The Growth House Podcast

As we launch our new Diversity Inclusion and Belonging programme, we wanted to share our podcast interview that I did with Mona. At a time where the DIB agenda is under attack from some very powerful leaders around the world it feels absolutely appropriate for us to double our efforts in the space. We hope that you enjoy the conversation I had with this incredible leader. My biggest takeaway is that Diversity can only truly flourish if you create sustained energy and focus on the I & B of DIB.Mona Shindy shares her experiences in the Navy, highlighting the challenges she faced as a woman in a male-dominated field. Mona discussed her journey from naval officer to leadership coach, emphasising the importance of vulnerability, resilience, and community in leadership development. Mona shares her 30-year career as an engineer in the Navy, including the challenges she faced as a mother trying to balance work and family life, and the difficulties of navigating gender roles and speaking up when incidents occur. Ben and Mona also discuss the importance of community, leadership, communication, respect, empathy, and acknowledging bias in creating an inclusive workplace culture, emphasising the need for leaders to prioritise diversity, inclusion, and belonging.0:00 Intro1:51 Mona’s career journey as a Naval officer and personal story.4:58 Belonging and inclusion after a family tragedy in Australia.10:57 Navy life, roles, and dynamics with a focus on women in the Australian Navy.14:01 Challenges of being a female engineer in the Navy, including balancing work and family life.22:25 Speaking up in the Navy, addressing unacceptable behaviors and cultural reluctance to report incidents.25:56 Workplace culture and the responsibility of leadership in creating an environment where employees feel comfortable speaking up about inappropriate behaviour.33:19 Exclusionary comments and microaggressions in workplace culture.36:04 Diversity, inclusion, and belonging in teams, with a focus on communication, empathy, and permission to make mistakes40:02 Diversity and inclusion in the workplace49:37 Leadership, teamwork, and growth with a focus on empathy, inclusivity, and lifelong learningBuy Mona’s bookShattering Identity Bias by Mona Shindy: Buy on Amazon Follow Monahttps://www.monashindy.comlinkedin.com/in/mona-shindy-csc-84ba54121Follow Ben and The Growth House Subscribe to The Growth House Podcasthttps://thegrowthhouse.comben@thegrowthhouse.co.ukhttps://www.linkedin.com/in/ben-fennell-tghhttps://www.linkedin.com/company/the-growth-house

It’s always exciting to welcome a new speaker to The Growth House roster and so here’s a podcast introducing 30 year hostage negotiator Kirk Kinnell. Kirk’s insights regarding building connection, and establishing trust and influence are as profound as they are useful. He’s a wonderful communicator with a set of tools and skills that are world class. #hostagenegotiation #influencewithoutauthority #conflictresolution #empathy #trust #diversityKirk Cannell's Introduction and Background 0:09The Importance of Starting a Negotiation Well 3:31Listening and Empathy in Negotiations 6:45Building Trust and Mutual Interest 8:56The Role of Language and Accents in Negotiations 18:06Team Dynamics in Negotiations 20:47The Concept of "No" and Red Lines in Negotiations 25:28Strategic Use of Time and Silence in Negotiations 33:09Diversity and Gender in Negotiation Teams 38:38Leadership Beliefs and Teamship Behaviors 44:06Advice for Growth and Innovation 46:40Follow Kirk Kinnell: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kirk-kinnell-69a35b7b/Follow Ben and The Growth House Subscribe to The Growth House Podcasthttps://thegrowthhouse.com/podcast

Jason has done lots of speaking events for The Growth House over the years and I'm always inspired by his candour, humility and eloquence. We recently recorded a podcast interview with Jason where we covered topics as diverse as Mental Health, Feedback, and my favourite, the importance of Cheerfulness in a high performing team. We are thrilled to be able to share our latest podcast with you now.1:00 - 2:08: Ben introduces Jason Fox, highlighting his background in the Special Forces, broadcasting, and inspirational speaking.Summer Reflections 2:08: Jason discusses his busy summer, mainly working on the "SAS: Who Dares Wins" series.Production Challenges 3:06: Jason shares insights into the pressure and demands of producing a reality TV show, noting how production time and intensity have increased.Spotting Potential 5:45: Jason talks about his ability to identify strong performers early in the selection process, sharing anecdotes from his work on the show.Joining the Military at 16 6:45: Jason reflects on his decision to join the Royal Marines at a young age due to a lack of academic interest.Commando Spirit 8:18: Discussion on the core values of the Royal Marines, such as courage, determination, unselfishness, and cheerfulness in adversity, and their importance in shaping military culture.Transition to Special Forces 13:13: Jason discusses how the culture in Special Forces built on the Marine foundation but added more autonomy and responsibility.Challenges of Leaving the Military 17:21: Jason describes the personal struggles he faced transitioning out of the military and into civilian life, acknowledging mental health challenges.Managing Stress and Mental Health 19:11: Jason shares his journey to recognizing and addressing stressors, leading to improved mental health and self-awareness.The Self Check-In 22:08: Jason introduces his personal technique of "self check-in," where he explores negative emotions to understand their source and manage his reactions.Grounding Yourself Under Pressure 24:45: Jason shares a story from his Special Forces days about remaining calm and collected under fire, focusing on his team and the situation.Feedback and Review Process 27:53: Jason explains the importance of regular, constructive debriefs in Special Forces to learn from both successes and failures, emphasizing the value of continuous improvement.The Role of Habits 31:39: Discussion on the importance of ingraining fundamental habits in training, with comparisons to elite sports, like rugby.Repetition and Mastery 39:32: Jason stresses the importance of mastering basics through continuous practice, drawing parallels between military and sports training.Leadership, Teamship, and Growth 41:01: Jason shares his top values for leadership empathy, teamship trust, and personal growth courage.Reflections on Business Growth 45:49: Final thoughts on the challenges founders face as their businesses scale, using examples from various industries.Follow Jason Foxhttps://www.instagram.com/jason_carl_fox/?hl=enFollow Ben and The Growth House Subscribe to The Growth House Podcasthttps://thegrowthhouse.com

