin Random House UK . Illustrated and written by Dom, it’s a love letter to the LGBTQ+ community and to the reader, to let you know, wherever you are on your rainbow journey, this book will be there for you and be your safe space. Dom's also lucky enough to be feature in Cosmopolitan, Gay Times, Glamour, Buzzfeed and Time Out.

Aamir Hassan has worked in Education for over six years. He has been an English Teacher and moved into several leadership roles from this. Aamir has now decided to move in a different direction and is now an English Tutor and also helps schools with their intervention plans. Furthermore, Aamir is also an examiner for AQA and he delivers on LGBTQ+ and BAME education to various different companies. Aamir has a successful podcast with his husband and runs the account ‘You Don’t Love Me Boys’ in which he and his husband promote visibility for the Queer South Asian community. This year will also see Aamir become a published poet.

A father of two teenagers, who started off his career in retail management, then as a graduate trainee for Sainsbury’s, then donned a different uniform as a police officer, working in criminal investigation, internal investigations, human resources and operational policing, and climbing the ranks to become a Chief Inspector before, after nearly 13 years in the police service leaving, pivoting and then re-inventing himself as a senior HR professional, coming out as gay at 40, moving to London and now works for the transport giant FirstGroup plc as their Senior HR Business Partner and part of the Group HR leadership team at their corporate centre.

Devin Ibañez is the first openly gay Major League Rugby player and is dedicated to LGBTQ+ advocacy in sport. He hopes to inspire the next generation of LGBTQ+ athletes and make sport an inclusive space for them. Raised in Boston, MA, Devin played for Major League Rugby team, the New England Free Jacks, in their 2019 exhibition season. He won a gold medal while representing Team USA at the 2017 World Maccabiah Games in Israel. He also won the 2018 D1 National Championship with his club team, Mystic River Rugby Club. When not playing, Devin has coached rugby at Westlake Boys High School in New Zealand, his alma mater Brookline High School and most recently with the Northeast Academy. He holds a degree in sport management and education from the University of Massachusetts-Amherst. Find out more about Devin's Transgender Law Center fundraiser mentioned in the episode at https://tinyurl.com/translawcenterfundraiser

Matthew is the Executive Director of NAM, a community-based charity which supports people living with HIV, and those who care for them, by providing accurate and up to date information about HIV/AIDS. Prior to joining NAM Matthew was CEO of GMFA, the gay men’s health charity.

A Chartered Accountant with a passion for SMEs. Having worked for Louis Vuitton, RSM UK LLP, and BT Group Plc, James founded Audeo Fortis to advise start and scale-ups on overcoming barriers to growth (awarded Best SME Business Advisory Firm 2019 - CV Magazine). James’s substantial skills across the breadth of business stem from a purposeful portfolio career covering roles from accounting, corporate finance, and project & programme management, to HR and business process improvement. James co-founded Join myNexus is 2019, a new digital platform created specifically to remove bias in the investment process for early stage business so that underfunded groups can get better access to funding. As an LGBT+ person James is a passionate advocate for challenging systemic biases and has a keen interest in diversity intersectionality across minority groups. James was recently awarded Institute of Director’s North West Director of the Year Award 2020 (non-executive).

Pam has been teaching for ten years - four spent deep in the closet, and six years out and proud. Her job title doesn't include any reference to LGBTQ, but she says it's one of the most important parts of what she does. She's head of MFL (modern foreign languages) at Longhill High School, and also co-ordinates the trainee teachers, but since coming out to the entire school in a series of assemblies in 2018, unofficially holds the title of LGBTQ co-ordinator, head gay, and general go-to person for anything LGBTQ. She has appeared on Good Morning Britain and in the Guardian talking about this role, and most recently contributed a chapter to the #LGBTed book "Big Gay Adventures in Education"

