A culture of kindness

AFTER suffering bullying throughout his school years, Joe Plumb set up a charity to help others going through similar at the tender age of 13. A decade on and Joe has dedicated his life to raising awareness of mental health issues and during lockdown helped those in need through his social media pages. I was always different. I was diagnosed with autism at seven and that was enough to make me stand out. I didn't have any friends, teachers didn't know how to deal with me. At school I was physically and verbally abused, I was spat at. Aged 13, I launched a campaign called Stand Out, Seek Help and very quickly it went global. I went from being this kid that everyone hated to someone people were listening to. Joe's mental health deteriorated through his teenage years leading to various diagnoses including bipolar disorder and mixed personality disorder. He self-harmed and made several attempts to take his own life. Aged 16 he was admitted to a psychiatric unit and later was taken into care. At the age of 13 Joe set up the 'Speak Up, Speak Out’ campaign with support from James Arthur, Sinitta Malone and Richard Branson, the campaign went global. Joe campaigned to change mental health services and implement better ways to help children and young people stand up and speak out against bullying. Joe in partnership with the Home Office, developed a supportive disclosure toolkit to help those with Autism and other additional learning needs, better communicate what was going on if they were experiencing bullying. Joe was a part of ITV’s 'Britain Get Talking’ campaign and has appeared on TV, radio, Reality shows and adverts. Joe Is an ambassador for Kidscape and Ditch the label and runs his own charity ’Stand Out Northants’ for looked after children and care leavers. This is the first charity of it’s kind ever in Europe. Joe is also going to be a director of Kidscape very soon and he is also a co-founder and partner for the ‘Music in every school’ organisation in the United States. AWARDS: - Voice for Young People ​ - Youth Voice Award ​ - Princess Diana Award ​ - Most Inspiring Young Person of the Year - Champion For Young People ​ - Finalist for 'The Sun' Mental Health Hero Award 2021 Intro Music from www.scottholmesmusic.com

Dr. Neil Hawkes D.Phil (Oxford), MEd, BA, FRSA is well known as an inspirational speaker, educator, broadcaster, author and social commentator. He is a popular TEDx presenter. Neil’s thinking is having a profound influence on education and more widely in society. Neil first gained international recognition when he was a Headteacher in Oxfordshire, UK. Here he worked with a school community to devise and implement a pedagogical system that would give pupils a transformational vocabulary, based on values such as respect, tolerance, humility and justice. The school community found that pupils were empowered to be self-leaders, with an active ethical compass that affected behaviour, their thinking and the quality of their schoolwork. Today Neil’s philosophy has spread into all aspects of society and is known as Values-based Living. He is one of the V20 Task Group that is advising G20 leaders about the importance of values to humanity. He is also an Ambassador for the Foundation for Education Development (FED) Neil founded The International Values based Trust, https://ivetfoundation.com and its educational arm Values-based Education, https://www.valuesbasededucation.com His bestselling book, From My Heart, transforming lives through values, celebrates the success of VbE worldwide. Neil’s latest book co-authored with Jane Hawkes, is called The Inner Curriculum, how to nurture wellbeing, resilience and self-leadership. More information about Dr Hawkes can be found at http://neilhawkes.org Intro music from www.scottholmesmusic.com

Motivational speaker and podcaster Jaz O'Hara is the founder of The Worldwide Tribe, an organisation and online community supporting refugees and asylum seekers globally. The Worldwide Tribe was born from a life-changing Facebook post Jaz wrote about her first trip to the Calais Jungle in July 2015. Jaz’s authentic account went viral, raising £250,000, reaching over 13 million people and sparking the collection of physical donations by the tonne - filling warehouses across the country. Jaz has worked tirelessly in refugee camps across Europe and the Middle East ever since, telling the stories that too often go unheard. As a writer for The Huffington Post, winner of Marie Claire’s ‘Future Shaper’ award and member of Amnesty International’s ‘Collective’, Jaz has become a leading voice on the topic of migration, speaking everywhere from TedX, to the United Nations in NYC. Jaz’s work comes from a personal place, and dates back to early 2015 when her parents began fostering an unaccompanied minor named Mez from Eritrea. Mez made the journey across the world as a child refugee, and was the first of four new brothers to join Jaz’s family, also from Afghanistan, Sudan and most recently, a 13-year-old boy from Libya. The Worldwide Tribe is the continuation of this global family. Jaz and her team are dedicated to challenging the fear-based narrative of today's media and society and do so through film, talks and an extremely popular podcast. Jaz’s natural gift for storytelling has powered many projects on the ground including installing WiFi in camps in France and Greece, running art projects in Za'atari camp in Jordan, supporting a Search-and-Rescue in the Mediterranean and many more. intro music from www.scottholmesmusic.com

Claude Silver is VaynerMedia’s first ever Global Chief Heart Officer, tasked with fusing empathy with agency to unlock employee potential and foster a culture of belonging across the 1,600+ person organization. Between her deep education in psychology and spirituality, and the two decades she has spent as an advertising strategist, Claude has been studying and influencing human behavior for over three decades. Outside of her role at VaynerMedia, Claude speaks globally about the need for heart-led leadership in today’s workplace and the importance of treating “employees” like people, not numbers. Her success in guiding client relationships, global brand strategies, operations, management, and culture is driven by her abiding passion for creating spaces in which people can show up as their true selves and thrive as a result. intro music from www.scottholmesmusic.com

Transformation delivered through Cultural Performance Experienced customer facing leader with a track record of delivery. Strong transformational and operational leadership gained at FTSE 100 and NASDAQ organisations, business outcomes, with a passion for the development of management teams and colleague engagement. Developing and leading multi-site, global teams, directly and virtually via outsource and offshore models. Experience managing large operational teams in excess of +2000 colleagues in growth, M&A and cash constrained environments. intro music from www.scottholmesmusic.com

