What does it really take to level the playing field, and is the system even designed to let that happen?

Nina Slingsby, founder of OAHA, shares her personal journey from a grant-funded school to leading meaningful change in workplace inclusion and social mobility. Her story is one of navigating systems not built with everyone in mind and choosing to rewrite the rules from the inside.

In this conversation, Nina unpacks:

🔹 Why the definition of "working class" is more personal than political and whether it still applies today

🔹 How diverse educational environments shape the way we see class, opportunity, and ourselves

🔹 The hidden role university plays in steering, or steering you away from the right career path

🔹 How mentorship and the right leadership can be the difference between stagnation and a breakthrough

🔹 The systemic barriers that quietly block career progression and how to spot them

🔹 Why location is one of the most underrated factors in access to opportunity

🔹 How organisations can work together to create change that actually sticks

This is a conversation about more than diversity initiatives and HR policy. It's about what fairness genuinely looks like in practice and why collaboration, not just intention, is what drives real systemic change.

💬 Have you experienced barriers in your career that others didn't seem to face? Share your story in the comments.

📌 Learn more about Nina's work at OAHA and the mission to create equitable workplaces for everyone.

🔔 Subscribe for more inspirational stories and insights into those from working class and low socioeconomic backgrounds!

👍 Like this video if you enjoyed Nina's story!

🗣️ Comment below with your thoughts and questions for Nina!

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- Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/initialstep.co.uk/

- Twitter - https://x.com/step_initial

- Apple podcast - https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/initial-step/id1758128198

- Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/show/5ZizcM5a2HEQKcaAPToysk?si=79fb1e8a830a4ec9

- Linktree - https://linktr.ee/initialstep

Follow Nina

LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/ninaslingsby/

Website - www.oaha.uk

Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/oahaltd/

Thanks for listening!

#initialstep #workingclass #lowsocioeconomicbackground #creativeindustry #TVandFilm #Advertising #PRandMarketing #CreativeJourney #CareerInspiration #anyonecanachievesuccess #OAHA #SocialMobility #WorkingClass #InclusionAtWork #CareerDevelopment #SystemicChange #DiversityAndInclusion #FairOpportunity #PeopleAndCulture

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In this conversation, Marisa shares her journey growing up in foster care in Essex, shaped by instability, addiction and the justice system. She reflects on how receiving funding to attend a convent boarding school exposed her to a world far removed from her roots, forcing her to adapt, blend in, and develop confidence in formal environments, while quietly carrying the stigma of being in care.

Marisa talks candidly about the pressure to attend university, the belief that it was the only route to success, and the reality of dropping out with debt and no degree. She opens up about how these experiences, alongside caring responsibilities for her mother, led her into mental health work before eventually stepping away to protect herself.

Her career in recruitment became a turning point. Drawing on empathy shaped by lived experience, Marisa championed people from working-class and disadvantaged backgrounds, sometimes taking risks others wouldn’t. From helping someone sleeping rough into employment, to later working with charities and leading DEI initiatives, she found purpose in creating access and opportunity for others.

Marisa reflects on how organisations are beginning to take social mobility more seriously, while still often failing to understand the complexity behind people’s backgrounds. She also shares what it meant to finally hear her experiences reflected in conversations around class and why she wouldn’t change her roots, seeing them as central to who she is and how she supports others today.

🔔 Subscribe for more inspirational stories and insights into those from working class and low socioeconomic backgrounds!

👍 Like if you enjoyed Marisa's journey!

🗣️ Comment below with your thoughts and questions for Marisa!

Follow Us:

- Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/initialstep.co.uk/

- Apple podcast - https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/initial-step/id1758128198

- Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/show/5ZizcM5a2HEQKcaAPToysk?si=79fb1e8a830a4ec9

- Linktree - https://linktr.ee/initialstep

Follow Marisa:

- LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/marisa-lloyd-certrp-46677069/

Thanks for listening!

#initialstep #workingclass #lowsocioeconomicbackground #creativeindustry #TVandFilm #Advertising #PRandMarketing #CreativeJourney #CareerInspiration #anyonecanachievesuccess

#Trauma

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In this episode, veteran graphic designer David Chaudoir draws on over 30 years in the media industry to speak candidly about class, culture, and power inside major institutions like the BBC.

David reflects on a controversial moment involving a doctored Newsnight clip linked to the Insurrection on January 6th 2021. An incident that pushed him to publicly question media integrity and editorial bias. From there, the conversation widens into a deeper critique of how a dominant middle-class worldview within media limits diversity of thought and marginalises working-class voices.

We explore how ideas of “working class” have shifted over time, the role education plays in class mobility, and why trades, apprenticeships, and alternative pathways deserve equal respect. Above all, David argues for resilience, hard work, and genuine diversity of opinion as essential ingredients for a healthier, more representative media landscape.

This is an honest, challenging conversation about class, credibility, and who gets to shape the national conversation.

Key Takeaways

- David Chaudoir has over 30 years’ experience working in media and graphic design

- A doctored Newsnight clip raised serious concerns about editorial integrity

- Media organisations are dominated by a narrow middle-class perspective

- Working-class voices are often marginalised in mainstream discourse

- The BBC has become increasingly disconnected from everyday audiences

- Class distinctions are harder to define, but still deeply influential

- Education should value trades and apprenticeships alongside academia

- Diversity of thought matters as much as diversity of background

- Hard work and resilience remain essential to success

- Background should never define potential

🔔 Subscribe for more inspirational stories and insights into those from working class and low socioeconomic backgrounds!

👍 Like this if you enjoyed David's story!

🗣️ Comment below with your thoughts and questions for David!

Follow Us:

- Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/initialstep.co.uk/

- Twitter - https://x.com/step_initial

- Apple podcast - https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/initial-step/id1758128198

- Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/show/5ZizcM5a2HEQKcaAPToysk?si=79fb1e8a830a4ec9

- Linktree - https://linktr.ee/initialstep

Follow David

- LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/david-chaudoir/

- Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/motionoldboy/

Thanks for listening!

#initialstep #workingclass #lowsocioeconomicbackground #creativeindustry #TVandFilm #Advertising #PRandMarketing #CreativeJourney #CareerInspiration #anyonecanachievesuccess #bbc #newsnight #whistleblower

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