Professional hockey players and partners Leah Wilkinson and Sarah Jones share their career stories side-by-side this week! Leah first represented Wales in hockey aged 17. She is now the most capped player for Wales, in any sport, with 169 appearances. Leah has represented Wales in 3 Commonwealth Games and 8 Europeans throughout her career. Away from the pitch, Leah sits on the Team Wales Athlete Commission, representing the views of Welsh athletes throughout a number of sports. Leah gained her first cap for Great Britain in 2019 and is now a full time hockey player, training towards the Tokyo Olympics. She is currently on a sabbatical from her job as a teacher, teaching both History and Politics at Ewell Castle School in Surrey. In her spare time Leah enjoys spending time in the garden, reading and has a new found love for jigsaw puzzles! Sarah is a Great Britain and Wales international hockey player with over 125 caps training towards the Tokyo Olympics. She has been to two Commonwealth Games; 2014 in Glasgow and 2018 in Gold Coast and was the first Welsh outfield athlete to represent Great Britain since 2012. She previously worked in capital investment for the Lawn Tennis Association and balanced this part-time role whilst training with GB Hockey for two years before establishing herself as a full-time member. Her career highlights include beating India at the 2018 Commonwealth Games and playing against New Zealand at The Stoop, Twickenham in front of 10,000 fans, the biggest crowd at a hockey match in the UK since 2012. She proudly represents hockey off the field and is passionate about improving the sporting landscape in Wales.

Born and raised on the island of Trinidad and Tobago and state school-educated, Charles, 32, moved to London over 10 years ago fleeing persecution of sexuality. In the last 5 years, Nick has been working in media, film and broadcasting; holding positions at Gay Times magazine, Celeb Mix and This Radio before recently landing his dream job as a presenter on Manchester’s famous Gaydio. Nick is currently studying Media & Communication with film & Visual Culture at Liverpool Hope University to further his career in the Media Industry. Nick has a passion for equality after his start in life, and so decided to use his platform to highlight issues within the BAME and LGBTQ+ community. This came to fruition in the form of an up and coming podcast, called “The 802”, with one his closest friends Dan. “The 802” touches on the common issues of equality, race and acceptance with an ecstatic and positive spin and features quests from all over the world and various walks of life.

Vangelis Polydorou first came to our attention when he auditioned for The Voice UK in 2016. His unique voice pushed him through to the finals and made him one of the clear stand outs of the season. His mentor on the show was legendary pop icon ‘Boy George’ who saw something in Vangelis and has continued to work with him ever since. George hand picked Vangelis to sing in his band ‘Culture Club’ for their 2018 world tour and most recently Vangelis supported them with his own set at Wembley Arena. With George on board as his Creative Manager and ex Cocteau Twins drummer Benny D on production, Vangelis began working on songs for his debut album ‘The Drama’ and has just released his first single ‘Throw Me’.

Charl Summers is a Content Creator, Podcast Host/Producer, Illustrator, and LGBTQ+ Advocate. Her work can be found via Unite UK and Lestalk Podcast, where she aims to improve views around LGBTQ+ topics.

Rico provided live updates at the London Black Lives Matter protests along with revealing some of the white-washed black history. Also for Rainbow Films, he volunteered to create documentaries on racism and queer rights, as a spokesperson and part of the film crew. The last documentary, ‘Pride & Protest’ won ‘Official Selection 2020’ at the BFI Flare film festival. He has also spoken on NHS King Cross Hospital panels and North-East A&E doctors on LGBTQI+ healthcare and on a similar subject at the Mayor of London’s round table think tanks. As a newly appointed board member of TransActual UK, he continues to strive to change UK legislation for non-binary equality, Hate Crime and raises the Black Queer intersectionality question in all forums with speeches at Cumbria Pride, London Trans Pride, quoted in Forbes and Department of Transport conferences. As a columnist at Wedzera, he continues to speak out about the complexities of sexuality, gender and racial perceptions. He has recently launched ‘Against Racism’ a nine-part show exploring the various forms of racism and how we collectively can make a difference. Rico is a very vocal activist, fighting avidly for the rights of LGBTQIA+ people and Black people.

