Podcast
Life Beyond The Numbers
Hosted by Susan Ni Chriodain · EN
What really makes work-life fulfilling?
Through stories, reflections and insights from leaders, thinkers and creatives, we shine a light on the invisible forces that shape our work lives — what it means to be human. This isn’t just something to tune into — it’s something to attune to.
Hosted by award-winning author Susan Ní Chríodáin, Life Beyond the Numbers is for people who care about people. Because while numbers matter — people matter more.
24episodes
Episodes
Newest firstAll episodes
More Interesting Stuff - Ben Legg
3w ago00:47:22Tap to summarize"I'm going to get rid of the day job because it's getting in the way of doing more interesting stuff." Ben Legg Ben Legg and I talk about what it actually takes to build a portfolio career and why the people drawn to it tend to share a particular kind of independent bloody mindedness. Ben brings his own journey from the Royal Engineers to McKinsey to Google to founding the Portfolio Collective, a 16,000-strong global community for portfolio professionals. He's a pragmatic optimist about the trade-offs: the freedom, the loneliness, the accountability and the discipline of thinking of yourself as a business of one. We get into what makes work fun, what the army taught him about staying calm when no one's actually dying and why he thinks the biggest shift ahead isn't AI itself but the move from doing to orchestrating. We close with one eye on the future of work, of education, of what a good life might look like when the drudgery falls away and human ingenuity gets to do what it does best. Ben Legg is the former COO of Google Europe. As a board member and advisor across multiple industries, he is heavily involved in building disruptive businesses, as well as advising Wall Street investors and governments on AI strategy, realities and digital disruption. Ben’s career has been defined by high-stakes leadership, turnarounds and hypergrowth. From serving as a British Army Officer during the Siege of Sarajevo to running the turnaround of Coca-Cola India to defining and leading hypergrowth at Google, he brings a unique "warrior-to-boardroom" perspective. Connect with Ben The Portfolio Collective: https://portfolio-collective.com/profile/ben-legg/ On LinkedIn
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Everything is up for Grabs - Faris Aranki
Apr 1400:41:25Tap to summarize"Everything is up for grabs. The good thing is the world doesn't care." Faris Aranki Faris Aranki and I talk about what it really takes for teams to perform and why the thing standing in the way is rarely strategy or intelligence. Faris talks us through his equation (Success = IQ × EQ × FQ) based on 20 years of watching some brilliant organisations fail to execute on perfectly good ideas. We get into resistance and how it shows up in the kids who walked into his maths classroom certain they couldn't learn and in the boardrooms where groupthink is found. We talk about fixed belief systems and biases. There's a lot of practical wisdom here about listening for what people leak, sharpening language and how his formula for success comes to life in an organisation. And we end on the two-metre radius around each of us and what becomes possible when we simply look after that well. Faris Aranki is the CEO of Shiageto Consulting, an innovative consulting firm blending strategy and emotional intelligence; we will discuss how Faris went from high school teacher to CEO and all the skills he picked up along the way. Having spent over 20 years delivering strategic change for businesses around the world, Faris has experienced first-hand the fine differences between success and failure. He came to realise what hinders institutions from achieving their goals isn’t the quality of their ideas; it’s their ability to get engagement and focus around those ideas; aspects he is an expert in. To build on this passion he set up Shiageto Consulting in 2019 to help businesses and individuals improve their strategic effectiveness and they now work with some of the top organisations in the world. On top of leading Shiageto, Faris is now an accomplished speaker, writer and contributor for a variety of outlets. Connect with Faris Through his website www.shiageto.com On LinkedIn www.linkedin.com/in/farisaranki Resources Mentioned John Amaechi https://linktr.ee/itsnotmagic Shiageto: the Japanese word for a sharpening stone.
