<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
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Hosted by James Quayle, 1 million conversations (1MC) is an eclectic mix of long form conversations with people from around the world, bringing unique and bold ideas to life. 

They’ll share their unique perspectives on work, life, ambition &amp; failure and discuss the highs, the lows, the how to’s, the how nots, and the reasons why they do what they do. 

So tune in to learn something new about the world and get inspired to go and create something of your own.</description><language>en</language><lastBuildDate>Fri, 08 May 2026 06:00:00 -0000</lastBuildDate><pubDate>Fri, 08 May 2026 06:00:00 -0000</pubDate><docs>https://rss2.flightcast.com/hgpwzuo1f2vi12e83qbb3yp7.xml</docs><generator>Flightcast RSS Feed Generator</generator><image><title>1 million conversations</title><url>https://files.flightcast.com/workspaces/mmnjjrjouhsyurlwdyfhd1k1/01KHVTP3ERCJWV8BG6ZQ8QDWST/1_million_conversations__square__-_3000x3000.jpg</url><link>https://rss2.flightcast.com/hgpwzuo1f2vi12e83qbb3yp7.xml</link></image><atom:link rel="self" href="https://rss2.flightcast.com/hgpwzuo1f2vi12e83qbb3yp7.xml" type="application/rss+xml"></atom:link><content:encoded><![CDATA[It takes a lot to bring an idea to life. Whether it’s a new business, a career, a research paper, or even a museum exhibition, most of us have something deep within us, that we’d love to put out into the world for all to see and experience.

Hosted by James Quayle, 1 million conversations (1MC) is an eclectic mix of long form conversations with people from around the world, bringing unique and bold ideas to life. 

They’ll share their unique perspectives on work, life, ambition & failure and discuss the highs, the lows, the how to’s, the how nots, and the reasons why they do what they do. 

So tune in to learn something new about the world and get inspired to go and create something of your own.]]></content:encoded><itunes:type>episodic</itunes:type><itunes:image href="https://files.flightcast.com/workspaces/mmnjjrjouhsyurlwdyfhd1k1/01KHVTP3ERCJWV8BG6ZQ8QDWST/1_million_conversations__square__-_3000x3000.jpg"></itunes:image><itunes:author>James Quayle</itunes:author><itunes:summary>It takes a lot to bring an idea to life. Whether it’s a new business, a career, a research paper, or even a museum exhibition, most of us have something deep within us, that we’d love to put out into the world for all to see and experience.

Hosted by James Quayle, 1 million conversations (1MC) is an eclectic mix of long form conversations with people from around the world, bringing unique and bold ideas to life. 

They’ll share their unique perspectives on work, life, ambition &amp; failure and discuss the highs, the lows, the how to’s, the how nots, and the reasons why they do what they do. 

So tune in to learn something new about the world and get inspired to go and create something of your own.</itunes:summary><itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit><itunes:category text="Business"></itunes:category><item><title>From Corporate Burnout to Building Two HR Brands: One Mum&#39;s Leap into Entrepreneurship</title><description>Ella Halliday spent 15 years in corporate HR watching organisations spend a fortune on ping pong tables and pizza Fridays, while the people inside them had no psychological safety, no trust, and no real culture to speak of. So she left… with nothing to go on to.

At the same time she was dealing with a separation, three children under six, a mortgage and no income. Yet this decision would pave the way for her future success. Wanting to truly make a difference, she started her own HR business, gave herself six months and threw everything at it, and somewhere along the way she started a second brand, for a sector she&#39;d watched give everything for almost nothing in return.

That second brand, Childcare HR, exists because Ella genuinely cares. About the people who shaped her children&#39;s earliest years, but who are chronically underpaid and undervalued. About small providers trying to do right by their staff with no support and no roadmap. And about working mothers who are still quietly written off in interview rooms before they&#39;ve said a word.

This is a conversation about what it actually takes to back yourself and make something happen when you have no other option. About building something with purpose rather than just ambition. And about why the things most worth fighting for are usually the ones everyone else has already walked past.

Ella is funny, direct, and completely without pretence. By the end of this conversation, you&#39;ll want to go and do the thing you&#39;ve been talking yourself out of.