Claire Yorke is an author, academic researcher, and advisor. Her expertise is in the role of empathy and emotions in international affairs, politics, leadership, and society.  She is currently a Marie Skłodowska-Curie Fellow at the Centre for War Studies at the University of Southern Denmark, leading a new project funded by the European Commission on Empathy and International Security (EIS). Between 2018 and 2020, she was a Henry A. Kissinger Postdoctoral Fellow and Lecturer at International Security Studies and the Jackson Institute for Global Affairs, Yale University. She is currently writing two books on empathy and emotions. The first focuses on their integral role in diplomacy, combining theory and practice with extensive interviews (Brookings Institution and Chatham House). Her second book examines how empathy and emotions are critical to effective political leadership (Yale University Press). Alongside Professor Jack Spence and Dr Alastair Masser, she has co-edited two volumes on diplomacy which are were published in April 2021 (IB Tauris and Bloomsbury). Claire received her PhD in International Relations from the Department of War Studies, King’s College London, receiving an Elsevier Award for outstanding scholarship. She has a Masters in Middle East Politics from the University of Exeter, and a BA in Politics, International Relations and French from Lancaster University, during which she spent a year studying at Sciences Po, in Lille, France. Her work combines academic research with applied policy relevance and Claire has a long history in the policy world, ensuring research informs practice, and practice informs research. She began her career in 2006 working in the House of Commons for a frontbench Member of Parliament on the defence portfolio. In 2009, she joined Chatham House, where she managed the International Security Research Department for four years. In this role, she led projects and conducted research on a broad range of topics from national security and defence strategy, cyber security, terrorism, human security, and drugs and organized crime. In 2014, she was a member of the NATO and Atlantic Council Young Leaders Working Group, reporting to NATO Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen on the future of the transatlantic alliance. Translating her research for policy-makers, she has designed a professional course for mid-level managers on ‘Empathy and Emotions in Policy-Making’, which is taught online via the King’s Institute for Government. Claire has over seven years’ experience teaching in the US and UK. In 2020, she designed and led a Masters’ course on ‘Emotions and Foreign Policy’ at the Jackson Institute, Yale University. She has taught courses on international relations, statecraft, diplomacy and global politics at undergraduate and postgraduate level in the Department of War Studies and Department of Political Economy at King’s College London. She is on the Advisory Committee for Women in International Security UK (WIIS-UK), the Board of Advisors for Promote Leadership, and the Research Advisory Council of the Resolve Network. intro music from www.scottholmesmusic.com

Sam Smith remains the only female Chief Executive of a City broking firm.  She established her firm, finnCap, in 2007 having orchestrated the buy-out of a small broking subsidiary of a private client stockbroking firm - today finnCap is ranked No1 Nominated Adviser and Broker to AIM companies. Sam qualified as a Chartered Accountant at KPMG and is a University of Bristol alumni. Sam is passionate about ensuring that girls and women see only opportunities rather than barriers to success in whatever industry they want to be in. Outside her duties as the CEO, Sam is actively involved in various mentoring projects and organizations such as Pinky Lilani’s “Women of the Future” awards, of which Sam is a former winner. Sam is also a patron for the Modern Muse project, aimed at millions of young girls throughout the UK to encourage and inspire them to look at business careers and entrepreneurship as a way to achieve their dreams. Intro music from www.scottholmesmusic.com

Our first ever double-guest episode! John Lodge is an NHS manager and CEO of the multi-award winning timebank and skill exchange Hexitime, which he co-founded with Hesham Abdalla in 2018. He has a focus and passion for improving healthcare services and supporting people to do so. Hesham is a consultant paediatrician and director of medical education and quality improvement. He has over 10 years experience of service improvement seen through the twin lenses of patient and staff experience and has led teams to a number of Patient Experience National Network and HSJ awards. He teaches extensively on leadership and QI and was a senior lecturer at Birmingham and subsequently Keele University, teaching on the NHS Leadership Academy Elizabeth Garrett Anderson programme for senior leaders. He was also a trustee of Doctors Worldwide, a charity delivering quality medical care and relief in over 22 countries across the globe. Hesham co-founded Hexitime, the first timebanking platform for improvement of Health and Care, which has been nominated for a number of regional and national awards. intro music from www.scottholmesmusic.com

Ben Bengougam is Senior Vice President, Human Resources, EMEA, Hilton. Based in the UK, he is responsible for leading the Human Resources function across the region, which includes nearly 60,000 team members in 69 countries & territories. He joined the company in 2010 with a European remit, and following this had his responsibilities widened to include Middle East and Africa. Ben and his team have successfully developed and executed a series of award-winning people strategies to address challenges including talent acquisition and team member engagement and retention, as well as launching innovative and skills development and employability programmes for young people. Under his stewardship, Hilton has also gained consistent recognition from Great Places to Work, in which Hilton ranks among the top 10 in 12 countries across EMEA, including #1 rankings in the UK Italy and Turkey. A passionate developer of talent, Ben and his team launched Careers@Hilton, a global initiative designed to engage and inspire a new generation of hospitality professionals. He is also responsible for implementing new initiatives to encourage the development of diverse talent across the business, including Coaching on Call, a leadership coaching service aimed specifically at female Team Members in the early years of their career. More recently he has been instrumental is setting up the EMEA Diversity Council with representation from Hilton's Team Member Resources Groups including Ethnic, Pride, Women, Abilities and Generations leaders. Ben is a BSc engineering science graduate and has also obtained a Master’s Degree in HR Development. He is a fellow of the Institute of Hospitality and a Chartered Fellow of the CIPD. With more than 30 years’ experience in human resources, Ben has worked in a range of high-profile positions, including HR Director at leading Middle Eastern franchise operator MH Alshaya. Intro music from www.scottholmesmusic.com

Ian Feaver is Managing Director of Arteel Ltd and is spreading the power of appreciation around the UK. ARTEEL have over 40 years experience at creating great work place cultures throughout Belgium and other parts of Europe. Now, more than ever before, employees need to feel connected to the vision, mission and values of their company. Due to the significant success of ARTEEL in Belgium, Ian wanted to introduce this amazing business to the UK and thus established the company here in 2020. ARTEEL UK Ltd, provide amazing 'Employee Experiences' throughout the UK with their peer to peer recognition platform and create optimum employee engagement. Intro music from www.scottholmesmusic.com