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A Full Spectrum Life - Jess Goyder
Mar 2800:52:31Tap to summarize“It’s called being alive. It’s what kind of life do you want? Do you want a slightly muted shut down life, or do you want a full spectrum life?” Jess Goyder Jess Goyder and I explore grief as part of everyday human life, not just something linked to death or bereavement. We talk about loss, change, identity, leadership, and what it means to be fully alive. We talk about how grief is often misunderstood, sidelined or treated as disruption. Jess speaks about the cumulative nature of loss, the ways grief can show up as over-functioning, shutdown, numbness and the importance of having containers, spaces, people and places where what is real can be felt and named. We also talk about how grief shows up in the workplace. Jess shares why grief belongs in conversations about leadership - grief work is leadership work - and how unresolved grief is visible in the fabric of an organisation. Jess Goyder knows grief – and how to build a life you can love alongside loss. A licensed Grief Recovery Specialist® with a Postgrad (Cert) in Psychodynamic Studies from Oxford, she trained with leading grief psychotherapist Francis Weller. Jess helps people from all walks of life – especially leaders and high performers – navigate bereavement, major transitions, illness, and other significant losses. Her work goes far beyond traditional counselling, guiding clients from coping to clarity, emotional resolution, and renewed engagement with life. With over a decade’s experience coaching executives at Adobe, Nestlé, Ogilvy, and Deutsche Bank, Jess also delivers powerful talks and workshops on recognising and addressing the personal and organisational effects of unresolved grief. Connect with Jess: Through her website: https://griefisnatural.com On LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jess-goyder Resources Mentioned: The Grief Recovery Method: https://www.griefrecoverymethod.com/ Leader as Healer by Nicholas Janni David Whyte
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Surprised By What They Can Do with Mike Porteous
Mar 1400:50:11Tap to summarize"And if I can coach in a way where someone is really attuned to what's happening in their mind and body as one, not as two separate things, then I think, well, I've found it. It's just magical... They would kind of find themselves at their best. They go on to do things where they're, the phrase I like to use is, they're surprised by what they can do." Mike Porteous Mike Porteous is an endurance sports coach and author of Beyond Belief: The art of confidence-centred coaching. But this episode isn't only about sport. It's about what happens when we stop trying to fix people and start paying attention to what's actually going on for them in their bodies, in the space between coach and athlete, in the moments before an event. Mike describes confidence not as a thing someone has or doesn't have, but as something much more. He speaks about thrill and anticipation, control and uncertainty, fluency and the kind of in-the-moment experience where we can lose and find ourselves at once. We talk about what it means to coach from presence and why the question "how did it feel?" matters far more than "how did it look?" There is also unexpected theme we touch on through this episode: beauty. We talk about being captured by something in front of us, feeling fully alive and the wonder that can arise when someone surprises themselves with what they can do. Mike Porteous has zigzagged between various careers and life changes: from academia (DPhil research in Brazil); to government (leading major change programmes for business); and now to the world of sports coaching. He runs a private endurance coaching business, ZigZag Alive, alongside developing Confidence-Centred Coaching for coaches of all sports - captured in his recently published book Beyond Belief: the art of confidence-centred coaching. He mentors triathlon coaches, teaches disabled children swimming and is a co-host for monthly Wellbeing Dips in the sea. His personal philosophy starts with openness: to others, experiences, ideas and learning. Connect with Mike Through his website: www.zigzagconfidence.com On LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mike-porteous-11754235/ Resources Mentioned: Beyond Belief: The art of confidence-centred coaching Steven Rollnick and Motivational Interviewing Alison Jones and Practical Inspiration Publishing
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Connect with Yourself - Caroline Harvey
Feb 2800:39:47Tap to summarize“Communication is all about connection, right? And getting your message across to your audience. And to do that effectively, you have to first connect with yourself….” Caroline Harvey Caroline Harvey and I explore why impactful communication starts with connection. Caroline shares how “communicate better” can sound simple until you realise it asks something more personal: being connected to who you are and what matters to you because that’s what your audience feels, and responds to. We speak practically about starting with your audience, your objective and the message you want to get across whether you’re speaking up in a meeting, presenting or writing an email. We also speak about the role of preparation and practice and what it looks like to stop hiding behind a professional persona and speak as yourself. Caroline brings in story, metaphor, voice and presence - including her reflections on “voice and essence”, imposter syndrome and why trusting your story matters, especially in a world of AI. Caroline Harvey is a communications mentor on a mission to help women leaders speak up, stand out, and spark change — in their careers, their companies, and beyond. She works especially with women in STEM, where too often brilliant work goes unseen, and voices go unheard. For Caroline, communication isn’t just a skill — it’s a powerful catalyst for recognition, empowerment, and impact. Originally from Wales, she’s lived and worked across Europe and in Japan, and now calls Barcelona home. Connect with Caroline www.carolineharvey.me www.linkedin.com/in/caroharvey Postcards with Presence podcast Resources Mentioned Episode 209 I Back Myself with Julie Smith Presence: Bringing Your Boldest Self to Your Biggest Challenges by Amy Cuddy