Connect with Ella directly - https://www.linkedin.com/in/ella-halliday

Learn more about Six HR - http://www.six-hr.com 

Learn more about Childcare HR - https://www.childcarehr.co.uk 

Learn more about Pregnant Then Screwed - https://pregnantthenscrewed.com</description><guid isPermaLink="no">flightcast:01KR2AW5JFS88MFTP6PQ2XV57M</guid><pubDate>Fri, 08 May 2026 06:00:00 -0000</pubDate><enclosure url="https://episode.flightcast.com/01KR2AW5JFNCDTRZNMX1YYAMZB.mp3" length="0" type="audio/mpeg"></enclosure><author>1 million conversations</author><content:encoded><![CDATA[<p class="text-node">Ella Halliday spent 15 years in corporate HR watching organisations spend a fortune on ping pong tables and pizza Fridays, while the people inside them had no psychological safety, no trust, and no real culture to speak of. So she left… with nothing to go on to.</p><p class="text-node">At the same time she was dealing with a separation, three children under six, a mortgage and no income. Yet this decision would pave the way for her future success. Wanting to truly make a difference, she started her own HR business, gave herself six months and threw everything at it, and somewhere along the way she started a second brand, for a sector she'd watched give everything for almost nothing in return.</p><p class="text-node">That second brand, Childcare HR, exists because Ella genuinely cares. About the people who shaped her children's earliest years, but who are chronically underpaid and undervalued. About small providers trying to do right by their staff with no support and no roadmap. And about working mothers who are still quietly written off in interview rooms before they've said a word.</p><p class="text-node">This is a conversation about what it actually takes to back yourself and make something happen when you have no other option. About building something with purpose rather than just ambition. And about why the things most worth fighting for are usually the ones everyone else has already walked past.</p><p class="text-node">Ella is funny, direct, and completely without pretence. By the end of this conversation, you'll want to go and do the thing you've been talking yourself out of.</p><p class="text-node"><br>Connect with Ella directly - <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" class="link" href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/ella-halliday/">https://www.linkedin.com/in/ella-halliday</a></p><p class="text-node">Learn more about Six HR - <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" class="link" href="http://www.six-hr.com">http://www.six-hr.com</a> </p><p class="text-node">Learn more about Childcare HR - <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" class="link" href="https://www.childcarehr.co.uk">https://www.childcarehr.co.uk</a> </p><p class="text-node">Learn more about Pregnant Then Screwed - <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" class="link" href="https://pregnantthenscrewed.com/">https://pregnantthenscrewed.com</a></p>]]></content:encoded><itunes:title>From Corporate Burnout to Building Two HR Brands: One Mum&#39;s Leap into Entrepreneurship</itunes:title><itunes:author>1 million conversations</itunes:author><itunes:image href="https://files.flightcast.com/workspaces/mmnjjrjouhsyurlwdyfhd1k1/01KR2DNPJNB50VSVPTMDN5CE4F/1mc_-_episode_5_-__square_.jpg"></itunes:image><itunes:episodeType>full</itunes:episodeType><itunes:duration>6124</itunes:duration><itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit><itunes:summary>Ella Halliday spent 15 years in corporate HR watching organisations spend a fortune on ping pong tables and pizza Fridays, while the people inside them had no psychological safety, no trust, and no real culture to speak of. So she left… with nothing to go on to.

At the same time she was dealing with a separation, three children under six, a mortgage and no income. Yet this decision would pave the way for her future success. Wanting to truly make a difference, she started her own HR business, gave herself six months and threw everything at it, and somewhere along the way she started a second brand, for a sector she&#39;d watched give everything for almost nothing in return.

That second brand, Childcare HR, exists because Ella genuinely cares. About the people who shaped her children&#39;s earliest years, but who are chronically underpaid and undervalued. About small providers trying to do right by their staff with no support and no roadmap. And about working mothers who are still quietly written off in interview rooms before they&#39;ve said a word.

This is a conversation about what it actually takes to back yourself and make something happen when you have no other option. About building something with purpose rather than just ambition. And about why the things most worth fighting for are usually the ones everyone else has already walked past.

Ella is funny, direct, and completely without pretence. By the end of this conversation, you&#39;ll want to go and do the thing you&#39;ve been talking yourself out of.


Connect with Ella directly - https://www.linkedin.com/in/ella-halliday

Learn more about Six HR - http://www.six-hr.com 

Learn more about Childcare HR - https://www.childcarehr.co.uk 

Learn more about Pregnant Then Screwed - https://pregnantthenscrewed.com</itunes:summary><podcast:image href="https://files.flightcast.com/workspaces/mmnjjrjouhsyurlwdyfhd1k1/01KR2EQ68E8M4KG9E3WDR44XXG/1mc_-_episode_5_-_thumbnail.jpg" aspect-ratio="16/9"></podcast:image><podcast:transcript url="https://files.flightcast.com/workspaces/mmnjjrjouhsyurlwdyfhd1k1/01KR2C2B1M4AE83ZN5XT6X8DJX/1mc_-_episode_5__ella_halliday__-_full_ep-transcoded_transcription.json" type="application/json" language="en" rel="captions"></podcast:transcript></item><item><title>What Makes a Good Website in 2026? The importance of staying human in an AI enabled world</title><description>Kelly Drewett started building websites at 19, at a time when most people didn&#39;t know what one was. Twenty-five years later, she&#39;s still doing it - and loving it!