Asifa Lahore is Britain’s first out Muslim drag queen, pushing the boundaries of what it means to be LGBT, South Asian and Muslim. Asifa came into the national spotlight in 2014 when she was censored by the Birmingham Central Mosque from discussing Islam and Homosexuality on BBC Free Speech. This caused uproar in the British press and allowed Lahore the rare opportunity to speak openly about the topic. Asifa featured in Channel 4’s groundbreaking documentary Muslim Drag Queens in 2015. Narrated by Sir Ian McKellen, it drew an audience of 1.1 million viewers. That same year, she received the Attitude Magazine Pride Award for activism and increasing visibility of the ‘Gaysian’ community and also judged the Independent's Rainbow List. Asifa's impassioned activism on intersectionality, race, sexual orientation, gender, disability and religion has led her to speak at prestigious institutions such as the Lost Lectures, Channel 4 Diversity Festival, Women of the World Festival, the British Library and the Oxford Union. She has also been the face of Channel 4's 2016 diversity campaign, 'True Colour TV' as well as one of the ambassadors for 'Open Letters to Queer Britain', a project aiming to create the UK's first LGBT+ museum in collaboration with Levi's UK, the Post office and Queer Britain. Asifa continues to promote and DJ at London's top Gaysian club nights, Club Kali and Disco Rani. Her musings on world events have been featured in Winq, Attitude, Gay Times, The Independent and IB Times as well as being featured and interviewed for countless publications worldwide. In 2019, Asifa walked the first LGBT catwalk at Pakistan Fashion Week London. This was a proud moment for her as a British Pakistani person. Asifa is also passionate about disability rights. She is severely sighted and suffers from Retinitis Pigmentosa, a rare genetic eye disease which causes progressive sight loss. Asifa's journey into the spotlight has been a deeply personal one through which she discovered her transgender identity and continues being a voice for intersectional Britain.

Jamie has experience as a Human Resources Advisor and currently works as a Learning & Talent Development Facilitator with a demonstrated history of working in Digital Business Transformation, culture change and Inclusion & Diversity. Jamie currently leads Égalité which is Publicis Group's BRG for its LGBTQ+ employees and their allies. Jamie was shortlisted in the Top 10 for the 'Future Leader' category at The British LGBT Awards 2020.

Ben is multi-hyphenate digital creator, they educate and advocate within the LGBTQIA community. Embracing their Trans Non-Binary Identity Ben has worked with global brands, advice on diversity and has even earned themselves a book deal, coming very soon! “Growing up I never saw or knew anybody like myself. Now at 26, I am incredibly comfortable with who I am and am visibly present in society. I am existing and thriving as a member of the LGBTQ+ community. I hope that I can be the representation for people just like me, giving them the chance to feel accepted that I so often struggled to feel growing up.”

Rohan is an expat Australian currently living in London. Moving to the UK in 2012 to pursue a career in the art world he has since worked in a variety roles for Christie’s, Art Dubai and now manages the British Council’s international touring and loans programme. As well as this, Rohan has recently published his first book, The Passion of Bright Young Things, which is a fictional recount of growing up queer in Australia.

Liane is co-author of Creative Career Coaching, a book for career professionals. She works internationally, delivering workshops and key-notes at conferences and is a Learning and Development consultant for a variety of organisations. She also loves good wine, watching birds and anything to do with nature.

Michael Gunning is an international competitive swimmer having attended two World Swimming Championships. He holds dual Jamaican and British citizenship and is the current national record holder for the 200 metre butterfly, and the 200 and 400 metre freestyle events.

