In this episode of the Yorkshire Business Podcast, Chloe speaks with Lou (Louise Sleightholm), creator and stylist at @LousCorporateLife, founder of sustainable workwear brand Mode, and co-founder of the Leeds Young Professionals Network.

Lou shares how she turned a personal pain into a movement, building a community of over 300,000 people inspired by her daily advice on corporate style.

But this conversation goes far beyond fashion. Together we explore the links between workwear, confidence, and self-esteem; how uniform policies can impact women at work; and why comments on appearance, too often dismissed as “harmless”, can contribute to a culture where sexual harassment is normalised.

This episode is about sustainability, confidence, and culture, and how leaders can rethink policies, behaviours, and practices to make the workplace not only more stylish, but safer and more empowering for everyone.

This podcast was made possible by OneSource HR.

In this episode of the Yorkshire Business Podcast, hosted by Chloe Wallace, and proudly sponsored by OneSource HR, I sit down with James Woods, CEO of Citizens Advice Doncaster, to explore how his 15-year journey through the organisation has shaped his people-first leadership style.

Under James’ tenure as CEO, Citizens Advice Doncaster has transformed its reach from supporting just 3,000–4,000 people per year to an incredible 10,000 last year, bringing £9 million of income into Doncaster’s economy.

But it’s not without challenges. James busts one of the biggest misconceptions — Citizens Advice is not government funded. Instead, as an independent charity, they rely on innovation, collaboration, and partnerships with organisations like the Coalfields Regeneration Trust and Centurion to sustain and grow their impact.

We discuss everything from:

• Fighting against “digital by design” and instead championing “digital by choice” to prevent digital exclusion and poverty in South Yorkshire.

• How Citizens Advice Doncaster links directly to employability and employee wellness across the region.

• What it really takes to lead a values-driven organisation in challenging times.

  
  

👉 Listen now to hear James’ inspiring leadership journey and gain insight into how Citizens Advice is changing lives in Doncaster and beyond.

👉 To connect directly with James, you can reach him via email at ceo@citizensadvice-doncasterborough.org

In this episode of the Yorkshire Business Podcast, Chloe sits down with Pete Shillito, Director of Shillito Exec and Adept Resourcing, and South Yorkshire Chairperson for the Institute of Directors (IOD).

We dive into the exciting wave of investment in South Yorkshire, exploring projects at Sheffield Forgemasters, IFA, Special Melted Products, and Castings Technology. Pete highlights how these investments go beyond creating jobs – they build skilled employment opportunities, strengthen the local supply chain, and boost the region’s manufacturing and production sector, which is now up by a sixth compared to pre-pandemic levels (IOD survey insights).

We also discuss the entrepreneurial landscape in Sheffield and South Yorkshire, and what makes the local business community unique. With nearly 20 years’ experience in executive search and recruitment, Pete shares advice on building people-centred relationships with recruiters in a world increasingly driven by AI – reminding us why the human touch in recruitment still matters.

This episode is produced and sponsored by OneSource HR, Rotherham-based HR specialists supporting SMEs across Yorkshire with trauma-informed HR, workplace misconduct expertise, and practical HR solutions.