Not many people can say they knew what they wanted to be from so early on and many change course. Kelly has watched the web design industry transform completely, multiple times over - from HTML and dial-up connections, to WordPress, mobile and now AI - and her relationship to that change is what makes this conversation worth your time. She&#39;s not anxious about it. She&#39;s curious.

Some of that curiosity was inherited. Kelly&#39;s mum bought a computer before most households had one, taught her daughter to type, and when Kelly said she wanted to leave her first job in illustration to build websites, she gave her blessing and her computer, despite saying “why would anyone use a website”. That kind of belief at the beginning of something, from the people we most want it from, matters more than most people admit.

For most of those 25 years Kelly worked entirely alone, keeping the business deliberately small so she could travel the world as one of the OG digital nomads! Now, for the first time, she&#39;s building a team and finding new passions in leadership.

This is a conversation about loving your work across the long run. About staying relevant and understanding disruptions without chasing every trend. And about what it means to have someone in your corner from the very start.



Connect with Kelly directly: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kellydrewett/

Learn about her business Kaydee Web: https://kaydee.net/</description><guid isPermaLink="no">flightcast:01KP3YA0A28TSMGF4SQCZF9A4D</guid><pubDate>Tue, 14 Apr 2026 06:30:00 -0000</pubDate><enclosure url="https://episode.flightcast.com/01KP3YA0A2XX034J4AGMGSXVWS.mp3" length="0" type="audio/mpeg"></enclosure><author>James Quayle</author><content:encoded><![CDATA[<p class="text-node">Kelly Drewett started building websites at 19, at a time when most people didn't know what one was. Twenty-five years later, she's still doing it - and loving it!</p><p class="text-node">Not many people can say they knew what they wanted to be from so early on and many change course. Kelly has watched the web design industry transform completely, multiple times over - from HTML and dial-up connections, to WordPress, mobile and now AI - and her relationship to that change is what makes this conversation worth your time. She's not anxious about it. She's curious.</p><p class="text-node">Some of that curiosity was inherited. Kelly's mum bought a computer before most households had one, taught her daughter to type, and when Kelly said she wanted to leave her first job in illustration to build websites, she gave her blessing and her computer, despite saying “why would anyone use a website”. That kind of belief at the beginning of something, from the people we most want it from, matters more than most people admit.</p><p class="text-node">For most of those 25 years Kelly worked entirely alone, keeping the business deliberately small so she could travel the world as one of the OG digital nomads! Now, for the first time, she's building a team and finding new passions in leadership.</p><p class="text-node">This is a conversation about loving your work across the long run. About staying relevant and understanding disruptions without chasing every trend. And about what it means to have someone in your corner from the very start.</p><p class="text-node"></p><p class="text-node">Connect with Kelly directly: <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" class="link" href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/kellydrewett/">https://www.linkedin.com/in/kellydrewett/</a></p><p class="text-node">Learn about her business Kaydee Web: <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" class="link" href="https://kaydee.net/">https://kaydee.net/</a><br></p>]]></content:encoded><itunes:title>What Makes a Good Website in 2026? The importance of staying human in an AI enabled world</itunes:title><itunes:author>James Quayle</itunes:author><itunes:image href="https://files.flightcast.com/workspaces/mmnjjrjouhsyurlwdyfhd1k1/01KP4A4XDVP7EGV7QNDSCXD0J3/1mc_-_episode_4__thumbnail_rss_audio_only_.jpg"></itunes:image><itunes:episodeType>full</itunes:episodeType><itunes:duration>5804</itunes:duration><itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit><itunes:summary>Kelly Drewett started building websites at 19, at a time when most people didn&#39;t know what one was. Twenty-five years later, she&#39;s still doing it - and loving it!

Not many people can say they knew what they wanted to be from so early on and many change course. Kelly has watched the web design industry transform completely, multiple times over - from HTML and dial-up connections, to WordPress, mobile and now AI - and her relationship to that change is what makes this conversation worth your time. She&#39;s not anxious about it. She&#39;s curious.

Some of that curiosity was inherited. Kelly&#39;s mum bought a computer before most households had one, taught her daughter to type, and when Kelly said she wanted to leave her first job in illustration to build websites, she gave her blessing and her computer, despite saying “why would anyone use a website”. That kind of belief at the beginning of something, from the people we most want it from, matters more than most people admit.

For most of those 25 years Kelly worked entirely alone, keeping the business deliberately small so she could travel the world as one of the OG digital nomads! Now, for the first time, she&#39;s building a team and finding new passions in leadership.

This is a conversation about loving your work across the long run. About staying relevant and understanding disruptions without chasing every trend. And about what it means to have someone in your corner from the very start.



