Do you experience anxiety or nerves when you have to present at an important meeting or give a talk? Why is that public speaking creates such a strong reaction in many of us? And how do we overcome those nerves to be able to perform at our best?

My guest today Olivia James is a Harley Street performance specialist and therapist. She treats professional confidence issues, public speaking anxiety and trauma.

As well as uncovering why we feel so anxious Oliva and I discuss some specific strategies you can use ahead of a presentation to go in feeling calm and how to deal with going blank or losing your train of thought during a presentation. I've taken some really fantastic ideas from our conversation and I'm sure you will too.

This is the Influence & Impact podcast for women leaders, helping you confidently navigate the ups and downs of leadership and feel less alone on your journey as a leader.

My name’s Carla Miller, I’ve been coaching...

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Have you been considering leaving your job?  Maybe you’re not happy at work these days, perhaps you’ve lost your motivation, or you could just be feeling the desire for something new in 2024.

It’s a big decision and one many people struggle to make. How do you know when the time is right?  How do you avoid making the wrong decision? And how do you build the courage to quit when you know you’re too unhappy to stay?

If you’ve got some of those thoughts whirring round in your head then this is the episode that’s going to help you.

In this episode I’m going to share with you…

• How to know when you’re ready for a change
• The 6 factors you need to consider when making the decision to quit
• Why staying in a toxic workplace is a confidence vortex
• My 4 top tips for making the decision to stay or go

This is the Influence & Impact podcast for women leaders, helping you confidently navigate the ups and downs of...

In today's episode, we reflect back on 2023 and answer some powerful journaling prompts so that you start 2024 the right way. I encourage you to delve deep and answer questions about your experiences and your aspirations for next year. I share my own answers and insights too. So grab your favourite notebook, a cosy blanket, and a warm drink, and let's dive into this reflective episode to set the tone for a brilliant 2024.

In this episode, I cover:

Reflecting back on the last year. Take the time to ponder and journal about what you've learned about yourself during 2023. What are your proudest moments, and the parts of yourself that may have been neglected in the past year? Self-reflection is often the first step to personal growth.

Consider what you want to do differently next year and the boundaries you want to set. Think about embracing new possibilities and envision what would make 2024 a brilliant year for you at work.

What can you change? Identify some areas that you...

Is midlife making you wonder what to do next or are you suffering from ageism at work? Listen to this captivating conversation with me and Dr Lucy Ryan, inspired by her book "Revolting Women, Why Midlife Women Are Walking Out." We delve deep into the impact of gendered ageism, the many challenges faced by midlife women, and why many are leaving the workforce. 

In our conversation, we cover:

The challenges faced by midlife women, including the collision of events such as menopause, parental care, and financial pressures. We also discuss the gender bias in caregiving and the impact on women's careers, with many struggling to return to the workforce.

We discuss the need for a revolution in how midlife women are supported, emphasising the importance of transitioning from full-time to part-time work and redefining the narratives that often surround middle-aged women.

We also stress the need for organisations to integrate age into diversity agendas, track data, conduct...

Welcome to the latest episode of the Influence and Impact Podcast for female leaders! In this episode Managing Managers with Confidence, we dive into the unique challenges and strategies involved in leading leaders, whether you're new to a leadership role or have been leading managers for a while.

In this episode I cover…

• How to recognise that there is no one-size-fits-all approach to managing and leading.
• Encouraging open conversations about different management styles
• How to build trust
• Ways to advocate for your team
• Creating and modelling psychological safety 

Managing managers requires a unique approach that acknowledges their level of responsibility and the complexity of their roles. By implementing these essential tips, you can build a strong and supportive relationship with your managers, enabling them to thrive and have a positive impact on their teams.

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We partner with you to:

• Develop your women leaders and prepare them to...

Welcome back to another episode of the Influence and Impact Podcast. Today we're diving into a topic that many of us struggle with: saying yes to things we don't really want to do. As female leaders, we often find ourselves taking on tasks that aren't our responsibility, and it's time to put a stop to it. I’ll be sharing strategies and practical tips to help you reclaim your time and energy by breaking free from the Yes trap.

We will explore the reasons behind our tendency to say yes when we want to say no. Spoiler alert: it often stems from our desire to be liked. We'll also dive into the societal pressure for women to be constantly agreeable and how it impacts our progress in the workplace.

I’ll be sharing strategies to help you break this pattern, including using holding phrases to manage expectations, creating a checklist to decide when to say yes or no, and communicating clearly when declining a request. We also discuss how to navigate non-promotable tasks...

Is the joy being sucked from your working day by energy drains? Tune into this episode to learn how to deal with energy vampires. I share how a strong mindset and powerful boundaries can overcome difficult interactions and situations at work.

As female leaders, we often find ourselves feeling exhausted and drained after certain meetings and conversations. But fear not, because in this episode, I’ll provide you with valuable insights and strategies to protect and preserve your energy.

Have you ever felt physically exhausted or even icky after a conversation with someone? Well, it turns out that if you are highly sensitive to other people's energy, their emotions can really affect you. I will explore protecting your energy and discuss practical tools, such as creating an energy bubble, to shield you from negative influences.

Whether you're dealing with colleagues who are constantly stressed or individuals who exude negativity, I’ve got you covered. By the end of...

If you are feeling stuck in your career you’ll be pleased to hear that there is now a framework you can use to identify the steps you can take to move towards career fulfilment.  This framework was created by my guest on this podcast, Dr Hannah Roberts, author of Intentional Careers for STEM Women.

In our conversation we cover…

• What it means to have an intentional career rather than an unconscious career
• The ‘proving’ cycle many of us get stuck in when we start a job
• What can cause us to become unfulfilled in our career or overworked to the point where it is unsustainable
• How to find alignment in your career through purpose, mission and vision
• The 3 career pivots that will help you work out what you need to change to find career happiness

Hannah’s book is a fantastic resource for any woman wanting to take control of her career and also goes deep on many of the issues on the confidence issues many women struggle with.  I highly...

Collaboration is an essential part of working life – we have to work alongside others to succeed in our role.  So I was fascinated to come across Deb Mashek’s book, “Collabor(h)ate: How to build incredible collaborative relationships at work (even if you’d rather work alone”

We’ve all experienced tension at work and felt the joy of being in a good team.  In this episode Deb and I discuss:

• What collaboration is and why it matters
• How and why it sometimes goes wrong
• Strategies for building strong successful working relationships

About Deb Mashek:

Social psychologist Deb Mashek delivers high-stakes collaboration across silos, institutions, and stakeholders. An experienced business advisor, professor, and nonprofit executive, her writing appears in MIT-Sloan Management Review, Fortune, ReWorked, The Hechinger Report, and Psychology Today. Deb has been an invited speaker on collaboration and viewpoint diversity at leading...