Podcasts

The most overlooked driver of engagement, performance and wellbeing at work is not pay, perks or flexibility. It is the human need to matter.

In this episode with Vicky O'Farrell on It Starts With You, I explore why feeling valued often matters more than salary, how belonging and purpose shape workplace culture and why emotional intelligence remains one of the most important — and most underdeveloped — leadership skills today.

We dig into how leaders can recognise when someone on their team is struggling, why psychological safety is the foundation of real trust and how the small, intentional actions I call million-dollar moments can transform relationships and team performance in ways that no policy ever could.

Takeaways

• Why the human need to matter is an overlooked driver of engagement and performance
• How belonging and purpose shape the culture of your workplace
• Why emotional intelligence is the most important leadership skill
• How to recognise when someone is struggling and what to do about it
• Why small million-dollar moments transform relationships and teams

What if school had taught us that everyone wants to feel like they matter?

In this episode of The School Run Podcast with Jane, I share a deeply personal conversation about belonging, identity, confidence, leadership and purpose. I talk about my journey — from wanting to be a German teacher to freight forwarding, recruitment, learning and development and eventually founding Runway Global — and why that winding path made perfect sense in the end.

I share personal moments that shaped my passion for creating happier, healthier and more human cultures, including coming out as gay as a teenager and the unwavering love and support my parents gave me. Those experiences are at the heart of everything I do.

We explore the two questions I believe everyone is really asking at work: Do I matter here? And does what I do here matter? These are the questions behind The Matter Model — and why small, intentional actions can create million-dollar moments that transform relationships and cultures.

This is a conversation about self-trust, vulnerability, purpose and the power of feeling truly seen.

Takeaways

• Why life and careers are rarely linear — and why that is okay
• The two questions at the heart of The Matter Model
• How belonging, identity and coming out shaped Jackie's mission
• Why confidence is really about self-trust
• How small, intentional actions create million-dollar moments

"What's stopping you?" — four words that changed everything.

In this episode with Ian Hawkins, I share the question that prompted me to leave a sales career and step into training — where I found my true vocation. From there, the journey led to speaking stages, walking the Camino de Santiago and working with businesses around the world on their organisational culture.

I bring the lessons learned from all of it: what it takes to build genuine belonging, how to shift culture in a meaningful way and what the Camino taught me about letting go, clarity and taking one step at a time.

If you are wondering whether it is time to make a change, this episode might just be the nudge you need.

Takeaways

• The question that moved Jackie from sales into training and speaking
• Lessons from walking the Camino de Santiago
• What working with businesses on organisational culture really looks like
• How to build a culture of inclusion and belonging that lasts
• Why it is never too late to find your vocation

I never set out to become a professional speaker. But by owning my story and stepping onto small stages, something unexpected happened.

In this episode with Martin Barnes, I share how a five-minute talk evolved into a TEDx, a global audience and a thriving business rooted in inclusion and belonging. We explore the unexpected ROI of speaking when you lead with authenticity and genuine connection — and why so many leaders underestimate the impact their story can have.

If you have ever wondered whether your story is enough to share, this episode is for you. It is. And I hope this conversation nudges you off the sidelines.

Takeaways

• The unexpected ROI of speaking with authenticity and connection
• How one small talk can create ripples of real, lasting impact
• Why owning your story is the most powerful thing you can do as a speaker
• The journey from small stages to TEDx and a global audience
• Why your story is always enough

Is the secret to workplace inclusion less about policies and technology, and more about genuine human connection? I think so.

In this episode with Felix Mitchell, I explore why so many inclusion efforts miss the mark - and what leaders can do differently. We dig into the role of storytelling as a tool for building real connection, and why belonging is not something you can create with a strategy document alone. It starts with people truly seeing and hearing each other.

I share practical ways leaders can shift from performative inclusion to the kind that actually changes how people feel at work — where they feel they truly belong, not just that they are tolerated.

Takeaways

• Why inclusion efforts so often miss the mark
• The role of storytelling in building genuine human connection
• How leaders can create environments where people truly feel they belong
• Why belonging is the missing piece of most inclusion strategies
• The difference between performative inclusion and the real thing

Real inclusion is not about tick-box initiatives or post-crisis pledges. It is about what happens in the moments nobody is watching.

In this episode with Katie Allen, I get into the nitty gritty of what genuine inclusivity really looks like — beyond the token gestures so often seen in corporate settings. I share my own journey, including what walking the Camino de Santiago taught me about the story behind the story, and why understanding what lies beneath the surface is essential for any leader serious about inclusion.

We also explore the authenticity of post-George Floyd inclusion efforts, the frustrating corporate resistance to uncomfortable conversations around bias, and why vulnerable, reciprocal connection is at the heart of real belonging. I share a deeply personal story about meeting someone on my travels that beautifully illustrates the impact of withholding judgement and embracing empathy.

Takeaways

• Why genuine inclusivity goes far beyond token corporate gestures
• The importance of understanding the story behind the story
• How vulnerable and reciprocal connections build authentic relationships
• Why bias conversations make organisations uncomfortable - and why they need to happen anyway
• The transformative power of withholding judgement and leading with empathy