Connect with Kelly directly: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kellydrewett/

Learn about her business Kaydee Web: https://kaydee.net/</itunes:summary><podcast:image href="https://files.flightcast.com/workspaces/mmnjjrjouhsyurlwdyfhd1k1/01KP49SD2TBG0Q037BG701PRWG/1mc_-_episode_4_-_thumbnail.jpg" aspect-ratio="16/9"></podcast:image><podcast:transcript url="https://files.flightcast.com/workspaces/mmnjjrjouhsyurlwdyfhd1k1/01KP3YBZCSBFVAG18B29N46TBR/1mc_-_episode_4__kelly_drewett__-_full_ep/transcoded-01KP40KGPNSYGA85TKWZXDKW60-01KP40KGPN2T99TN20EACX665N_transcription.json" type="application/json" language="en" rel="captions"></podcast:transcript></item><item><title>From Tech Entrepreneur to Member of Parliament: One Founder’s Journey into Politics</title><description>What does it take to build something from nothing - a feature film, a tech company, a political career?


Steffan Aquarone has done all three. 



In this episode of One Million Conversations, I sit down with the Liberal Democrat MP for North Norfolk to discuss an extraordinary career - from producing a low budget, community-made, British feature film in an Oxfordshire village, through building and advising tech businesses, to winning a parliamentary seat he spent years working towards.


Steffan talks about growing up in a single parent family, running a pub at eighteen, closing down a startup the night Brexit unravelled his funding round, and why the UK Government needs to find a way to encourage constructive conversations with people from all sides with all manners of viewpoints, to find a way forward as a country.



But this conversation is ultimately about something bigger than one person&#39;s career. It&#39;s about why community matters, what it takes to make something happen and how to rally people together in support of an idea.



Connect with Steffan directly:

https://www.linkedin.com/in/steffanaquarone/

https://www.instagram.com/steffanaquarone/ 

https://bsky.app/profile/steffanaquarone.bsky.social 

https://www.libdems.org.uk/mps/north-norfolk 



Our conversation at a glance:

Chapters

00:00:00 Introduction
00:05:22 Making things happen - a passion for community projects
00:10:37 The early experiences that informed his leadership style and confidence 
00:13:58 Do entrepreneurs make good politicians?
00:16:07 Stepping out of the boardroom and into Politics
00:23:19 Closing down a business
00:25:21 The state of the UK tech industry
00:32:24 How do you actually become an MP?
00:36:50 The role of social media in reaching constituents
00:40:52 What makes Norfolk special
00:44:32 Steffan’s hopes and visions for the UK
00:47:44 Quickfire Questions</description><guid isPermaLink="no">flightcast:01KMDMSMA6KZ2KG2S6JTPYF7J6</guid><pubDate>Tue, 24 Mar 2026 06:30:00 -0000</pubDate><enclosure url="https://episode.flightcast.com/01KMDMSMA61ZPG65TN9VQAVDBH.mp3" length="0" type="audio/mpeg"></enclosure><author>James Quayle</author><content:encoded><![CDATA[<p class="text-node">What does it take to build something from nothing - a feature film, a tech company, a political career?<br></p><p class="text-node">Steffan Aquarone has done all three.&nbsp;</p><p class="text-node"></p><p class="text-node">In this episode of One Million Conversations, I sit down with the Liberal Democrat MP for North Norfolk to discuss an extraordinary career - from producing a low budget, community-made, British feature film in an Oxfordshire village, through building and advising tech businesses, to winning a parliamentary seat he spent years working towards.</p><p class="text-node"><br>Steffan talks about growing up in a single parent family, running a pub at eighteen, closing down a startup the night Brexit unravelled his funding round, and why the UK Government needs to find a way to encourage constructive conversations with people from all sides with all manners of viewpoints, to find a way forward as a country.</p><p class="text-node"></p><p class="text-node">But this conversation is ultimately about something bigger than one person's career. It's about why community matters, what it takes to make something happen and how to rally people together in support of an idea.</p><p class="text-node"></p><p class="text-node">Connect with Steffan directly:</p><p class="text-node"><a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" class="link" href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/steffanaquarone/">https://www.linkedin.com/in/steffanaquarone/</a></p><p class="text-node"><a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" class="link" href="https://www.instagram.com/steffanaquarone/">https://www.instagram.com/steffanaquarone/</a>&nbsp;</p><p class="text-node"><a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" class="link" href="https://bsky.app/profile/steffanaquarone.bsky.social">https://bsky.app/profile/steffanaquarone.bsky.social</a>&nbsp;</p><p class="text-node"><a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" class="link" href="https://www.libdems.org.uk/mps/north-norfolk">https://www.libdems.org.uk/mps/north-norfolk</a>&nbsp;</p><p class="text-node"></p><p class="text-node">Our conversation at a glance:</p><p class="text-node"><h3>Chapters</h3><ul><li><strong>00:00:00</strong> Introduction</li><li><strong>00:05:22</strong> Making things happen - a passion for community projects</li><li><strong>00:10:37</strong> The early experiences that informed his leadership style and confidence </li><li><strong>00:13:58</strong> Do entrepreneurs make good politicians?</li><li><strong>00:16:07</strong> Stepping out of the boardroom and into Politics</li><li><strong>00:23:19</strong> Closing down a business</li><li><strong>00:25:21</strong> The state of the UK tech industry</li><li><strong>00:32:24</strong> How do you actually become an MP?</li><li><strong>00:36:50</strong> The role of social media in reaching constituents</li><li><strong>00:40:52</strong> What makes Norfolk special</li><li><strong>00:44:32</strong> Steffan’s hopes and visions for the UK</li><li><strong>00:47:44</strong> Quickfire Questions</li></ul></p>]]></content:encoded><itunes:title>From Tech Entrepreneur to Member of Parliament: One Founder’s Journey into Politics</itunes:title><itunes:author>James Quayle</itunes:author><itunes:image href="https://files.flightcast.com/workspaces/mmnjjrjouhsyurlwdyfhd1k1/01KME70RXBH7TTR0T0KWGTDZK3/1mc_-_episode_3__thumbnail_rss_audio_only_.jpg"></itunes:image><itunes:episodeType>full</itunes:episodeType><itunes:duration>3274</itunes:duration><itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit><itunes:summary>What does it take to build something from nothing - a feature film, a tech company, a political career?