Episode part 2 of 2. Ed Kirwan is the CEO, founder and filmmaker at Empathy Week - a global educational programme using the power of film to develop the skills of empathy and leadership in every student. Since 2020, Empathy Week has engaged 100,000 students across 40 countries with a mission to build the #EmpathyGeneration. Previously a teacher and Head of Chemistry in a North London School for 3 years, Ed also completed a Masters in Education and Leadership at UCL IOE. He then moved into a career of filmmaking, human-led storytelling and leadership facilitation. Since then he’s worked with some of the world’s largest school groups such as Cognita as well as companies such as Snapchat during Empathy Week. Ed believes that in order to change the world we first have to understand the people in it. Empathy shouldn’t be an add-on. It is the most crucial skill to lead better personal and professional lives. Ed is a qualified teacher and holds an MA in Leadership in Education (UCL) and a BSc in Biochemistry (Bath) Ed holds a BSc Biochemistry degree from University of Bath, MA in Leadership from University College London and Postgraduate Certificate of Education with Qualified Teacher Status. intro music from www.scottholmesmusic.com

Episode part 1 of 2. Ed Kirwan is the CEO, founder and filmmaker at Empathy Week - a global educational programme using the power of film to develop the skills of empathy and leadership in every student. Since 2020, Empathy Week has engaged 100,000 students across 40 countries with a mission to build the #EmpathyGeneration. Previously a teacher and Head of Chemistry in a North London School for 3 years, Ed also completed a Masters in Education and Leadership at UCL IOE. He then moved into a career of filmmaking, human-led storytelling and leadership facilitation. Since then he’s worked with some of the world’s largest school groups such as Cognita as well as companies such as Snapchat during Empathy Week. Ed believes that in order to change the world we first have to understand the people in it. Empathy shouldn’t be an add-on. It is the most crucial skill to lead better personal and professional lives. Ed is a qualified teacher and holds an MA in Leadership in Education (UCL) and a BSc in Biochemistry (Bath) Ed holds a BSc Biochemistry degree from University of Bath, MA in Leadership from University College London and Postgraduate Certificate of Education with Qualified Teacher Status. intro music from www.scottholmesmusic.com

Nilema is the most recent member of the Kantar’s Executive Team and Group General Counsel. Before joining Kantar, Nilema was COO of Farillio, a legal tech platform for SMEs, CEO of Alacrity (a platform business for enterprise), and General Counsel of Ascential plc (250 FTSE). Last year she was named as Cranfield University’s 100 Women to Watch 2020. Nilema also founded the Courageous Leadership Event to empower leaders to find the courageous leader within themselves. The event was set up to fund an education project for disadvantaged girls to continue their education in Zimbabwe run by charity Plan International UK. https://courageousleadersevent.com/ intro music from www.scottholmesmusic.com

Damian is the head of culture at Mars, Incorporated, where The Mars Five Principles are a real decision making tool and engagement and recognition matter. Mars is a 12 time Gallup Exceptional Workplace Award winner. Damian has worked in diverse environments from a cardboard box factory, telemarketing offices and a family business to South Pacific atolls (on assignment for the Royal Geographical Society and BBC Radio 4), Gallup and for the last 11 years, Mars. He is a very amateur endurance athlete, kindness fan and husband and father. intro music from www.scottholmesmusic.com

Dr. Radha is a practising NHS GP, broadcaster & campaigner for wellbeing. Radha educates in a creative and fun way, encouraging people to stay healthy. She has a passion for connecting with & hearing people’s stories, and understanding how we can all learn from each other. Radha is the medical expert for BBC Radio 1’s daytime show, Life Hacks and the co-presenter of their weekly Life Hacks Podcast. She was the presenter of the CBeebies show Feeling Better, highlighting the importance of talking about emotions for young children. She was the presenter for the BBC Bitesize series ‘Exam Survivors’ on BBC Sounds. She appeared as the medical reporter for The Sex Education Show Ch4 and Make My Body Younger BBC Three. She has been the resident GP for the daytime show Live with Gabby on CH5 and for Newsround CBBC. She has also reported on ITV’s This Morning, BBC Breakfast, ITV Tonight, Channel 5 News and ITN News. Working across all platforms Dr Radha contributes to online projects including BBC Bitesize, BBC Teach, BBC Own It, BBC Advice Pages and BBC Learning. Apart from her BBC Radio 1, she has been broadcast on BBC Radio 4 Woman’s Hour, BBC Radio 2, BBC Radio 5 Live, BBC Asian Network, LBC and Radio 1’s Newsbeat. Currently writing for Top of the Pops magazine, Radha has been a columnist for the i newspaper, Woman’s Own & MSN Lifestyle. She has written for Female First and Bliss magazine. She has also contributed to multiple books supporting young people & parents. She has a particular interest in young people’s health & supporting parents, and has worked on campaigns with BBC Children in Need, Public Health England, MIND, British Heart Foundation, JDRF, The Mix And the NHS Youth Forum. She has spoken at many events, including the NHS Health & Care Innovation Expo, at Camp Bestival & for the BBC Children in Need Mental Health Panel Discussion. intro music from www.scottholmesmusic.com

Kristin Neff is currently an Associate Professor of Educational Psychology at the University of Texas at Austin. She is a pioneer in the field of self-compassion research, conducting the first empirical studies on self-compassion nearly twenty years ago. She is author of the bestselling book Self-Compassion. Along with her colleague Chris Germer, she developed the Mindful Self-Compassion program, taught worldwide, and co-wrote The Mindful Self-Compassion Workbook. Her newest book is Fierce Self-Compassion: How Women Can Harness Kindness to Speak Up, Claim Their Power, and Thrive. To take a self-compassion test, find research articles, or download guided meditations, go to www.self-compassion.org. Twitter:  @self_compassion Facebook: selfcompassion Instagram: NeffSelfcompassion intro music from www.scottholmesmusic.com