Michael is a mental health and well-being advocate, and founder of CREATE SPACE Retreats and Workshops. He organises bespoke well-being and leadership development programmes for brands, businesses and groups of individuals. These unique experiences help promote the importance of prioritising self-care and personal-growth alongside career ambition and professional development. On the side, Michael runs his own not-for-profit organisation, WE CREATE SPACE, providing free monthly online well-being workshops within the LGBTQ+ communities.

In the season 4 premiere, podcast host Steve shares more about some of the chapters of his own career story focused on his identity as a white cisgender gay man.

Episode features intentions for 2021 shared by:Rebecca GreenKatherine JennickChris AllanConor CottonTonia GalatiCarolyn ParryNatasha LomasHamish MunroRaf SzaniawskiHear more episodes of this podcast here.

About PhilipPhilip is a tech veteran with deep experience in B2B and Education software, and over the last 35 years has been at the leading edge of personal computers, the internet and the smartphone. Philip has had an exciting ride but believes he has been in the right place, at the rights time but on the wrong horses! Why? He has always followed his heart rather than his head!It took him to his late 40's to find his why? But now he has, he is more passionate than ever and is in the middle of developing a mobile-first white-label SaaS product called "Connectsu "that could be a game changer by having positive impact on the skills crisis and UK Plc, by making it easier for all stakeholders to find and connect with businesses, locally, nationally or internationally, in the way Airbnb has done for holiday homes.Connect with PhilipTwitter - https://twitter.com/Tech_4_GoodLinkedin - https://www.linkedin.com/in/philipanthonyreynolds/

Kaemorine has a strong track record of utilising psychology to deliver exceptional results. She supports senior level executives and global organisations to maximise performance, through skilful delivery of coaching, leadership development and high potential assessment. She has worked across the public and private sector as well as cross culturally within the UK and the UAE. She is an experienced business psychologist and executive coach and enjoys working collaboratively with clients to develop strategies that help them pivot during challenging and uncertain times; creating solutions that enhance people and business performance.

A message from Scott:I’m an SEO Executive at The Hut Group and host of Entrepreneurs Can Party: A podcast which introduces aspiring business owners & entrepreneurs to inspiring guests who are having fun with their businesses and creative projects! I want to debunk the myth that business has to be done in boardrooms and show that in some cases, it can take the form of travelling around the world with your best mates!I graduated from the University of East Anglia (UEA) in July 2018 with a First in Economics and my first job out of university was as a prison officer. This was part of a graduate scheme aiming to reduce UK reoffending rates and improve rehabilitation in British prisons. After just 3 months, I realised it just wasn’t for me AT ALL and handed in my notice with no idea what I wanted to do next. A few months later, following interviews in London and LinkedIn DMs, I accidentally stumbled into the world of SEO!My long-term goal is to podcast full-time so I can continue to have interesting conversations with amazing people. I’m in the process of lining up a number of passive income streams to help to towards this goal by partnering with those who've done it, including Udemy courses and Amazon FBA products, and if I can make it, I’d love to show others how to do it too.Find out more about Scott here.

Katrina Kibben believes your first impression on candidates starts at the job post. Many small businesses and companies struggle to find their recruiting voice and craft less-than-appealing job postings. As CEO of Three Ears Media and a featured expert in recruiting and HR, Katrina takes a unique, strategic approach to help companies rewrite candidate experience content, overhaul job descriptions, and attract more qualified applicants. 