Steffan Aquarone has done all three. 



In this episode of One Million Conversations, I sit down with the Liberal Democrat MP for North Norfolk to discuss an extraordinary career - from producing a low budget, community-made, British feature film in an Oxfordshire village, through building and advising tech businesses, to winning a parliamentary seat he spent years working towards.


Steffan talks about growing up in a single parent family, running a pub at eighteen, closing down a startup the night Brexit unravelled his funding round, and why the UK Government needs to find a way to encourage constructive conversations with people from all sides with all manners of viewpoints, to find a way forward as a country.



But this conversation is ultimately about something bigger than one person&#39;s career. It&#39;s about why community matters, what it takes to make something happen and how to rally people together in support of an idea.



Connect with Steffan directly:

https://www.linkedin.com/in/steffanaquarone/

https://www.instagram.com/steffanaquarone/ 

https://bsky.app/profile/steffanaquarone.bsky.social 

https://www.libdems.org.uk/mps/north-norfolk 



Our conversation at a glance:

Chapters

00:00:00 Introduction
00:05:22 Making things happen - a passion for community projects
00:10:37 The early experiences that informed his leadership style and confidence 
00:13:58 Do entrepreneurs make good politicians?
00:16:07 Stepping out of the boardroom and into Politics
00:23:19 Closing down a business
00:25:21 The state of the UK tech industry
00:32:24 How do you actually become an MP?
00:36:50 The role of social media in reaching constituents
00:40:52 What makes Norfolk special
00:44:32 Steffan’s hopes and visions for the UK
00:47:44 Quickfire Questions</itunes:summary><podcast:image href="https://files.flightcast.com/workspaces/mmnjjrjouhsyurlwdyfhd1k1/01KME6WN5T8SNWYPXS2E0S0C71/1mc_-_episode_3__thumbnail_a_.jpg" aspect-ratio="16/9"></podcast:image><podcast:transcript url="https://files.flightcast.com/workspaces/mmnjjrjouhsyurlwdyfhd1k1/01KMDMTCEGQT61DKK4P62ZZFRQ/1mc_-_episode_3__steffan_aquarone__-_full_ep/transcoded-01KMDNR25886F2F1XYRK9EDB0R-01KMDNR258AP2PVVMAR8VHQ2MM_transcription.json" type="application/json" language="en" rel="captions"></podcast:transcript></item><item><title>From toxic workplaces to creating culture where being human makes you successful</title><description>What if the way we&#39;ve been running workplaces has been wrong all along?

Sarah Dena spent 25 years working inside the HR profession, only to come to a painful realisation - she&#39;d probably contributed to some of the very practices that make workplaces feel dehumanising.

In this conversation, Sarah, Managing Director of New Wave Learning and founder of The Culturevators, makes a compelling case for emotional culture - the idea that how people feel at work determines how they behave, and that leaders who ignore this are leaving their most valuable data on the table.

We get into what culture actually means, the gap between a leader&#39;s intent and the impact they create, why returning to the office is really a conversation about trust, and what it means to bring your whole self to work without it falling apart.

Sarah also reflects candidly on leaving corporate life, building a business from scratch, raising emotionally confident daughters, and why she believes the window to make workplaces more human is right now.

This is a conversation about leadership, connection, and what it really takes to create conditions where people can do the best work of their lives.