Gabrielle (Gay) Haskins is co-editor, with Mike Thomas and Lalit Johri of Kindness in Leadership (Routledge, 2018). This is one of the first books to underline the importance of kindness in organisations and the positive role it can play in organisational and leadership effectiveness. Gay now concentrates particularly on this topic, which has come increasingly to the fore since the book was published. Gay has worked in the field of management and leadership development for 40 years. She was Dean of Executive Education and CEO of Oxford Saïd Business School Ltd between 2006 and 2010 and an Associate Fellow of the School until 2020. Earlier, at London Business School, she was Director of External Relations (2003 to 2006) and Associate Dean of Executive Education (1995 to 2001). Between 2001 and 2002, she was seconded to establish Executive Education at the inception of the Indian School of Business (ISB) in Hyderabad, an exciting opportunity. Gay was the first woman to be appointed Director General of the European Foundation for Management Development (EFMD) and served for five years between 1990 and 1995. EFMD is a leading international network of worldwide organisations from business, business schools and the public sector involved in the continuous enhancement of management development worldwide. A key achievement during her tenure was the establishment of the now highly regarded China-Europe International Business School (CEIBS) in Shanghai. While also working at EFMD between 1978 and 1985, Gay was instrumental in the establishment of the European Women’s Development Network (EWMD). She has an enduring interest in the development of women leaders and, in 2016 received EWMD’s annual “She made a difference” award. Gay has also a long interest and involvement in the areas of global social responsibility and enterprise and entrepreneurship. When Associate Fellow of Saïd Business School, University of Oxford and an Honorary Fellow of the National Centre for Entrepreneurship in Education (NCEE), she was instrumental, together with Professor Allan Gibb of Durham University, in developing the Entrepreneurial University Leaders Programme as a programme specifically for University Leaders. This programme focussed on entrepreneurship, innovation and change in the Higher Education sector, and Gay co-authoring numerous articles on this topic. She was also a founder member of the Globally Responsible Leadership Initiative (GRLI), a global network of businesses and business schools committed to transformative change for people, the planet and prosperity. Gay has an MBA with distinction from, the Schulich School of Business, York University, Canada. Her early career was in teaching, particularly drama and she is a Licentiate of the Royal Academy of Music, specialising in drama. She believes strongly that Leadership is an Art and has been interested in the application of the arts to management development throughout her career. Gay has served on the Governing Body of London Business School, the Board of Oxford Saïd Business School Ltd. The Board of NCEE and the UK Armed Forces Pay Review Body. She is currently a member of the International Advisory Board of the Innovation Academy, University College Dublin and an Associate of the Societal Innovation and Enterprise Forum (SIEF), at St Aidan’s College, Durham University. Intro music from www.scottholmesmusic.com

Part 2 of 2 part episode. Professor Robin Banerjee is Head of the School of Psychology and a professor of developmental psychology at the University of Sussex.  He leads the CRESS (Children’s Relationships, Emotions, and Social Skills) research lab, and he works closely with practitioners and policymakers in the areas of education and mental health.  He established and continues to direct the Sussex Kindness Research network, an interdisciplinary network of researchers working to illuminate the nature of kindness and its impacts on people and communities. Intro music from www.scottholmesmusic.com

Part 1 of 2 part episode Professor Robin Banerjee is Head of the School of Psychology and a professor of developmental psychology at the University of Sussex.  He leads the CRESS (Children’s Relationships, Emotions, and Social Skills) research lab, and he works closely with practitioners and policymakers in the areas of education and mental health.  He established and continues to direct the Sussex Kindness Research network, an interdisciplinary network of researchers working to illuminate the nature of kindness and its impacts on people and communities. Intro music from www.scottholmesmusic.com

Jonny Benjamin MBE is an award-winning mental health campaigner, film producer, public speaker, writer and vlogger. At the age of 20 he was diagnosed with schizoaffective disorder, a combination of schizophrenia and bipolar, and later began making films on YouTube about the condition that have been watched by millions of people. Jonny now speaks publicly about living with mental illness and has written articles and given various interviews on TV, Radio and in print around the world to help educate and break stigma. He has also produced and presented documentaries on BBC Three and Channel 4 on the subjects of mental health and suicide. His 2014 social media campaign with Rethink Mental Illness to #findMike, the man who talked him out of jumping off a bridge when he was suicidal, went viral and led to Jonny becoming a prominent spokesperson on the subject of suicide. In 2016 he launched ThinkWell, a mental health programme for schools, which has so far been reached thousands of young people in secondary schools across the UK. He has also written 2 books. His second book, The Book Of Hope, was published in Spring 2021. Most recently, Jonny has setup a new mental health charity, Beyond, which aims to provide better mental health support to young people around the country. intro music from www.scottholmesmusic.com

Dame Julia Unwin is an experienced non-executive, speaker, consultant and mentor. She was the Chief Executive of the Joseph Rowntree Foundation from 2007 until the end of 2016. She has written and spoken extensively on issues relating to philanthropy, governance, the voluntary sector and its relationship with government. Her publications include ‘Why Fight Poverty?’, ‘Kindness, Emotions and Relationships’, the ‘Blind Spot in Public Policy Making’ and ‘The Grant Making Tango’. She is currently a non-executive director of the Mears Group PLC, of Yorkshire Water and of the Financial Reporting Council and Chair Designate of York St. Johns Governing Body. In 2018 she was appointed to the Council of Economic Advisers by the First Minister of Scotland. In 2010 Julia was awarded the Outstanding Leadership Award in the Charity Awards and has received honorary doctorates from three universities. In the 2020 New Years Honours she received a DBE. Intro music from www.scottholmesmusic.com

Miranda McKearney OBE is a social justice entrepreneur who has spent 35 years turning kitchen table ideas into nationwide campaigns, culminating in founding The Reading Agency in 2002. The charity’s Summer Reading Challenge now involves 800,000 children every year. Having “retired” to go trekking, she became fascinated by the building body of research showing that reading builds empathy, which led her to found EmpathyLab. Intro music from www.scottholmesmusic.com

