The Alternative Leader Podcast
The Alternative Leader Podcast
Mari Williams, The Mind Architect
The Alternative Leader Podcast, hosted by the award-winning Coach, Therapist and Mediator Mari Williams, The Mind Architect - "The Alternative Leader" has a mission: to enable the powerful insights and learnings of real people from all walks of life to be shared; to help us and our leaders of today to lead with new-found strength, humanity, determination and compassion, whilst achieving healthy life balance. The alternative leaders have learned from their successes and mistakes; now they're ready to share those lessons with Mari and all of us. How can we gain resilience? How can we make better decisions? How can we all become happier people? How can we lead, better?We focus on challenge and resilience by getting to the grit and discovering the gold in in-depth conversations on real life and its lessons: Leaders including, CEO's and entrepreneurs, actors and athletes, key influencers and key-workers; those alternative leaders who've forged their own path, those who've crashed and burned and risen again.. all share their stories with Mari.Hosted by the award-winning Coach, Therapist and Mediator Mari Williams, The Mind Architect -voted Best Executive Coach UK, co-author of "Fit for Purpose Leadership", author of "The Alternative Leader" (book due out this year) & regular BBC radio contributor.
Building ARM and scaling a global tech company | Jamie Urquhart on leadership and innovation
Leadership, innovation and scaling a business are at the core of building companies that shape entire industries. In this episode, Mari Williams is joined by Jamie Urquhart, co-founder of ARM Holdings, the company behind the chip architecture used in over 99% of the world’s smartphones. Jamie shares his journey from engineer to building one of the most influential technology companies globally, reflecting on the leadership decisions, strategic thinking and personal challenges involved in scal...
May 28, 2025
1 hr 35 min
From Harvard to career uncertainty | Anne Bailey on purpose and meaningful work
Purpose, career direction and meaningful work are increasingly shaping how people think about leadership and long-term fulfilment. In this episode, Anne Bailey, CEO and Co-founder of Form the Future, shares her journey from graduating from Harvard to navigating her own career uncertainty, which ultimately led her to build a not-for-profit organisation supporting young people into employment. Anne reflects on the challenges of finding meaningful work, the role of mentorship and how self-limiti...
May 7, 2025
56 min
Sustainable fashion, feminism and entrepreneurship | Stacey Grant-Canham
Sustainable fashion, ethical business and entrepreneurship are increasingly shaping how brands are built and what they stand for. Stacey Grant-Canham, founder of Black & Beech, shares her journey from a part-time side hustle during maternity leave to building a mission-driven fashion brand. Inspired by personal experiences, including her father’s brain aneurysm, Stacey reflects on how integrity, feminism and sustainability became central to her work. She also speaks about her transition f...
Apr 30, 2025
44 min
Perimenopause, fitness and women’s health | Hannah Walker on hormones and mindset
Perimenopause, women’s health and fitness play a significant role in both physical wellbeing and mindset, particularly for women navigating hormonal change. Hannah Walker is a personal trainer and founder of Eton Fitness, where she works with women through her Empowered Female Programme, combining training, nutrition and education around hormones. After experiencing first-hand how physical training can transform not only fitness but also mindset, Hannah built her business to support other wom...
Apr 23, 2025
53 min
Gut health, microbiome and entrepreneurship | Goitseone Thamae on health and leadership
Gut health, the microbiome and physical wellbeing are increasingly linked to mental health, performance and long-term health outcomes. In this episode, Goitseone Thamae shares her journey from selling fruit and vegetables as a child in Botswana to founding Evobiome, a company focused on improving health through the gut microbiome. She speaks about her entrepreneurial path, the role of failure in shaping her mindset, and the personal health challenges that led her to focus on the microbiome, i...
Apr 16, 2025
1 hr 1 min
Public speaking, confidence and leadership communication | Julia Caddick
Public speaking, confidence and leadership communication are central to how we show up, influence others and progress in our careers.Julia Caddick, voice and presentation coach, shares her journey from a love of music and performance into working with leaders, executives and organisations to help them communicate with clarity and impact. After being diagnosed with skin cancer at a young age, Julia reflects on how this shaped her resilience, self-worth and understanding of herself, both perso...
Apr 9, 2025
43 min
Breathwork, ADHD and emotional healing | Lisa Sibley on stress and performance
Breathwork, ADHD and emotional healing are increasingly being recognised as powerful tools for managing stress, improving performance and understanding ourselves more deeply. In this episode, Mari Williams sits down with Lisa Sibley, a leading breathwork expert, to explore the connection between conscious breathing, neurodiversity and personal growth. Lisa shares her journey of discovering her ADHD, and how breathwork became a transformative tool for emotional healing, stress regulation and c...
Apr 2, 2025
54 min
Financial independence and building wealth | Ken Okoroafor on money, mindset and freedom
Financial independence, wealth building and money mindset are increasingly shaping how people think about work, life and long-term security. Ken Okoroafor achieved financial freedom by the age of 34 and is co-founder of The Humble Penny, alongside his wife Mary. Together, they help individuals and families build wealth, achieve financial independence and create more choice in how they live and work. In this conversation, Ken reflects on his childhood, the influence of his mother’s entrepreneu...
Nov 8, 2022
53 min
From the RAF to leadership across industries | Michelle Child on challenge, authority and change
Leadership, authority and career transitions often require challenging assumptions and stepping into new environments. With a background in aeronautics, avionics and optoelectronics, Michelle Child has spent her career questioning stereotypes and pushing boundaries. After 20 years in the Royal Air Force as an Engineer Officer, followed by time in the Defence Electronics Industry, she moved into education, leading a team of 200 through the delivery of hundreds of thousands of qualifications du...
Oct 13, 2022
58 min
Emotional intelligence and leadership for young people | Corey Gaidzionis
Emotional intelligence and leadership development are starting earlier, shaping how the next generation understands themselves and others. Corey Gaidzionis is the founder of Big Emotions Academy, focused on helping young people develop emotional intelligence through simple, practical tools. With a background as a personal trainer and coach, Corey recognised the gap in how personal development is taught to younger audiences, often delivered from an adult perspective rather than in a way that t...
Sep 21, 2022
53 min
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