About AndrewAndrew Kerr values others more than himself, and has dedicated his life to helping others through the nonprofit sector. He didn’t come to this realization until he went on a volunteer trip to Cedar Rapids, Iowa, to help those affected by flooding. After this, Andrew decided it was time for a change.Before these efforts towards nonprofit work, Andrew worked in residential and small commercial banking for about 7 years. While he was making a solid income, he wasn’t satisfied with his job, boss or his commute. To escape the corporate rat race, he decided to begin real estate investing with his first house hack. Once he discovered the power of house hacking, he began to double-down in the art of real estate investing. These efforts scaled over the years to nearly 40 units in 2016. Once he reached 40, he began selling off some of the properties. He is now sitting with six units between his third house hack and fourth house hack. But having that many properties has not come without their fair share of memorable stories including 20+ evictions, two property fires, and two 1031 exchanges (one that was a fail).He has used real estate to build long term wealth so he can focus on doing meaningful work he enjoys. Because of his success in real estate investing, he has been able to focus his efforts on the nonprofit sector. He has scaled two small nonprofits to over $1M a year in revenue/donations, and is working towards a goal of raising $25M for charity.He now spends his time with his wife in New Orleans, raising money for nonprofit organizations, helping educate readers and listeners about the power of Real Estate Investing to achieve Financial Independence, and traveling the world.For those of you want to connect with Andrew, you can find him at www.FIbyREI.com And if you are interested in learning more about House Hacking, Andrew wrote a great guide called The Ultimate Guide to House Hacking. Then his show, The House Hacking Podcast has a ton of great case studies of individuals that have done a house hack. IG:https://www.instagram.com/thehousehackingpodcast/https://www.instagram.com/fibyrei/ FB:https://www.facebook.com/TheHouseHackingPodcasthttps://www.facebook.com/FIbyREI/ Twitter:https://twitter.com/fibyrei  https://twitter.com/thehousehacking   YouTube:https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCYvwOEtC5VgEfgW3QNPS4Ow?sub_confirmation=1 https://www.youtube.com/thehousehackingpodcast   

About KatieKatie Neeves is a woman on a mission - but not just any woman and not just any mission!  Katie has ben a professional photographer and filmmaker for 33 years and 2.5 years ago she came out publicly as being transgender after living for 48 years as a man.  Katie formed Cool2BTrans to support and inspire other trans people and also to educate the general public on trans issues.  She helps organisations with diversity and inclusion by providing trans awareness training in an entertaining way by using her infectious sense of humour.  A recent participant in one of Katies webinars described it as "...the most interesting webinar so far and definitely the funniest".  Katie appears regularly in the media and she is on both ITV's and the BBC's lists of experts.Find out more at https://cool2btrans.co.ukConnect with KatieLinkedInTwitterInstagramYouTube

About DavideFirst featured in the first season of my podcast, Davide Pagnotta holds an MSc in Physics, an MBA from London Business School and a Coaching Practitioner Diploma from the Academy of Executive Coaching of London.For 20 years, Davide enjoyed an international career in a variety of manufacturing and infrastructure industries, holding Global Sales, Marketing and Business Development roles.His corporate life culminated in heading a Business Unit for a global Engineering and Construction company. He then decided he had achieved the zenith of his corporate career and could use his leadership and people skills in a more fulfilling, impactful way. That’s when he became a coach and partner at The Rao Institute, and later a co-founder of Wise Humanity.Davide’s vision is to launch and support individuals and businesses on a journey of enhanced fulfilment and higher consciousness, to build a better future for themselves, their communities and the planet. Among other eclectic interests, Davide enjoys painting oil portraits, has a passion for different forms of theatre, and is an avid book reader, cinema goer and globe trotter.

About KarrieKarrie is a mathematician, analytics consultant and STEM advocate based in London. She grew up in two difference cultures and aims to balance the learning between west and east - proudly speaking with accent that does not stop her passion for data. She is embracing the use of maths and data in both the healthcare and charity industries: promoting the skilled volunteering can help the community. Aside from work, she enjoys cooking, reading, meeting new people and mostly importantly she is a strong believer of  ‘serendipity’.

About JonJon Salthouse, Behavioural Economist and Content Director at Brand Experience Agency Owl Live, grand jete’d through his career from ballet barre to board room. Starting as a professional dancer working on cruise ships he now helps brands communicate the complex in a way that inspires action.As you would expect, Jon has experienced a significant learning curve throughout his career, with great highs and great lows. Jon shares his story of how he adapted himself to the challenges presented by the professional world, battled imposter syndrome and now thrives as an expert in communications.

