The Fold London Podcast

Elaine Bedell CEO of Southbank Centre and Joanna Payne founder of networking club Marguerite discuss ways to recharge, killer interview questions, and how to avoid pointless meetings and groaning inboxes.Top 3 Takeaways:If you’re in a high-powered position, go away – if only for a long weekend – every six weeks. When you’re working flat out, you need time to reset.Don’t be afraid of hiring people who are better than you.First interviews should last no longer than 20 minutes. When you’re hiring, all you really need to ask is, “What are you going to bring to the role?”

Lawyers, Emma Woollcott and Shabina Begum discuss diversity, getting perspective in emotionally challenging roles, and the tension of wanting a family just as your career is taking off.Top 3 Takeaways:Put “TFM” (Time For Me) in your diary in between meetings, giving yourself 15 minutes of headspace before you move onto something new. You’re more powerful and more productive when you slow down.Everyone suffers from imposter syndrome. Including your boss.Women tend to think of everyone else before themselves. Remember to put your own oxygen mask on first.

Ali Hanan has worked in advertising for more than two decades, creating ads for some of the world’s biggest brands including, IKEA and McDonald’s. Charlotte Hugh is co-founder of Badass.gal and a senior creative at Dark Horses. They discuss how to get yourself noticed at work and where the best ideas come from.Top 3 Takeaways:1. Develop the “f***k-it factor”: Have the courage to put your out-there ideas on the table.2. Women tend to sit in bad jobs for too long.3. Don’t repeat the same year twice.

Renée Elliott (founder of Planet Organic) and Olivia Wollenberg (founder of Livia’s Kitchen) discuss embracing change, carving out “me time”, and why you need to trust your gut and tell the truth quickly.Top 3 Takeaways:1. The only thing holding you back is your own thoughts.2. Forget glossy Instagram photos. Be honest about your highs and lows. People will respect you more if you’re authentic.3. Stop focusing on the destination and enjoy the journey.

In this episode…Susie Rodgers MBE was born without a fully formed arm or leg on the left side of her body. She turned her disability into a superpower, winning six Paralympic medals during her career as a professional swimmer. She retired from competitive sport in 2017 but says transitioning into the corporate world was tough: “You don’t get much support once you’re out the system. It’s pretty cutthroat.”In 2018, Nikki Henderson became the youngest skipper in history to finish the gruelling round-the-world Clipper Race. She was just 25. Having sailed Greta Thunberg across the Atlantic to the UN climate summit in Madrid at the end of last year, Nikki is at a “pivotal” moment in her career: “I’ve hit a natural break and I’m trying to figure out what to do next.”Susie and Nikki share their triumphs and “soul-destroying moments”, their constant battle for perfection, and their tips on resilience.Top three takeaways:Everything in life is either a victory or a lesson. There’s no such thing as failure.If you’re a leader, you’re a performer. You have to get used to putting on a mask.Luck is when opportunity meets preparation.

In this episode…Shona Baijal lost her father when she was in her teens. “My mother was a qualified accountant but she gave up her career to raise a family,” she says. “When she was suddenly widowed at the age of 43, she was completely lost and bewildered.” Determined to be financially independent – and help other women with long-term wealth planning – Shona joined UBS Wealth Management straight out of uni and was promoted to managing director in 2013. Now in her 40s, she doesn’t want to slow down – so what’s next?French entrepreneur Juliette Souliman also has a big role at a young age. She founded two start-ups before joining Octopus as its youngest ever investment professional and now runs her own fintech fund, CRED. And she’s still just 25. “My family all work in fashion; I’m the black sheep that went into finance,” she says. “I adore what I do but am I prioritising the right things and will I have regrets further down the line?”Our finance duo discuss how to make sure you’re taken seriously as a young woman in a room full of men, how to stay sane(ish) and how to keep evolving and developing, even when you’re at the top of your game.Top three takeaways:• Don’t apologise for who you are. Acknowledge your own strengths and play to them.• Seek discomfort: if you want “abnormal” returns, you need to make abnormal decisions.• Find the right combination of people for your “personal boardroom” – and make sure your inner circle includes men.