"You can have a bad day, some days, that's fine. But then at some point, you've got to go, all right, I've got to take a little bit of responsibility now and get on with this."

In this ‘epic’ (long!) episode, I sit down with Chris Hirst, author known for his “no bullsh*t” approach to leadership and work. We go deep, wide and around the block talking about the realities and myths of career progression, change, redundancy, and what it really means to be a leader.

Chris shares transformative moments in his career, including going to Harvard and facing redundancy, and how these experiences shaped his perspective on success, self-identity, and responsibility.

If you’re questioning your next step, looking for the truth about modern leadership, or searching for practical wisdom on navigating the world of work, this will give you plenty to reflect on (and maybe even prompt some action).

The highlights:

05:04 Chris’s “door closing” moments: Harvard revelations and sudden redundancy

08:24 Why losing your job is so disorientating and what nobody tells you about structure

13:25 The underrated power of curiosity (and why not having answers is okay)

20:12 Doing “everything right”…and still struggling (it’s not just you)

25:58 Why the biggest barrier to your own success is (usually) you

28:26 The pivotal experience that changed Chris’s self-narrative forever

33:11 Why moments of struggle aren’t wrong, they’re just life

38:06 The real reason vulnerability is hard at work (and that awkward HR conversation)

01:01:06 Finding comfort in what you’re good at, not just escaping to something new

The things that help Chris navigate change:

Activities: Playing tennis and writing

Books: Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy by John le Carré; Wolf Hall and Bring Up the Bodies by Hilary Mantel, and Citizens by Simon Schama.

One piece of advice:

“Nobody’s coming to save you. Ultimately, the thing that’s either going to move you forward or get in your way, is you. Take ownership, even just 1% more.”

About Chris Hirst:

With more than a decade of experience in Global and UK CEO positions, Chris is widely recognised as an innovative and inspirational leader with a proven track record of successful business transformation guiding businesses to record growth and lasting repetitional change. He is the author of the best-selling and award winning book No Bullsh*t Leadership and No Bullsh*t Change.

His new book, Indispensable:The No Bullsh*t Guide to Career Success is for anyone who wants to build a better career, on their own terms.

Connect with Chris:

LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/chris-hirst-4b77882/

Website: chrishirst.com

About your host Eleanor Tweddell:

Eleanor supports individuals, teams and organisations through change. Whether it’s 121 coaching or large scale organisational change through communications and training. Eleanor’s work centres around how we, as humans, work through change, embracing the messy bits, the role of playing, with the aim to see opportunity. “Too often we get stuck in the change happening to us, when just through that next door is an exciting next chapter.”

Eleanor is the founder of Another Door, and author of Another Door Opens - 5 steps for navigating change in life and at work.

Connect with Eleanor:

Instagram:instagram/anotherdooruk

LinkedIn:https://www.linkedin.com/in/eleanor-tweddell/

Website: www.another-door-opens.com

Produced by winteraudio.co.uk

“I want to frame my journey to be an example, to be a road map, to hand the baton to somebody else, to the next generation.”

In this episode, Marie-Ange Eyoum Tagne, PhD, a product leader, and technologist, shares the inspiration behind her new memoir “For Such a Time Like This”.

From her childhood in Cameroon, dreaming of going to the moon, to leading teams at Meta, Amazon and Yahoo, Marie-Ange’s journey is a powerful testament to following your heart, staying strong, even when everything around you suggests you should be doing something completely different.

Marie-Ange includes a brilliant framework , PURPOSE, to help others navigate challenges. Her book is an incredible memoir about her life, but also a great inspiration and lessons for those following her path.

Here are the highlights:

03:49 Closing a door in tech and how it opened a door to writing

07:34 Why technology is in her DNA, and what’s next

13:00 That vivid childhood moment of ambition

19:46 “Pioneer, not troublemaker” the importance of being a trailblazer

28:13 The meaning behind her book, “For Such a Time Like This”.

32:14 Using the “PURPOSE” framework to help others

41:01 A tribute to her mother, and three generations of women breaking barriers.

Things that helped Marie-Ange navigate change:

Music: “Perfect” by Ed Sheeran

Book: The Bible

One piece of advice:

“Take risk. Take more risk. Don't be afraid to fail. If you never fail, it means you never tried. Every experience prepares you for such a time like this.”