About JoshJosh Akapo is the co-founder (leading accounts & strategy) of creative agency archtype – moving at the pace of culture in merch, design and digital – helping facilitate impactful moments for Lovebox Festival, Stormzy & DLT.Josh does creative research & insights at Hype Collective, a student marketing agency that works with brands like Co-op, Adobe and Monster.Josh is also a part of youth mentoring not-for-profit Joined Up Thinking as their comms & marketing director. he’s helped curate projects helping young, especially young ‘bame’ people to stand out and reach their potential, working with NHS Blood & Transplant, 23red agency and local authorities.Josh cares deeply about the advancement of young people and the advancing the important moments coming from culture.He is also studying at King’s College London.Find out more at joshakapo.com

About AntonioAntonio Neves is an internationally recognized speaker, host of The Best Thing podcast, and author of Stop Living on Autopilot: Take Responsibility for Your Life and Rediscover a Bolder, Happier You. Antonio regularly delivers keynotes to top organizations worldwide. For over ten years, Antonio worked as a business correspondent, host, and producer with top television networks. As a journalist, he has spent hundreds of hours interviewing and profiling prominent CEOs, startup founders, politicians, entertainers, athletes, and beyond. A first-generation college graduate, Antonio earned his master's degree from Columbia University.

About LucyAs an Executive Coach, Lucy Russell’s mission is to deliver empowering coaching experiences that lead to change. The journey to becoming The Lucidity Coach, a certified and accredited Executive Coach, has seen Lucy travel, work and live in numerous countries around the world. Now based in Dubai, Lucy works with individual and corporate coaching clients across multiple continents. As a coach, Lucy empowers her clients to identify and work towards what they really want from their professional lives.Prior to becoming a coach, Lucy spent the majority of her career in the non-profit sector, working in-house or for clients, focusing on Communications, Fundraising and Marketing. A decade after entering the sector as a Fundraising & Marketing Intern for a Scottish homelessness charity, Lucy took up the position of Chief Executive Officer of a Kenyan conservation non-profit, following a heart-led move to Nairobi. Fast forward a couple of years, and the UAE came calling, signifying the end of one professional phase and the start of another.Today, Lucy coaches people who want to maximise their professional potential, across sectors and globally. Clients come to Lucy because of her expertise, compassion and empowering approach. They stay because of what they experience. They witness first-hand how coaching can help to reframe perspective, reignite their love for what they do, and deliver meaningful, lasting change.Find out more at www.theluciditycoach.org

An introduction from Paul:"My name is Paul Russell and I am the founder of Standing Ovation Choir. I deliver creative, engaging, mindful and wellbeing focused sessions. These range from a company choir to breathing workshops, to ‘finding your voice in the workplace’ professional development units.I have led programs for various companies in London, Scotland, New York, LA, Miami and Dubai. Companies on my roster include: Google, M&C Saatchi, ASOS, AIG, Lloyd’s, Lloyds Registry, Aviva, Marsh, THB Group, Reed Recruitment, BioMarin Pharmaceuticals, Marsh and 3 Sided Cube. As a wellness coach, musical director and composer I have worked with EGOT John Legend, Liv Tyler and Pixie Lott. In 2018 I made my Broadway debut as a composer and musical director on a new musical."

About LindseyLindsey Rowe (SAP) has been working in the software and telco industry for over 15 years across both SME and Corporate. Her career has spanned both private and public sector organisations, focused primarily on sales, operations and programme management. She's been with SAP, the global leader in Enterprise Software for 5 years and is now Chief of Staff to the UK COO and heads up the People & Programmes Office. Her core role looks at the sales and operational functions of the UK business. However, a big part of her focus and personal passion in her career over the last decade has been in the Early Talent space with experience across apprenticeships, internships and graduate recruitment. She leads the Steering Committee for Future Talent at SAP where they hire over 60 interns every year across all degree disciplines. 