Learn more about The Culturevators: https://www.culturevator.co.uk/

Learn more abont New Wave Learning: https://www.newwavelearning.com/

Connect with Sarah directly: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sarahdena/


Our conversation at a glance:

Chapters

00:00:00 Intro to Sarah and New Wave Learning
00:04:24 How The Culturevators started from pain
00:07:03 What do we mean by culture in the workplace?
00:12:23 How to get people on board with company values
00:15:20 How much of yourself should you bring to work?
00:23:05 The next generation of leaders are changing things
00:28:21 Accepting that we all have biases
00:33:54 How to create culture when our teams are spread across the world
00:39:02 Should working hours matter?
00:46:15 The problem with the term &#34;human resources&#34;
00:48:08 Why Sarah left her HR career
01:00:03 Sarah&#39;s vuision to help parents raise emotionally intelligent children
01:12:13 Future workplaces - will we have AI managers?
01:19:12 Quickfire Questions</description><guid isPermaLink="no">flightcast:01KKA2FZ48T1XKSJSZ1FVGBR6R</guid><pubDate>Tue, 10 Mar 2026 06:30:00 -0000</pubDate><enclosure url="https://episode.flightcast.com/01KKA2FZ48V43K2PG2A9D1HFMW.mp3" length="0" type="audio/mpeg"></enclosure><author>James Quayle</author><content:encoded><![CDATA[<p class="text-node">What if the way we've been running workplaces has been wrong all along?</p><p class="text-node">Sarah Dena spent 25 years working inside the HR profession, only to come to a painful realisation - she'd probably contributed to some of the very practices that make workplaces feel dehumanising.</p><p class="text-node">In this conversation, Sarah, Managing Director of New Wave Learning and founder of The Culturevators, makes a compelling case for emotional culture - the idea that how people feel at work determines how they behave, and that leaders who ignore this are leaving their most valuable data on the table.</p><p class="text-node">We get into what culture actually means, the gap between a leader's intent and the impact they create, why returning to the office is really a conversation about trust, and what it means to bring your whole self to work without it falling apart.</p><p class="text-node">Sarah also reflects candidly on leaving corporate life, building a business from scratch, raising emotionally confident daughters, and why she believes the window to make workplaces more human is right now.</p><p class="text-node">This is a conversation about leadership, connection, and what it really takes to create conditions where people can do the best work of their lives.<br><br>Learn more about The Culturevators: <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" class="link" href="https://www.culturevator.co.uk/">https://www.culturevator.co.uk/</a></p><p class="text-node">Learn more abont New Wave Learning: <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" class="link" href="https://www.newwavelearning.com/">https://www.newwavelearning.com/</a></p><p class="text-node">Connect with Sarah directly: <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" class="link" href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/sarahdena/">https://www.linkedin.com/in/sarahdena/</a></p><p class="text-node"><br>Our conversation at a glance:</p><p class="text-node"><h3>Chapters</h3><ul><li><strong>00:00:00</strong> Intro to Sarah and New Wave Learning</li><li><strong>00:04:24</strong> How The Culturevators started from pain</li><li><strong>00:07:03</strong> What do we mean by culture in the workplace?</li><li><strong>00:12:23</strong> How to get people on board with company values</li><li><strong>00:15:20</strong> How much of yourself should you bring to work?</li><li><strong>00:23:05</strong> The next generation of leaders are changing things</li><li><strong>00:28:21</strong> Accepting that we all have biases</li><li><strong>00:33:54</strong> How to create culture when our teams are spread across the world</li><li><strong>00:39:02</strong> Should working hours matter?</li><li><strong>00:46:15</strong> The problem with the term "human resources"</li><li><strong>00:48:08</strong> Why Sarah left her HR career</li><li><strong>01:00:03</strong> Sarah's vuision to help parents raise emotionally intelligent children</li><li><strong>01:12:13</strong> Future workplaces - will we have AI managers?</li><li><strong>01:19:12</strong> Quickfire Questions</li></ul></p>]]></content:encoded><itunes:title>From toxic workplaces to creating culture where being human makes you successful</itunes:title><itunes:author>James Quayle</itunes:author><itunes:image href="https://files.flightcast.com/workspaces/mmnjjrjouhsyurlwdyfhd1k1/01KKA9V5SEP0CQ6CS6GM2G5QW1/1mc_-_episode_2__thumbnail_rss_audio_only_.jpg"></itunes:image><itunes:episodeType>full</itunes:episodeType><itunes:duration>5639</itunes:duration><itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit><itunes:summary>What if the way we&#39;ve been running workplaces has been wrong all along?

Sarah Dena spent 25 years working inside the HR profession, only to come to a painful realisation - she&#39;d probably contributed to some of the very practices that make workplaces feel dehumanising.

In this conversation, Sarah, Managing Director of New Wave Learning and founder of The Culturevators, makes a compelling case for emotional culture - the idea that how people feel at work determines how they behave, and that leaders who ignore this are leaving their most valuable data on the table.