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Healthy High Performance - Sheila Walsh (From the Archives)
Feb 1400:33:25Tap to summarize"We're really focused on the core fundamentals of organisational clarity, communicating that clarity, over-communicating that clarity, minimising confusion and politics. And when that's present, then you have the good stuff. And for me, the good stuff is that you're creating that environment for people to flourish and thrive." Sheila Walsh. Sheila Walsh takes me through the tumultuous year in a tech company in the travel sector. We talk about keeping teams engaged when everyone is remote working and about the lack of spontaneity in a remote environment. Sheila talks about what it is like to work in a people-centric organisation that is driven by the Leadership Team and cascaded down - the LT have a team coach and no chance to get comfortable or complacent. She shares that CarTrawler has upgraded its high-performance focus to 'healthy high-performance'. We talk about finding meaning and purpose, rabbit-holes, pixie-dust, growth mindset, learning and more. Sheila Walsh was Chief People Officer at CarTrawler at the time of recording. A hands-on and motivated HR professional, Sheila has a broad range of experience across many sectors including; software, telco, publishing, healthcare and not-for-profit. She strongly believes that the provision of meaning and purpose within the workplace results in engaged employees who live and breathe the behaviours that support sustained business success. She holds an MBS in Business Practice from University College Cork, is an accredited Life Coach & Lifeskills Consultant and is an associate member of CIPD. Connect with Sheila: On LinkedIn Resources: The Five Dysfunctions of a Team Patrick Lencioni
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To Be Heard - Deirdre de Bhailís
Jan 2800:46:28Tap to summarize"So it's just giving people multiple ways to feed into this and to be heard. To be heard is the most important thing, is what I've learned." Deirdre de Bhailís Deirdre de Bhailís and I talk about what it really takes for change to happen in communities — and why being heard matters so much when people are navigating uncertainty, sustainability, and the future of the places they live. Prompted by the Dingle Peninsula being named Ireland’s Greenest Place, our conversation explores local action on climate, food, transport and livelihoods and how community-led work connects policy with lived reality. Deirdre shares examples from the Dingle Hub, including quiet lanes, cycling, food waste, renewable energy, and the role of trust in making change stick. We also discuss the role of leadership in communities, the importance of pacing change and creating spaces where difficult conversations can be held without fear. From coastal resilience in the Maharees to sustaining livelihoods on the Dingle Peninsula this is a conversation about people taking responsibility for the long-term future of the places they live. Deirdre de Bhailís is a nationally-recognised leader in social enterprise and community-led innovation, with a comprehensive knowledge of strategic and operational development. Skilled in multi-stakeholder and community engagement, she contributes significantly to advancing Ireland’s transition to a low-carbon society by empowering citizens and communities to co-create practical, scalable solutions. Her work spans sustainable mobility, circular bioeconomy initiatives, and climate resilience—bridging policy, technology, and grassroots action. Deirdre brings a systems-thinking approach to energy transition, ensuring that community voices shape a more reliable, efficient, and sustainable energy future. She is a frequent speaker at national and international forums on climate action, rural development, and energy innovation. Deirdre holds a degree in Electronic Engineering from NUIG and a Masters in Engineering Science from UCC. Connect with Deirdre www.dinglehub.com On Instagram: dingle_hub On LinkedIn: Dingle Hub; Deirdre de Bhailís Resources Mentioned: The Irish Times article The Dingle Hub Ireland’s Greenest Place Award Quiet Lanes - Campaign to Protect Rural England Samsø, Denmark — example of community-led renewable energy The Maharees coastal conservation Creative Ireland Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland (SEAI) / Sustainable Energy Communities Initiative Solar Beo — local solar PV provider on the Dingle Peninsula ESB Networks / Electric Ireland
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This Universal Human Experience - Rachel Morris
Jan 1400:47:39Tap to summarize"For me, the human experiences is a universal one and the book aims to address core aspects of something that we all experience. So fear, learning boundaries, identity, all those different principles. [ ] So this universal human experience, I think is really, really important." Rachel Morris Rachel Morris and I explore what she describes as this universal human experience — the fear, uncertainty, identity shifts and emotional complexity that show up whenever humans move through transition. Drawing on her book Working Mother and years of practice-based research, Rachel shares why the principles she writes about aren’t just relevant to parents, but to leaders, teams, and anyone navigating change at work. We talk about the discomfort of the “neutral zone”, why emotions thrive when hidden, the illusion of professionalism, and the cost of rewarding busyness over being. This conversation invites a more human way of leading — one rooted in curiosity, courage, emotional literacy, and the recognition that we’re not meant to navigate