Chris is a D+I practitioner and champion for true diversity + inclusion. He is wholeheartedly committed to awareness, education and equal representation.With a lifelong mission to create equal opportunities for all, he started Your D+I to support businesses to instil authentic diversity & inclusion into their organisation and to provide a platform where everyone is seen, valued, and supported on an equal playing field.

Jade Garner is an audit senior at the global professional services firm EY, where she began her apprenticeship four years ago. __________This episode was recorded live on 11/09/2020 as part of a new live video podcast series, My Career Story LIVE. If you'd like to watch the interview you can do so via YouTube:  

Ags is a certified health and wellness coach from the Institute of Integrative Nutrition who left the corporate world behind to follow my passion. She has also trained in professional coaching with the International Coaching Federation (ICF), and is currently studying to become a Nutritional Therapist with an MSc in Personalised Nutrition. She has a real passion for what she does and believe anyone can enjoy life by starting with a few simple changes that go with their lifestyle.  She offers online 1:1 and group coaching sessions. Her intention is to inspire and motivate clients to make better food and life choices, enjoy real self care that suits them, builds self-awareness and improves their overall wellbeing. Follow Ags on Instagram

Alex is a Life coach who has battled through depression and anxiety, and helps his clients find clarity and happiness in lifeHis podcast ‘In The Moment with Alex Manzi’ sees him interview some of the most inspirational people in the world to hear their stories and teachings.Alex has also just released his first book ‘The Search For Clarity’ which shares his own journey and biggest learnings in life. --Alex ManziPodcaster | Coach | AuthorFind out more at thedreamersdisease.co.uk@IAmAlexManzi

50 guests with powerful career stories, and more to come in Season 3. Launching Monday 7 Sept 2020.

About JulieJulie works for a Secondary School, Chase Terrace Academy in Burntwood Staffordshire, which is part of the Stephen Sutton Multi Academy Trust. She sits on the Senior Leadership Team as Director of Careers, and is a level 7 Careers Leader and Level 6 qualified Careers Practitioner. Julie’s leadership responsibilities and expertise include Employer, Stakeholder and Community Partnership Engagement including parents and families.Additional commitments include:Vice Chair – Southern Skills Employers and Educators Board (part of the Greater Birmingham and Solihull LEP)Chair – Regional Professionals Careers ForumVice President - Tamworth & Lichfield District Chamber of Commerce (part of Greater Birmingham and Solihull Chamber)  Board Member - Staffordshire County Council Education and Skills Strategic GroupLead school - Careers and Enterprise Stoke and Staffs LEP Careers Hub and member of the Steering Group CommitteeModerator - Inspired Teenager PlusCareer Peer Leader - Careers and Enterprise CompanyYouth Employment UK- our Careers Education was published nationally as being ‘An outstanding careers programme’. I have written articles published offering parental advice.Keynote Speaker- Spoke at a range of local and national events and virtual events. These have including JLR, Alexander Theatre in Birmingham, Ibis Hotel in Birmingham, Join the Dots at Newbury Racecourse in Berkshire and Yarnfield Conference in addition to wider Chamber of Commerce and YEUK events.Connect with Julie on LinkedIn.

I first met Saf, Rosalie, Lucas, Jade, Chris and Ishak during my time at EY when they joined the firm as apprentices. In this special live webinar I will be finding out where they are now and what advice they would give young people who might be considering an apprenticeship but don't know whether it's right for them.PanellistsSafwan Chowdhury Lead M&A Assistant Manager, Corporate Finance, Grant ThorntonRosalie Boyle Assistant Executive, Corporate Finance, EYLucas Brooks-Rooney Assistant Manager, Assurance, EYJade Garner Audit Senior, Financial Services, EYChris Achiampong, Client Executive - Retail & Hospitality Sector, IBMIshak Valimohamed, Founder, Vive