We get into what culture actually means, the gap between a leader&#39;s intent and the impact they create, why returning to the office is really a conversation about trust, and what it means to bring your whole self to work without it falling apart.

Sarah also reflects candidly on leaving corporate life, building a business from scratch, raising emotionally confident daughters, and why she believes the window to make workplaces more human is right now.

This is a conversation about leadership, connection, and what it really takes to create conditions where people can do the best work of their lives.

Learn more about The Culturevators: https://www.culturevator.co.uk/

Learn more abont New Wave Learning: https://www.newwavelearning.com/

Connect with Sarah directly: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sarahdena/


Our conversation at a glance:

Chapters

00:00:00 Intro to Sarah and New Wave Learning
00:04:24 How The Culturevators started from pain
00:07:03 What do we mean by culture in the workplace?
00:12:23 How to get people on board with company values
00:15:20 How much of yourself should you bring to work?
00:23:05 The next generation of leaders are changing things
00:28:21 Accepting that we all have biases
00:33:54 How to create culture when our teams are spread across the world
00:39:02 Should working hours matter?
00:46:15 The problem with the term &#34;human resources&#34;
00:48:08 Why Sarah left her HR career
01:00:03 Sarah&#39;s vuision to help parents raise emotionally intelligent children
01:12:13 Future workplaces - will we have AI managers?
01:19:12 Quickfire Questions</itunes:summary><podcast:image href="https://files.flightcast.com/workspaces/mmnjjrjouhsyurlwdyfhd1k1/01KKA8AZADYYDBZRJZDSJ7X0F9/1mc_-_episode_2__thumbnail_a_.jpg" aspect-ratio="16/9"></podcast:image><podcast:transcript url="https://files.flightcast.com/workspaces/mmnjjrjouhsyurlwdyfhd1k1/01KKA2GFR5XJS19KN1A1MY22P5/1mc_-_episode_2__sarah_dena__-_full_ep/transcoded-01KKA476WWM2TBT33NTNP47B2H-01KKA476WWW0DN6240KFHGD2J8_transcription.json" type="application/json" language="en" rel="captions"></podcast:transcript></item><item><title>The Hard Choice Every &#39;Successful&#39; Entrepreneur Must Face</title><description>In this episode of 1 million conversations, I speak with Peter Mols, Co-Founder of Mastermind 9, a mastermind group for business owners looking to grow. Peter has been a life long entrepreneur and advocate of entrepreneurship, but he’d be the first to admit that he’s had his fair share of struggle along the way.

We talk about what Mastermind9 is and how he’s building it - alongside his wife and Co-Founder Sarah and what it’s like working as a husband and wife duo. We discuss his journey with depression after the failure of his first company, and how he’s learned to stay focused whilst living with ADHD.

Peter is also an intrepid traveller and makes some great suggestions in our Quickfire round, so stay tuned until the end!

Thank you so much for watching and listening. If there’s someone you know who’s building something special, let us know and we’ll see what we can do.

James

Our conversation at a glance:
Chapters

00:05:46 Grow so big you’ll need a bigger dream
00:10:40 Being a business owner is hard
00:13:56 Should you aim to scale your business beyond just yourself
00:21:33 When should you go and get your first employee
00:26:03 Finding honest feedback and why your friends and family won’t tell you the truth
00:34:21 Staying focused whilst managing ADHD
00:38:23 Working with a romantic partner
00:46:57 Peter’s first business and why it failed
00:52:44 Depression after failure
00:56:10 Overcoming failure and never giving up
01:00:35 Finding purpose beyond money
01:10:05 How to find motivation when you’re feeling low
01:13:59 Sarah (Pete’s wife) interrupts, and shares her take on working together
01:18:27 Quickfire Questions




