Smashing The Ceiling

Imagine trying to live your life with the person you dislike the most standing at your shoulder the whole time. Imagine the cruellest things they ever said to you, the way it made you feel, and how the stress associated with that impacted your happiness, your productivity and your life. What if you could never shake that voice off, or escape from the clutches of their control?

Sarah Swan is a senior clinical psychologist that specialises in helping people suffering from psychosis and related mental health disorders. Her patients are often terrified, misunderstood and ostracised by those with little compassion or understanding about the symptoms involved and before talking to her, I would freely admit that this was an area I knew little about. Sarah’s research has previously focused on schizophrenia, the links between post-traumatic stress and psychosis and the impact of chronic use of cannabis on mental health.

Sarah also works to try and improve diversity within psychology - as a mixed race woman herself she is keen to encourage others to enter the field, and visits schools to promote psychology as a career. What a woman!

Useful links:

British Psychological Society - If you're interested in a career in psychology then check out their website here: https://www.bps.org.uk/public/become-psychologist

National Careers Service - Loads of useful information here: https://nationalcareers.service.gov.uk/job-profiles/clinical-psychologist

Follow us for more:

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theskylarkcollective

Twitter: https://twitter.com/naomiemellor

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/naomi-mellor-171550150/

Today we’re kicking on with the third episode of our series on career skills for the workplace, which are being slotted around our fabulous guests in 2019. I thought it would be useful to look at a few different areas that might help you at work this year, and explore a little about why they’re important and how you can develop these skills.

We’ve looked at negotiation and conflict resolution so far and those episodes are still available if you want to go back and download them, but today we are talking about LISTENING.

Listening is one of the most under-rated workplace skills, but also one of the most essential. Everyone wants to feel heard, that their ideas are being considered, and that their input is valuable, but if everyone is talking and nobody is listening then as a team, you’re going nowhere fast. Want to be be a better listener? Listen in for more!

Follow us for more:

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theskylarkcollective

Twitter: https://twitter.com/naomiemellor

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/naomi-mellor-171550150/

Here at Smashing the Ceiling we love to showcase the careers of women who have taken the road less travelled, and there's so much to discuss on that front with today's guest, Anna Lundberg, a woman who has always forged her own path.

She freely admits that she has always been one to keep her options open, choosing the International Baccalaureat instead of 'A' levels, Philosphy, Politics and Economics at uni, and a Masters in Political Science, International Law and International Economics. Her quest to work for the UN didn't quite pan out, and she started her career with Proctor and Gamble, where she spent 7 years, initially in brand management and then the brave new world of digital marketing.

Digital marketing was barely a thing when Anna started at the company in 2007 but taking a leap into a new world led her to places she wouldn't have expected. However, whilst on sabbatical in 2013, she decided there was more out there with her name on. She established her own digital marketing agency in 2014, and whilst freelancing between international jaunts, she took a coaching course in 6 months that was meant to take 2 years.

She now runs One Step Outside, a personal coaching and training companies for ambitious individuals and teams who want to make a difference without sacrificing their health and relationships to do so - so tune in to hear more!

In this episode we discuss:

• What Anna wanted to be when she grew up

• The various jobs she tried at school, none of which contributed to her future career!

• Her undergraduate studies at Oxford, taking a Masters in Geneva and her unsuccessful attempt to work at the UN

• Starting work at Proctor and Gamble, and breaking into the new sphere of digital marketing

• Realising the disconnect between where she was professionally and where she thought she should be, and starting to think about other options for her career

• Being bold and stepping outside your comfort zone, shrugging off her “Good Girl” mentality

• Quitting your job without another one to go to

• Starting her new business on her return from her travels, and getting that off the ground

• The ins and outs of running a small business, including lone working from home and the financial insecurity of self-employment

• Being patient when you’ve started a new venture, and having realistic expectations

• Anna’s “hippy period” (her words, not mine!) and how she ventured into the coaching world

• The concept of One Step Outside and what Anna does now, challenging people to move from ‘comfort’ to ‘growth’

• Why everyone needs a coach!

• Her new podcast, “Reimagining Success” and thinking about what you really want from life

Where to find Anna:

• The OneStepOutside website: https://onestepoutside.com
• The Reimagining Success podcast: https://itunes.apple.com/gb/podcast/reimagining-success-with-anna-s-e-lundberg/id1444846932?mt=2
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/annaselundberg/
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/annaselundberg

Follow us for more:

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/smashingtheceiling/
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/smashingceiling
• Facebook: www.facebook.com/smashingtheceiling

My guest today is Madeleine Black, a true survivor, whose story offers hope to those who have also suffered at the hands of others. We are not, she says, defined by what knocks us down - we are instead defined by how we get back up.

After being gang-raped at the age of 13, and raped on three further occasions before her 18th birthday, she has gone on to become a successful psychotherapist, writer, speaker, wife and mother. Her powerful memoir, Unbroken, tells of her recovery from adversity, her desire to choose forgiveness and actively seek redemption. Her desire to understand why the young men who raped her had chosen that path, what affected their lives and their decisions has led her to be part of the Forgiveness Project, a unique worldwide project that collates the powerful stories of those whose lives have been affected by violence, terrorism and trauma, but who have learned how to forgive in order to move on in their own lives.

Since giving her first public talk in 2015, Madeleine has appeared on Radio 4 with Trevor MacDonald, BBC Radio 5 and BBC Radio Scotland. She appeared in Dispatches on Channel 4 and most recently, has been selected to do a TEDx talk in Glasgow later this year. You can buy Madeleine's book here!

Where to find Madeleine:

Website - https://madeleineblack.co.uk

Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/MadeleineBlackUnbroken/

Twitter - https://twitter.com/madblack65

Linkedin - https://www.linkedin.com/in/madeleine-black-33799910a/

Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/madblack65/

Follow us for more:

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theskylarkcollective

Twitter: https://twitter.com/naomiemellor

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/naomi-mellor-171550150/

Shereen Kassam defines herself as a corporate America addict, stand-up comedy lover, speaker of all things fun, podcasting enthusiast, improv teacher and shoe junkie. What a list! Shereen's dad wanted her to be a doctor, but she couldn't cope with the blood so instead, after her degree at Brown University, she became a strategy consultant, and now works in-house for Disney in Florida, where she grew up.

Shereen was a shy child, but tried stand-up for the first time after reluctantly escorting her drunk housemate to a comedy club. It's fair to say she's progressed quickly, winning multiple awards with her show, Funny Brown Girl, and performing worldwide from New York to Saigon. Shereen draws on her relationship with her South Asian Muslim parents, and is not afraid to mine material that others might be nervous of tackling. She is an honest, hilarious podcast guest and it was such a pleasure to chat to her!

In this episode we discuss:

Shereen's early life and how her career choices were shaped by conversations with her parents

Her career in strategy consulting and how her corporate life offers an unexpected degree of creativity

How she unexpectedly found stand up comedy and discovered the joy of being on stage

Her podcast, Creative Breakthrough, and the pleasure and satisfaction she draws from that

Her future aspirations for her career, succeeding in her goals and her aims in comedy

Where to find Shereen:

The Funny Brown Girl website: https://funnybrowngirl.com

The Creative Breakthrough podcast: https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/creative-breakthrough-jumpstart-your-creative-career/id1437082823

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/funnybrowngirl/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/shereenkassam/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/funnybrowngirl

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/FunnyBrownGirl/

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/shereenkassam

Follow us for more:

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/smashingtheceiling/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/smashingceiling

Facebook: www.facebook.com/smashingtheceiling

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/naomi-mellor-171550150/