Avinder is co-founding Partner of Serenity Law LLP and Minute Mediation, she is a commercial and workplace Mediator, and also a member of the Civil Mediation Council (CMC), Chartered Institute of Arbitrators in International Arbitration (MCIArb), IMI and Mediators Beyond Borders (MBBI). She has a strong belief that everyone should have the opportunity to have their voice heard, and to have equal access to justice. As a Mediator, Avinder provides the opportunity for the parties to work with someone who is impartial and confidential, the cornerstone of Mediation. She has more than 20 years’ experience as a private practice lawyer, first for London firms and then at her own virtual law firm Serenity Law LLP, since 2010. Her services extend to a diverse client base and includes real estate, corporate commercial, intellectual property, litigation, mediation, and arbitration. In 2020 Avinder established her own mediation and conflict resolution consultancy Minute Mediation and further information can be found by clicking the link www.minutemediation.com intro music from www.scottholmesmusic.com

Chester Elton has spent two decades helping some of the world’s most successful businesses engage their employees to execute on strategy, vision, and values. He has been called the “apostle of appreciation” by Canada’s Globe and Mail, “creative and refreshing‚” by the New York Times, and a “must read for modern managers” by CNN. Elton is co-author of multiple award-winning New York Times and #1 Wall Street Journal bestselling leadership books including All In, The Carrot Principle, The Best Team Wins, and Anxiety at Work. His books have been translated in more than 30 languages and have sold more than 1.5 million copies worldwide. Elton is often quoted in publications such as the Wall Street Journal, Washington Post, Fast Company and the New York Times. He has appeared on NBC’s Today, CNN, ABC, MSNBC, National Public Radio and CBS’s 60 Minutes. intro music from www.scottholmesmusic.com

David Jamilly is the founder and CEO of Kindness UK. David has been involved with social projects since his teenage years. He founded Pod Childrens Charity in 1977, which has provided live entertainment for over a million hospitalized children in the UK. He also founded the Good Deeds Organisation 2005, and Kindness Day in 2010. David is also involved with various social projects in Bhutan. intro music from www.scottholmesmusic.com

Danny Bent was voted one of the 100 happiest people in the UK, and one of the 50 most inspirational people in London. He is an award winning author and journalist, Guinness World Record holder, and celebrated adventurer and community leader. Motivating people to realise their true potential is Danny’s passion and trade. Living dreams, facing fears, and loving themselves, others and life with abandon are his tool kit. Intro music fromm www.scottholmesmusic.com

Retired after 40 plus years at Southwest Airlines and former Managing Director Culture, Cheryl has always embraced an enthusiasm for recognizing Employees’ noteworthy efforts. Growing up at Southwest, now celebrating 50 successful years where love, care, respect, concern, and a servant’s heart have shaped it’s legendary culture, has inspired her to be a better person. Intro music from www.scottholmesmusic.com

Jaime is the founder and CEO of the kindness charity 52 Lives, and author of ‘Kindness- the little thing that matters most’ and ’The Kindness Journal’  She is originally from Australia and began her career as a journalist, before moving to the UK, where she worked for a Member of the European Parliament, a wildlife charity and an organisation that supported families of prisoners. She was also a Member of the Independent Monitoring Board for a local prison. Jaime lives in Berkshire with her partner Greig and her three children, Abbey, Max and Joseph. Jaime was named Clarins Woman of the Year 2016. She received a Points of Light Award from the UK Prime Minister and a Richmond Community Award for her work. She was named in The Independent's Happy 50 List in 2018, an alternative Rich List which celebrates people who make life better for others. Jaime's work has also been promoted by The Duke and Duchess of Sussex in celebration of organisations that create a sense of togetherness and community. intro music from scottholmesmusic.com

Stephanie is the Co-Founder and COO of Climate Risk Services, a company who help businesses be climate-smart from the ground up. She is also an advocate for improving diversity, with a focus on gender diversity. Stephanie and Nahla discuss many parts of her work, and the depth of kindness in leadership. Intro music from www.scottholmesmusic.com

James is National Head of Business & Professional Services at Barclays International, and was recently named among the Kindness and Leadership 50 Leading Lights UK. James and Nahla talk about how fundamental kindness is in his job, and a healthy team workplace. Intro music from www.scottholmesmusic.com

Karen is a writer, film director and musician known for her award-winning short films ‘Rachel’ and ‘Approval Needed’. Nahla and Karen talk about the latter of the two films, and discuss it’s involvement with the Be Kind Movement, which aims to teach children about kindness, and how to be kind to themselves and others. Intro music from www.scottholmesmusic.com

Janice is CEO of People United, a small Arts Charity that aims to use art and creativity to encourage kindness and empathy. Nahla and Janice discuss Janice’s work, and the relevance of kindness in society and culture. Intro music from www.scottholmesmusic.com

JP is the Director at Core Impact, a company that coaches leaders and their teams to create fantastic workplace cultures. Nahla and JP talk about the relevance of kindness in the workplace, including factors such as communication. Intro music from www.scottholmesmusic.com

Saba is a social affairs journalist, regular writer for the Guardian and the editor of Made Possible: stories of success by people with learning disabilities. Nahla and Saba discuss her work, and the role of kindness in working with learning disabilities. Intro music from www.scottholmesmusic.com

Graham is an entrepreneur, author and speaker, known for his books about business and life, such as ‘how to be a productivity ninja’. Graham is also the founder of Think Productive, who run public workshops throughout the UK and also run in-house workshops for staff at a diverse range of organizations, including eBay, Heineken, BT, and the Gates Foundation. Intro music from scottholmesmusic.com

Gloria is a Homeopath who believes in the power of natural health remedies and therapies as opposed to conventional medicine. Nahla and Gloria discuss the growth of kindness as a concept, and the ways it shows such as the Leeds Festival of Kindness, Compassion and Wellbeing, and others such events becoming more popular. Intro music from scottholmesmusic.com

Christine is a Social Entrepreneur, Adventurer, Author and Advocate. Christine has devoted much of her work to female empowerment, setting up Women on a Mission and HER Planet Earth - two award winning non-profit organisations that take all-female teams on pioneering expeditions in support of worthy causes. Intro music from scottholmesmusic.com

Giles is an award winning author of children’s books, notably winning The People’s Book Prize 2012 and The Children’s Book Award 2013. Before writing children’s novels, he wrote and released many series of lyrics and poems, one in aid of leukaemia research in 2006. Nahla and Giles talk in depth about social media, and the positive messages driven in the world by Giles’ writing and podcasts. Intro music from www.scottholmesmusic.com