Connect with Peter

Learn more about Peter’s company Mastermind9: https://mastermind9.com/
Connect with Peter directly https://www.linkedin.com/in/petermols/</description><guid isPermaLink="no">flightcast:01KJ6285KMXEX2EAPA8SZ6AMFG</guid><pubDate>Wed, 25 Feb 2026 06:00:00 -0000</pubDate><enclosure url="https://episode.flightcast.com/01KJ6285KM1WXGA2GHENJWAEJZ.mp3" length="0" type="audio/mpeg"></enclosure><author>James Quayle</author><content:encoded><![CDATA[<p class="text-node">In this episode of 1 million conversations, I speak with Peter Mols, Co-Founder of Mastermind 9, a mastermind group for business owners looking to grow. Peter has been a life long entrepreneur and advocate of entrepreneurship, but he’d be the first to admit that he’s had his fair share of struggle along the way.</p><p class="text-node">We talk about what Mastermind9 is and how he’s building it - alongside his wife and Co-Founder Sarah and what it’s like working as a husband and wife duo. We discuss his journey with depression after the failure of his first company, and how he’s learned to stay focused whilst living with ADHD.</p><p class="text-node">Peter is also an intrepid traveller and makes some great suggestions in our Quickfire round, so stay tuned until the end!</p><p class="text-node">Thank you so much for watching and listening. If there’s someone you know who’s building something special, let us know and we’ll see what we can do.</p><p class="text-node">James</p><p class="text-node"><strong>Our conversation at a glance:</strong><br><h3>Chapters</h3><ul><li><strong>00:05:46</strong> Grow so big you’ll need a bigger dream</li><li><strong>00:10:40</strong> Being a business owner is hard</li><li><strong>00:13:56</strong> Should you aim to scale your business beyond just yourself</li><li><strong>00:21:33</strong> When should you go and get your first employee</li><li><strong>00:26:03</strong> Finding honest feedback and why your friends and family won’t tell you the truth</li><li><strong>00:34:21</strong> Staying focused whilst managing ADHD</li><li><strong>00:38:23</strong> Working with a romantic partner</li><li><strong>00:46:57</strong> Peter’s first business and why it failed</li><li><strong>00:52:44</strong> Depression after failure</li><li><strong>00:56:10</strong> Overcoming failure and never giving up</li><li><strong>01:00:35</strong> Finding purpose beyond money</li><li><strong>01:10:05</strong> How to find motivation when you’re feeling low</li><li><strong>01:13:59</strong> Sarah (Pete’s wife) interrupts, and shares her take on working together</li><li><strong>01:18:27</strong> Quickfire Questions</li></ul></p><p class="text-node"></p><p class="text-node"><strong>Connect with Peter</strong></p><p class="text-node">Learn more about Peter’s company Mastermind9: <a class="link" href="https://mastermind9.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">https://mastermind9.com/</a><br>Connect with Peter directly <a class="link" href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/petermols/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">https://www.linkedin.com/in/petermols/</a></p>]]></content:encoded><itunes:title>The Hard Choice Every &#39;Successful&#39; Entrepreneur Must Face</itunes:title><itunes:author>James Quayle</itunes:author><itunes:image href="https://files.flightcast.com/workspaces/mmnjjrjouhsyurlwdyfhd1k1/01KJ639ZSHPKYS7JSV7F58ASN2/1mc_-_episode_1__thumbnail_rss_audio_only_.jpg"></itunes:image><itunes:episodeType>full</itunes:episodeType><itunes:duration>5374</itunes:duration><itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit><itunes:summary>In this episode of 1 million conversations, I speak with Peter Mols, Co-Founder of Mastermind 9, a mastermind group for business owners looking to grow. Peter has been a life long entrepreneur and advocate of entrepreneurship, but he’d be the first to admit that he’s had his fair share of struggle along the way.

We talk about what Mastermind9 is and how he’s building it - alongside his wife and Co-Founder Sarah and what it’s like working as a husband and wife duo. We discuss his journey with depression after the failure of his first company, and how he’s learned to stay focused whilst living with ADHD.

Peter is also an intrepid traveller and makes some great suggestions in our Quickfire round, so stay tuned until the end!

Thank you so much for watching and listening. If there’s someone you know who’s building something special, let us know and we’ll see what we can do.

James

Our conversation at a glance:
Chapters

00:05:46 Grow so big you’ll need a bigger dream
00:10:40 Being a business owner is hard
00:13:56 Should you aim to scale your business beyond just yourself
00:21:33 When should you go and get your first employee
00:26:03 Finding honest feedback and why your friends and family won’t tell you the truth
00:34:21 Staying focused whilst managing ADHD
00:38:23 Working with a romantic partner
00:46:57 Peter’s first business and why it failed
00:52:44 Depression after failure
00:56:10 Overcoming failure and never giving up
01:00:35 Finding purpose beyond money
01:10:05 How to find motivation when you’re feeling low
01:13:59 Sarah (Pete’s wife) interrupts, and shares her take on working together
01:18:27 Quickfire Questions




Connect with Peter

Learn more about Peter’s company Mastermind9: https://mastermind9.com/
Connect with Peter directly https://www.linkedin.com/in/petermols/</itunes:summary><podcast:image href="https://files.flightcast.com/workspaces/mmnjjrjouhsyurlwdyfhd1k1/01KJ6290AM3DJ9Z2N590DZWDAQ/1mc_-_episode_1__thumbnail_a_.jpg" aspect-ratio="16/9"></podcast:image><podcast:transcript url="https://files.flightcast.com/workspaces/mmnjjrjouhsyurlwdyfhd1k1/01KJ628TBRHETJGDHZ9BQN40SM/1mc_-_episode_1__peter_mols__-_full_ep/transcoded-01KJ640DRPEWVN2YWP28Z2ST2D-01KJ640DRP94VQ23V1C0X3PHT8_transcription.json" type="application/json" language="en" rel="captions"></podcast:transcript></item></channel></rss>