How did you do that?
How did you do that?
Simon Stoneham and Gethyn Williams
Introducing How did you do that? A new podcast about people stepping off the traditional career path and going it alone. Though from different generations, co-hosts Simon and Gethyn have much in common, both making a recent leap into freelancing and navigating the stresses of going solo, the unknowns around starting your own business and the effort it takes to wrench yourself from our traditional career expectations. In S1 Simon and Gethyn reflect on their own journeys as well as interviewing others from their professional networks with similar and fascinating stories of their own.
S2 E6 - Beyond The Horizon
Part 2 of a two-part interview with Antonia Dixey, founder/CEO of the youth participation agency, Participation People.Fourteen years ago Antonia embarked on a mission to give young people more agency and control over their lives. She founded her company to do this her way, returning her to the joy of working with young people she experienced early in her career.Today Participation People is a thriving social business, with a large cohort of young advisers and clients in the statutory, non-profit and commercial sectors. Episode 1 covers Antonia’s journey to date - her motivations for founding the business, how youth participation has changed on her watch and her valuable insights into Gen Z.Part 2 covers the what next? When a founder sets out on a mission, what do they do when they’ve achieved it?Read more about Participation People: https://participationpeople.com/
Mar 14, 2025
46 min
S2 - E5 - Preparing the world with young people
Part 1 of a two-part interview with Antonia Dixey, founder/CEO of the youth participation agency, Participation People.Fourteen years ago Antonia embarked on a mission to give young people more agency and control over their lives. She founded her company to do this her way, returning her to the joy of working with young people she experienced early in her career.Today Participation People is a thriving social business, with a large cohort of young advisers and clients in the statutory, non-profit and commercial sectors. This episode covers Antonia’s journey to date - her motivations for founding the business, how youth participation has changed on her watch and her valuable insights into Gen Z.Part 2 (to follow) covers the what next? When a founder sets out on a mission, what do they do when they’ve achieved it?Read more about Participation People: https://participationpeople.com/Connect with Antonia on LinkedIn:
Feb 5, 2025
48 min
S2, E3 - Take and Give Care
"I do it because I have to believe there will be change"The new episode of hashtag#HowDidYouDoThat? meets Ian Braid M.Sc. MCIMSPA, founder of DOCIAsport Ltd and pioneer of duties of care for athlete welfare.Join us for a fascinating life and career story as Ian recounts his highly unusual journey into elite sport, playing drums for Tanni Grey-Thompson and an extremely candid take on the personal impact of supporting people going through trauma.How Did You Do That? > The career podcast for hashtag#entrepreneurs, hashtag#freelancers, hashtag#soletraders and anyone looking to hashtag#becomeyourownboss
Oct 28, 2024
51 min
HDYDT: A Christmas Special 🎄
*Ho..Ho…Ho.. * Time for something Special! Join our hosts Simon and Gethyn to uncover the stories of their years, what has been learnt and what is to come! If you are new to HDYDT take a listen o our episodes and head back to where it all began with our two hosts and their stories and meet the inspiring guests we have been fortunate enough to interview this season. A fantastic insight into the ways careers can develop and change course so quickly and at such a pace. Find out about having too much work, and then missing it when it’s gone. Merry Christmas!!
Dec 18, 2023
54 min
S1. Ep.5 Quickfire Wisdom
And here we are - the end of Season 1 already! But what have we learned? In this wrap-up episode we catch up again with all of our amazing Season 1 guests James, Amy and Tony, to unpack their collected life and career wisdom - what they’re proudest of, how they make major decisions, what advice they’d give their younger selves. If you haven’t listened to our guest episodes yet this is a great introduction - and if you have then rest assured this episode is all brand new content - no compilation clips, no filler. Following these quickfire questions, Simon and Gethyn reflect on what they’ve taken from the season and recap on where they are in their own career journeys, touching on the major themes of the season - work life balance, the value of money and the meaning of failure. All this (and possibly the worst Michael Caine impression you’ve ever heard) brings our first season to a fitting close. We really hope you enjoy it - please leave us a comment or review!
Nov 9, 2023
53 min
S1. Ep.4 Connected
For our third and final interview this season we ventured deep into the heart of Canary Wharf for our only IRL meet up of the series, to the tech hub on level 39 of the iconic, pyramid-topped number 1 Canada Square. There we caught up with Tony Colville, MD of The Cancer Awareness Trust to hear more about one of the most unusual career arcs in the non-profit sector you’re ever likely to come across. Hailing from Birmingham, Tony has always been one of those people that effortlessly seems to keep a lot of plates spinning. Starting his career in Local Authority leisure services, whilst juggling studies and significant caring responsibilities, Tony’s talent for developing, inspiring and connecting saw him move into the voluntary sector, riding that wave of social entrepreneurship that swept the UK in the early 2010s. At that point however his career took quite the turn, as he found himself becoming something of an architect-fixer for a succession of high-profile, highly ambitious philanthropists. In a space that didn’t previously exist, Tony became the go-to guy to ignite and launch your new social purpose initiative. Doing their best not to fixate exclusively on the many household names that populate Tony’s CV, the conversation takes a more nuanced turn towards the dynamics of working for powerful people with big egos, the real meaning of work-life balance and the underlying nature of doing good. “It’s not a career” is how Tony describes it, but it is a hell of a story about building your own path, and a fitting way to conclude our S1 interviews. Join us next week for our season closer as we return to the start, to catch up with Simon and Gethyn on their own progress.
Oct 27, 2023
59 min
S1. EP.3 Transatlanticism
What’s it like to start your career on one continent and then suddenly switch it to another, quite different one? And what happens when that career is in something specialist, something that doesn’t easily translate into a new environment? Meet Amy Rose, a practicing commercial litigator for ten years in San Francisco before crossing the Atlantic to continue her career in Europe, a completely different legal system. Join us to learn how Amy navigated this major change, what led up to it and how she’s built an unusual career path through multiple legal jurisdictions and cultural Connect with Amy on LinkedIn
Oct 20, 2023
1 hr 9 min
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