life or work alone. As an experienced qualified coach, Rachel Morris supports professionals to gain clarity about who they really are rightnow, where they are aiming to be, and how they are going toget there. She believes every relationship has a unique dynamic andapproaches every learner with the intention of enabling themto reach their own level of internal satisfaction. In doing this,they increase personal focus, motivation and productivity. As a global business coach and bestselling author she brings20 years of coaching experience working with organisations to any conversation. Connect with Rachel Through her website: www.motionlearning.com On LinkedIn: http://linkedin.com/in/rachelmorrismotionlearning Resources Mentioned Working Mother by Rachel Morris How Emotions are Made by Lisa Feldman Barrett Permission to Feel & RULER tool by Professor Marc Brackett A House of Dynamite on Netflix New York Times article https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2023/03/21/opinion/teen-youth-focus-group.html
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The Space Between - Dr Susanne Evans, David Lee and Me
Dec 2801:05:47Tap to summarize"It's not an emptiness or a void, it's actually full of possibility. And once I started to explore it, how they explained it, the Japanese concept is about when you listen to music, there's always space between the notes. And then if you apply that to a book or a page, there's always space between the words. So that space, that white space, another way of describing, it is necessary." Susan Ni Chriodain David, Susanne and I come together for a wide-ranging conversation about liminal spaces - the spaces between words, seasons, endings and beginnings. We explore why these in-between moments matter, why we often rush to fill them, and what becomes possible when we allow pause, uncertainty and not-knowing. The conversation covers: seasons and transitions in life and in work endings that haven’t fully ended listening, silence and the courage to say “I don’t know” This episode is an invitation to notice what we usually overlook and to consider what might emerge when we willingly inhabit the space between. Dr Susanne Evans is an organisation change consultant, trainer, coach and researcher on a mission to change the way that transformations are managed in organisations. She founded Feldspar Consulting in 2007 to help her clients lead change in a more human, effective way. As well as writing and speaking about organisation change, Susanne hosts open storytelling workshops, supporting organisations and individuals in writing a compelling story for themselves. She is the author of ChangeStories and the host of the popular ChangeStories podcast. David Lee is a coach, consultant, workshop facilitator, keynote speaker, and author, who loves creating a win/win/win relationship between people and the organizations they work for. He helps leaders and leadership teams learn how to become "people whisperers", and by doing so, increase their ability to make their organization THE choice for "A List Talent" and inspire the best in their people. Connect with Susanne On LinkedIn Through her website: Feldspar Consulting Listen to Change Stories podcast Connect with David On LinkedIn Through his website Human Nature at Work Resources Mentioned: Dr Seuss, Oh, The Places You'll Go The In-Between Book, Christopher Willard, Olivia Weisser, Alison Oliver Tending To Endings Cards https://www.tendingtoendings.com/
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If We Can Do Good - Max MacGillivray
Dec 1400:45:51Tap to summarize"I'm only a small cog in this. I'm developing this thought about trying to do good, but we can't all do it alone. If we can all collectively hold hands and all just have this thought that if we can do good in this world… I do think that there's a lot to be said for farming and fresh produce because it's feeding the world in a sustainable manner and it's doing good." Max MacGillivray Max MacGillivray and I begin with stories about fresh produce and taste memories, before moving into how society has become disconnected from where food comes from. We explore farming as a vocation, global food systems, ultra-processed foods, health outcomes, education and the role of large food multinationals. We also discuss recruitment and leadership within agriculture and fresh produce, cross-sector learning, the value of conversation and storytelling and why showing the human side of food production matters. We reflect on travel, networking as human connection and the opportunities that open up when people step beyond familiar paths. Max MacGillivray is an executive recruiter and founder of Redfox Executive Selection, specialising in mid-management to board hires across fresh produce, fresh foods, agri-business and retail in the UK and internationally. He created The Great Fruit & Veg Adventure—a Triumph motorbike ride from London to Cape Town (18 countries, 18,000 km), visiting 50+ fresh-produce businesses, followed in real time by 250,000 schoolchildren, and honoured with the UK Prime Minister’s Points of Light award. Max also founded Beanstalk Global, a media platform for the international fresh-food sector. Its mantra: “Create the conversation, don’t just be part of it.” Through broadcasts, interviews and partnerships, Beanstalk Global champions the people behind fresh food and connects purpose-led clients with high-impact opportunities. Connect with Max Through his website www.beanstalk.global https://www.facebook.com/beanstalk.global On LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/maxmacgillivray/ https://www.beanstalkmedia.co.uk/ Resources Mentioned: Jeremy Clarkson and increasing public interest in farming and agriculture Henry Dimbleby and the UK National Food Strategy Pink Lady Apples International Fresh Produce Association (IFPA) and the International Fresh Produce & Floral Show (Anaheim) Leaf Open Farm Sunday – UK farming initiative
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