We are excited to share Podcast 19 with the wonderful Rupal Patel. Rupal is author of the international bestseller: From CIA to CEO and she is the latest addition to our speaker roster. During our conversation, she shares the insights, stories and tools gained from a thrilling career as a CIA Analyst and Field Agent. Highlights for me were her bits of advice regarding 'Speaking truth to power', 'Learnings born of some white knuckle experiences' briefing serving presidents and 4-star generals. Hope you enjoy the conversation as much as we both did. 1. Introduction and Background (00:06 - 02:03)2. Rupal’s Journey to the CIA (02:03 - 03:50)3. The Importance of First Impressions and Handshakes (03:50 - 06:12)4. The Concept of ‘Difference’ and Its Impact (06:12 - 09:47)5. Embracing and Designing a Life True to Oneself (09:47 - 13:08)6. Understanding Energy Maps and Golden Hours (13:08 - 15:10)7. Learning the Tradecraft at the CIA (15:10 - 18:23)8. CIA’s Intelligence Cycle and Work Cycles (18:23 - 19:21)9. The Transition from CIA to Entrepreneurship (19:21 - 22:30)10. Mindset Shifts and Overcoming Challenges (22:30 - 25:05)11. Leadership Lessons from the CIA (25:05 - 28:00)12. Balancing Ambition with Well-Being (28:00 - 31:15)13. The Power of Reflection and Journaling (31:15 - 34:00)14. Creating a Supportive Ecosystem (34:00 - 36:40)15. The Importance of Authenticity in Leadership (36:40 - 39:20)16. Key Takeaways from Rupal’s Book (39:20 - 41:45)17. Advice for Aspiring Leaders and Entrepreneurs (41:45 - 44:00)Buy Rupal's bookCIA to CEO by Rupal Patel: Buy on Amazon Follow Rupalwww.ciatoceo.comhttps://www.linkedin.com/in/rupal-patel-2145a960/Follow Ben and The Growth House Subscribe to The Growth House Podcasthttps://thegrowthhouse.comben@thegrowthhouse.co.ukhttps://www.linkedin.com/in/ben-fennell-tghhttps://www.linkedin.com/company/the-growth-house

Track legend Michael Johnson talks to Ben in our latest podcast episode and whether you're a sports fan or not, there is so much wisdom here regarding preparation, pressure and high performance behaviours.Michael shares many wonderful insights, but the idea of how we need to balance respect for the fundamentals of your chosen pursuit, whilst embracing your own unique talents and style.If you want to learn more about our Leadership Programmes please do get in touch ben@thegrowthhouse.co.uk

To mark the launch of our new AI Programme: Fast Start, we wanted to introduce the wonderful Henry Shevlin. Henry is a Cambridge AI Ethicist, Cognitive Scientist and Associate Director at the Leverhulme Centre for the Future of Intelligence. Henry has spoken at all five of our pilot workshops and has informed and inspired our clients in equal measure. We have titled the podcast 'Enduring Human Skills and Emerging AI Tools'. It's not the shortest title we've ever written, but it is the guiding principle for the new programme and the idea that sits at the heart of this interview.If you want to learn more about new AI Programme please do get in touch ben@thegrowthhouse.co.uk

Olly Kohn, co-founder of The Jolly Hog shares the inspiring story of transitioning from Premiership winning rugby player to successful entrepreneur. Alongside his two brothers, Olly has built one of the most respected FMCG brands in the UK. We explore the difference between the start up and scale up phase, what it is like to do business with your family, dealing with the big retailers and why product quality is always the best business strategy. Really hope you enjoy it. 

All Black legend, Dan Carter talks about leadership, teamship, culture, feedback, setbacks, pressure, mental health and a whole lot more.