About Dr. Marie-Ange Eyoum Tagne, PhD

Dr. Marie-Ange Eyoum Tagne is a global technology executive, product strategist, coach, mentor and speaker whose journey from hardship to hope has inspired audiences around the world. She has a deep passion to empower the next generation of leaders, especially women and underrepresented minorities in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering Mathematics) fields. Born and raised in Cameroon (Central Africa), she came to the U.S. as an international student as a teenager and has since built a thriving career in Silicon Valley while raising a family and serving on multiple boards. A passionate advocate for faith-work integration, Marie-Ange speaks widely on leadership, resilience, and legacy.

She holds a doctorate degree in Electrical Engineering and Computer Science from University of California, Berkeley. And has spent over two decades in product management building consumer electronics products that have impacted the lives of billions of users around the world at big tech companies such as Meta, Amazon, Yahoo, and Intel. She is passionate about redefining success and dismantling barriers. She uses her story to ignite purpose and faith in others.

Connect with Marie-Ange:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/marie-ange-eyoum-tagne/

About your host Eleanor Tweddell:

Eleanor supports individuals, teams and organisations through change. Whether it’s 121 coaching or large scale organisational change through communications and training. Eleanor’s work centres around how we, as humans, work through change, embracing the messy bits, the role of playing, with the aim to see opportunity. “Too often we get stuck in the change happening to us, when just through that next door is an exciting next chapter.”

Eleanor is the founder of Another Door Opens - a 5 step programme to navigate change and the author of Why losing your job could be the best thing that ever happened to you.

Connect with Eleanor:

Instagram:instagram/anotherdooruk

LinkedIn:https://www.linkedin.com/in/eleanor-tweddell/

Website: www.another-door-opens.com

Produced by winteraudio.co.uk

“There has to be a different way for me to use my magic in the world. My magic can't keep mopping up messes that are created by ridiculous decisions like this.”

When HR Director Emma Djemil hit a moment of ‘enough is enough’ she knew it was time for her skills, energy, passions to be directed elsewhere.

Stuck cleaning up the messes of others, she knew it was time for a big change. In this episode, Emma talks about what it really takes to walk away from a toxic job, where to find the drive for something new, and why humour is such a powerful tool for getting through it all.

Emma shares her honest story about leaving corporate life, how she discovered her own voice online, and what helped her put herself first.

Here are the highlights:

04:00 Emma’s “closing door” moment – when enough was enough

08:10 From rage to purpose: the real reasons that ignite career change

17:25 The myth of imposter syndrome

24:30 Why your uniqueness is your superpower

26:04 Not everyone has to be “your people” (and why that’s liberating)

33:00 Humour as resilience: using comedy to survive (and thrive)

The things that helped Emma navigate change:

Music: “Salute” by Little Mix (and some Erasure for that retro energy!)

Book: “The Fix: Overcome the Invisible Barriers That Are Holding Women Back at Work” by Dr. Michelle King

One piece of advice:

“Be willing to try and have faith you’ll be okay, whatever the outcome. If it’s not okay, it’s not the end.”

About Emma:

As the Founder of The HR Club (a no-BS community of over 100 women) and creator of The HR Big Meet (an annual conference that actually focuses on women’s wellbeing instead of just adding “resilience” to their to-do list), Emma is on a mission to make work suck less.

She could tell you about her 18 years in HR, her Certificate in Applied Neuroscience, or her accreditation as a Brain and Behaviour Change Practitioner, all of which are very serious and important. But what really matters is this: Emma helps women in leadership be sustainably unstoppable, so they can have maximum impact without burning out, selling their souls, or crying in the office toilets (we’ve all been there).

Slightly sweary, highly sarcastic, and allergic to corporate nonsense, Emma believes that no one should feel like they have to put on a “work version” of themselves to be taken seriously. Because the real you, the one who sings in the car, laughs at inappropriate moments, and maybe drops the occasional F-bomb, is exactly the leader the world needs.

She lives in Chartham, Kent, with her husband and their seven-year-old daughter, who reminds her daily that joy isn’t something you schedule, it’s something you demand, preferably while wearing a tiara.

Connect with Emma:

LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/emmadjemil

Find out more: beunstoppable.uk

About your host Eleanor Tweddell:

Eleanor supports individuals, teams and organisations through change. Whether it’s 121 coaching or large scale organisational change through communications and training. Eleanor’s work centres around how we, as humans, work through change, embracing the messy bits, the role of playing, with the aim to see opportunity. “Too often we get stuck in the change happening to us, when just through that next door is an exciting next chapter.”

Eleanor is the founder of Another Door, and Get-Recommended.com and the author of Why losing your job could be the best thing that ever happened to you.

Connect with Eleanor:

Instagram:instagram/anotherdooruk

LinkedIn:https://www.linkedin.com/in/eleanor-tweddell/

Website: www.another-door-opens.com

Produced by winteraudio.co.uk