Glenn is a Fundraising Consultant for non-profit organisations, with a long list of experience and an old passion for kindness, and helping others. Nahla and Glenn talk about the role of money in charity work, and the shift in his life following one key act of kindness from his youth. intro music from www.scottholmesmusic.com

Sandy Locke is Group Chief Human Resources Officer at Lombard International. Sandy has over a decade of work in banking, consulting and leadership roles, discovering through these roles a passion for helping people. Her and Nahla discuss what kindness looks like when implemented into business. Intro music from scottholmesmusic.com

Geoffrey Meenan is Editor-in-Chief of the Virtual Global Village, an Open Think Tank exploring sustainability and social innovation. Starting at John Lewis, he spent 5 years as President of BC and Partner Voice. Geoff and Nahla discuss the importance of kindness in business, through his experience in the retail industry. Intro music from scottholmesmusic.com

Sir John Timpson is the former Managing Director of his family business, William Timpson. He is known for his various charitable involvements, his work with schools and his innovative management style. In 2004 he was awarded the CBE in the Birthday Honours List for Services to the Retail Sector and in 2017 was knighted for his services to business and fostering. John and Nahla discuss many stories involving fostering and kindness in business. Part 2 of interview split into 2 episodes. Intro music from scottholmesmusic.com

Sir John Timpson is the former Managing Director of his family business, William Timpson. He is known for his various charitable involvements, his work with schools and his innovative management style. In 2004 he was awarded the CBE in the Birthday Honours List for Services to the Retail Sector and in 2017 was knighted for his services to business and fostering. John and Nahla discuss many stories involving fostering and kindness in business. Part 1 of interview split into 2 episodes. Intro music from scottholmesmusic.com

Siobhan is a former civil servant, who has run as a candidate for Mayor of London and spent 6 years in the cabinet office. Siobhan shares with Nahla how her professional experience has shown the necessity of kindness and honesty in politics. Part 2 of interview split into 2 episodes. Intro music from scottholmesmusic.com

Siobhan is a former civil servant, who has run as a candidate for Mayor of London and spent 6 years in the cabinet office. Siobhan shares with Nahla how her professional experience has shown the necessity of kindness and honesty in politics. Part 1 of interview split into 2 episodes. Intro music from scottholmesmusic.com

Sonali is a freelance broadcaster best known for being one of the faces of BBC Events and BBC Sport and before that, a long-serving presenter of Newsround. Sonali and Nahla cover the roles kindness and honesty can have in the workspace, and the importance of teaching kindness to children. Part 2 of interview split into 2 episodes. Intro music from scottholmesmusic.com

Sonali is a freelance broadcaster best known for being one of the faces of BBC Events and BBC Sport and before that, a long-serving presenter of Newsround. Sonali and Nahla cover the roles kindness and honesty can have in the workspace, and the importance of teaching kindness to children. Part 1 of interview split into 2 episodes. Intro music from scottholmesmusic.com

Pinky is at the heart of bringing kindness into leadership. She is founder and chair of several awards recognising influential women, including the the Asian Women of Achievement Awards and the Women of the Future awards. There was no better person to open this series, having opened the first series in 2019. Intro music from scottholmesmusic.com

Scott takes us back 30 years, to his days trying to live in France, often sleeping in his old car. He talks about one particular act of kindness that has stuck with him to this day, and how this stranger’s random compassion and selflessness has always inspired him through his life to be kind whenever possible.

Sarah is an adventurer, but first and foremost the host of the Tough Girl podcast and founder of the Tough Girl Challenge, focused around motivating women and girls. Sarah remembers the range of kindness she has received across the globe on her travels, and how these gestures have stuck with her. Notably, the random help she received when powering along the 2,200 mile Appalachian Trail in the USA.

Claire runs her own company sourcing talented and passionate people to work for London’s most innovative startup companies. Claire tells a story of when she was offered a kind gesture by a stranger when travelling abroad 20 years ago. She remarks how it boosted her ability to be readily generous, and how it always seems the universe may pay you back despite never expecting a reward. Claire is currently driving as one of Nahla’s volunteer support drivers on her 5000 mile elliptigo challenge! Go Claire and Nahla!

Suchit is a chartered Physiotherapist at the head of ‘Physics ‘R’ Us’, a Physiotherapy practice made up of four locations in Kent. Suchit takes us back to 2000 when he was working in Mumbai, where he volunteered to go and work as a physiotherapist in a small village nearby that had been devastated by a recent earthquake. His story emphasises the importance of the effort you can put in to help people in any way, and that no matter how small, this effort of kindness can go a much longer way than money. Intro music from www.scottholmesmusic.com

Garry Ridge is the CEO of household product giant WD40. Before telling us the role of kindness in big business, he takes us way back to his childhood days as a paper boy in Sydney, and a small incidence of kindness that shaped his outlook on kindness for the rest of his life. Garry reminds us the importance of being thoughtful and caring for others, and how even the smallest of acts can have a huge and lasting impact on people’s lives. Intro music from www.scottholmesmusic.com

As Founder of The Vidacademy, Judie teaches businesspeople to create original video from home or on the go, enabling everyone and anyone to tell their story to the world. The Vidacademy "demystifies the video production process to empower businesses and digital marketing professionals to create original video content for social media and websites." Judie reminisces her travels around the world, childhood memories, and how kindness has always had a big role in her life. This mini-story helps to express the importance of any kindness, even in the smallest of gestures. Intro music from www.scottholmesmusic.com

Robin Ince.  It took me nearly a year to pin this man down. Those not in the know, Robin is an Author, Comedian and has worked with the best of them.  He is a whirlwind of wisdom, humour and stories. Hold onto your seat with this one because you’ll need to take a breath for him, he’s quick and you’ll want to soak up every word.

Bill Scott, CEO of Wilton Engineering is living and breathing kindness in the workplace. He is the philanthropist business man who recognises that over everything else, kindness has to come first. He will say he didn’t even know he was doing it until he had a conversation with me about kindness, it was just in the very make up of his way he works. He connects and collaborates and always has a wonderful story to share.

Josh Jones, Founder of the Just be nice Project is changing the way we support the parts of society that need it. He asks we stop trying to fix a problem with a single focus but look at the holistic view. If you give a homeless person a home, it will not fix why they became homeless in the first place. A hugely passionate and knowledgeable individual on the state of our society as a whole. An episode that will get you debating what is it to be kind.

Pathik Pathak - Founder of Social Impact Lab There are people who in the quiet corners of the world shine a light on others with no need to hear a fan fair. Pathik is one of those incredible humans. In his work and in his side project which merge almost seamlessly into one I get the feeling that this man could in fact influence some of the biggest change we have ever seen by simply supporting the change. One to follow.

Matt, founder of Make Good Happen is one of those people that you could chat to while the sun rises and falls and not notice the time go. He is a chap that appears genuine about what he puts into this world and so you will be drawn into his work. It all started with a tenner. What can you do with a tenner? He made it into a movement that you get to hear about in this episode. I heard about Matt through a person who heard about him. He is constantly sharing the importance of making good happen.  https://mattcallanan.co.uk/

Mark Wood is a world renowned adventurer who has is by his own admission, a person who enjoys the moments of aloneness that adventuring gives. You would in turn not put a person like this to be as giving and generous with his time to teach and support their youth to be inspired.  He has stories and work that will inspire the uninspirable.

I became interested in Krishna Dharma and his work because of his long standing religion, Hare Krishna.  After he discovered the religion at a young age and feeling it was the part that was missing he tells how his religion meets with kindness. His work and life blend seamlessly into one and you are drawn into it as he shares where the world needs to go to find more peace. Krishna Dharma http://krishnadharma.com/ Twitter: @krishnadharma Facebook: Krishna Dharma

Kazz set up the ‘Museum of Human kindness’ a unique art exhibition in Norwich. It is as cool as it sounds. They used the stories of kindness that were donated through the website, (you can donate your stories to them still), and then made and continue to make pieces of art from them. What came out was stunning. A great learning on the power that art has. 

The king of kindness. Corey is the sort of person that makes you feel good in one email. There isn't anyone in the ‘kindness world’, (It exists by the way) that Corey doesn’t know. He connects people, sharing the good work of others to help people grow. However what is most fascinating is he is gamifing kindness.  Tune in to hear more.

Tears will flow at some point in this podcast. It is a powerful account of one persons journey of enlightenment, that in turn changes people lives financially but also emotionally. When a person sees only dark, it is the greatest gift to shine light on them in a positive way.  This is what Brians project has done, ‘Faces of Santa Ana’.  An incredible episode, one not to be missed. 

This weeks episode introduces Dave Durocher, Executive Director of The Other Side Academy. What can I say about Dave. You will be drawn to Dave for his honesty, story and uniqueness. He has not only changed his life but he has also changed the lives of hundreds of people around him.  His story will make you ponder on the split second decisions we make and the true impact of them. He will also make you consider what compassion really is to each of us.  It is a fantastic ending to Season 1 of A Culture of Kindness.

Caroline Diehl MBE  - Founder of the Social Founder Network, and Founder & Chair, Together TV Caroline is a softly spoken power house. She appears to me to have done work that has changed hundreds upon thousands peoples lives, but she quietly just does it without really understanding fully the impact that her presence has on the world. The Media Trust story is one I found so compelling and you will too.

 Fi Munro PhD - Motivational speaker/author Fi Munro is an inspiring and wonderful woman who has a brilliant story of how she inspired a kindness movement all of her own. This episode is full of stories, inspiration and most importantly love, pure love.

Tom Levitt -  Writer and Consultant, Sector 4 Focus This episode is an eye opener. Tom gives a really different and insightful perspective to how business and leadership works. It was funny as we both said we could have happily carried on chatting and when you listen you’ll understand why. His book, theory and writing is certainly one to follow.

 Lord Mark Price - Founder of Engaging Works, former Deputy Chairman of The John Lewis Partnership and Managing Director of Waitrose One of the nicest people in business. I am lucky enough to be involved in his venture, Engaging Works. Its aim is to get people into work and careers where they are healthier and happier through the platform that is currently being used by hundreds of thousands of people. He is a prolific author and entrepreneur and this episode will allow you to understand why he is a keynote speaker of choice for so many events.

Dr Sanjiv Nichani - Founder of Healing little Hearts Sanjiv starts this episode by sharing so beautifully his story, and what a story it is. It gives you just a little idea of why and how he started Healing Little Hearts. It is a charity that gathers doctors and medical practitioners who go to countries in need and perform heart surgery for children. However it has not always gone to plan and you get to hear what those challenges has looked like.

Ricky Manetta  - Founder of MMA Krav Maga and a head coordinator with the UFC Ricky is an inspirational character, changing not only his life around but now he also supports others to do the same. He talks about that everyone should be ok about crying, getting rid of the stigma that sits behind it. He is an advocate for ensuring people express all their emotions; “We are ok when people laugh and so we should also be ok when they don’t.”

 Emma Slade  - Founder of Opening your heart to Bhutan Emma changed her life exponentially until she found her current path. She use to work in the finance sector, she says she was content. However when she was in Hong Kong for work she was held up at gun point and that’s when her life changed forever. Now a Buddhist running the charity, ‘Opening your heart to Bhutan’, this episode is a beautiful example of how kindness and religion so beautifully intertwine.

Byron Vincent - Writer, Performer, Broadcaster I got in touch with Byron after I saw his TEDx Talk, which was one of the greatest I have seen. I was struck by his conversation on Mental Health, his quick wit and ability to use words so beautifully and poetically to not only explain some of the more challenging times but also make us laugh with it too. Byron understands society, he understands what the world looks like as a whole and gives a great insight of that in this episode.

Pippa Richardson - Director - The Head Shed and Shed The Conflict What Pippa doesn’t know about HR is quite frankly not worth knowing. A consultant and thought leader with years of experience she shares example after example of when kindness leadership has transformed organisations and change into a smooth, profitable and productive machine with a happy workforce.

Emma Sergeant - President Europe, DAS Group of Companies (a division of Omnicom) Emma is bright, informed and original. Emma has had a career across a number of industries which makes her wisdom, thoughts and comments even more valid. Even within the podcast she develops thoughts and ideas on how we can be better leaders with kindness. It's a fabulous episode not to be missed.

Sally Waterston - Non-Executive Chair of Waterstons Ltd I use examples from this podcast in my speeches because quite frankly, in my opinion, Sally and the partners of Waterston have led the way in how an organisation should function at its core. Sally in thoughtful, honest and informative in this podcast. It’s one to listen and learn from. However like me you will want to continue to chat to her beyond the podcast. A wonderful and insightful episode for any future leader. 

Andy is a teacher first and foremost but that is how he can write the book Compassionate Teacher with such authority. Andy gives us insight into the education world but his examples and stories are relevant to any leader in any sector. We can so often look at industries as silos but in fact we have so much to learn from each one when it comes to leadership.

Guillermo Donadini is the Chief Investment Officer for General Insurance (Ex-Japan) at AIG Guillermo, or Mr G as he has been previously affectionately known, shares honest insight of what he has seen when the financial sector slumped and what he did in self reflection to overcome that. It is not easy for anyone to lead with kindness as you need to be confident in yourself but for Guillermo to do this in an industry like this for so long is testament to him. 

This weeks guest is Jackie Scully the Deputy Managing Director at  Think. Jackie is not only a Deputy Managing Director, she has an incredibly inspirational back story, is one of the 50 Leading lights for 2018 and  has a keen interest in kindness in her free time.  She has become fascinated by its history and its power.  Giving real examples of how she uses it within her own working environment, Jackie is someone you will want to go and work for, fact. 

Rachel Sayles is the Head of Humanities and PSHE at Hayesfield Girls School There is no one better to talk about kindness and empathy than someone who has studied it. Rachel is a teacher who understands the need to adapt our methods to allow children to take in information, it is simply not done without emotionally intelligent learning. This is a great episode to listen to to get the proof behind the power of kindness.

Josh is a huge presence on Linked in talking about mental health and the need for us to be able to share our stories, our worries and our highs. His story of how he turned his life around is compelling as well as his thoughts on the power of kindness. Brilliantly insightful.

Benjamin Mathes  is the Founder of Urban confessional Benjamin Mathes has more soul that soul itself. His words will resonate through you and you will want to write down quotes so as not to forget them. His social movement, Urban Confessional is a global sensation with people changing other peoples lives by the simple but effective way of Free listening. But why? Hear all about it here.

Amber Dee  is an Artist and a Songwriter I came across Amber Dee at a TEDx I went to watch, she was singing with a guitarist and keyboardist all with names bringing with A, and they certainly were the A Team. Her voice and the musical talents of the band struck me emotionally but along side that she also wore a sweatshirt with the words, ‘Being Kind is Cool’. From this, I wanted to hear her story and you will too.

PJ Ellis, well what can I say. Probably the most unique episode of season 1.  Mainly because his story is a unique one but also because he in the end turned the tables on me.  From Lawyer, to one of the first Big Brother contestants to now business owner and fundraiser with the Love Brum concept. The takeaway message for me was that every great idea comes from a few too many drinks with your mates.

I defy anyone who does not fall into this podcast with a great deal of love. Phils story telling will lull you into a place you didn’t think leadership was home to. Phil Smith was the CEO of CISCO, working there from the very beginning when there was just a few of them he shares tales of how communication was key to the changes he made in employee engagement. It’s a great listen.

Sean was one of the first I interviewed.  I discovered him after he received a 50 leading lights award for kindness leadership.  His position and industry is not one that you would immediately imagine relates to kindness.  However listen up to the interview, he delivers some absolute gold nuggets of leadership.  Including sharing how his style has changed. Oh and I make a mistake with my understanding of RICs. Listen to hear how Sean very kindly tackles that! 

Samantha - Jane is one lovely human being. She is supportive, friendly and has arrived to this place in her life with a great deal of learning.  What she doesn't know about happiness and how to gain some clarity in life, is probably not worth knowing.  You'll want to be looking up her step program at the end of the episode that is all free and downloadable.

Rebecca is the Global Chief Learning and Culture Officer, and Head of Global luxury practice for Interbrand.  She was voted one of the 50 leading lights.  When you hear Rebecca she immediately draws you in with her bright and friendly tone.  However, it's Rebeccas intelligence that shines through even brighter by the end of the episode.  She shares wisdom on the latest ways of working by developing behaviours including so much more.  Her answers are well constructed and from that, it draws you in. 

Currently Operational Lead for the Police Federation for England and Wales, Simon has spent 19 years in the police force so far working his way up from the streets and seeing how we have evolved as a society.  These days, you will find him often being interviewed and quoted by mainstream media.  When you listen to this podcast you will understand why.  He is a straight-talker with a common-sense point of view.  His one-liners and stories will allow you to easily digest his powerful messages.  It is likely to be an episode that will stay with you.

Valeria was voted one of the 50 leading lights, she is clearly valued for her straight talking and caring attitude. She is leading with kindness with the wonderful book club idea as well as believing that people come first.  You'll be hanging off her every word.

It took myself and Nigel a few tries to get this recorded but like all good things, the best things happen with a bit of effort. One of the 50 leading lights – of the 2018 Kindest leaders. You hear the best of the best in leadership practices right here. 

She started a kindness movement of her own with a powerful story on why and how kindness changed her life. This podcast is full of insightful wisdom and coaching too. Watch out, its a life changer.

Andy is what I would call an 'intelligent creative', which is a perfect combination. I felt in awe of his knowledge and wisdom of human behaviour along with his research of kindness for his upcoming piece of work.

Pinky is at the heart of bringing kindness into leadership.  There was no better person to open this podcast or to write the foreword for the book that accompinies this podcast.  She has an extraordanary gift in bringing people together and you will hear why in this episode.

Subscribe to be kept updated on which guests will feature weekly from Spetember 1st.  Guests include CEOs of major corporations, Authors, Singers, Presenters, Lords, awards winners, teachers, police, doctors and everyone in between.