So many people I’m speaking to at the moment are describing themselves as stuck in their careers – often they’ve built a very successful career in one area of specialism and now face into a very big question – “now I have different choices, is this what I really want to do?” You might know today’s guest Tanya Arnold from her TV career – a BBC sports journalist covering two Olympics, the Commonwealth Games and the Rugby League World Cup. She was one of the first female sports reporters in broadca...
Jun 16, 2025•57 min•Ep. 161
In this powerful episode, legendary BBC journalist Rory Cellan-Jones tells the story of the day he discovered a box of letters from his mother that changed everything he knew about his upbringing. Recorded live in London, this powerful and moving testimony from a master storyteller will stay with you for a long time. Today he is as famous for his rescue dog 'Sophie from Romania' as he is for his 40 year BBC career. He is also an advocate for better awareness of Parkinson's Disease, having himsel...
Jun 08, 2025•50 min•Ep. 160
When I first met Rajeev I was struck his clarity, his humility. A perspective on leadership that is seductive and compelling. To find something bigger than yourself. To find meaning. To find purpose. As he says, leadership is about creating a better future. A hugely successful leader himself, now he's helping others to discover their own Steward Leadership. Rajeev Peshawaria is the CEO of the Stewardship Asia Centre, a prolific speaker and the author of Wall Street Journal bestseller Open Source...
Apr 22, 2025•34 min•Ep. 159
A memorable encounter aged just 13 with the CEO of British Steel was Chris Cooper's Unlock Moment. The moment when he knew there was more for him in life than to follow his father into the steelworks. Often those formative moments that shape our sense of purpose happen early in our lives. Many years later Chris is a leadership strategist, a speaker, a broadcaster and an author, helping others to elevate themselves in a culture where people love the work they do. Host of The Business Elevation Sh...
Feb 15, 2025•40 min•Ep. 158
We think of leadership development and coaching as something for the workplace, right? But what if you could use those same approaches in young people to help them develop their capabilities as a leader right from the time when they're in school? Well that's what former Pentagon and UN advisor Julie Carrier has been doing for years. She's been featured on NBC, Discovery Channel and MTV, and she's been named Woman of the Decade for girl empowerment by the Women Economic Forum. And here on The Unl...
Jan 19, 2025•49 min•Ep. 157
Storytelling at its best, the gentle Irish lilt of senior tech leader Feargal Moorhead is compelling as he tells his story from growing up in Ireland to leading roles at Intel and Amazon. He draws connections between the unique culture of County Clare and how it influenced his most recent career pivot from autonomous vehicles to his new venture supporting other leaders to be at their best. Questions you might ask yourself as you listen: 1. What is it about the environment of the place I grew up ...
Dec 28, 2024•35 min•Ep. 156
A remarkable conversation with a remarkable coach, who pulled himself up from his darkest moment to find new stability and to help others discover their Ordinary Resilience. Luis Velasquez grew up in poverty in Guatemala, became a Professor of Genetics, overcame a brain tumour and is today one of the world’s leading coaches working with executives from Google, Salesforce, Twitter and IBM. His mantra is “you can’t control the rain but you can control whether you get wet.” Luis is a facilitator at...
Dec 01, 2024•43 min•Ep. 155
I haven’t got time. I’ve been in too many meetings. I just don’t know where to start. We’ve all been there – overwhelmed with volume and complexity, unable to find a simple path through. Making life and business simple is one of the hardest things you can do, and also the most freeing. Today’s guest is a world-leading expert on how to make things simple. Lisa Bodell is a global leader and a world-leading speaker on simplification, collaboration and innovation, how to eliminate complexity and unl...
Nov 04, 2024•41 min•Ep. 154
A remarkable story with a remarkable artist. The kind of illustrator who walks into danger to tell people's stories through the power of his art. George Butler is an award-winning illustrator but has reinvented the role of the Artist Reporter drawing conflict zones, climate issues, humanitarian crisis and social issues for the news. His drawings are done in situ - in pen, ink and watercolour. In August 2012 George walked from Turkey across the border into Syria, where as a guest of the rebel Fre...
Oct 14, 2024•44 min•Ep. 153
What is your path of roses? For world-leading coach Hortense le Gentil, a dream sparked her search for balance and fulfilment which took her on a journey of self-discovery and growth. Why you should listen: In a world where we place too much value on material things and spend too little time prioritising ourselves, our contentment and our freedom, the message Hortense shares about how to become 'unlocked' is one that will resonate with very many of my listeners. -- Hortense spent 30 years in bus...
Sep 16, 2024•41 min•Ep. 152
My wife and I are huge fans of the highly successful Traitors TV show. And if you’ve watched it then in Season 2 of the UK series you’ll remember the big-hearted Welshman Andrew Jenkins, playing a Traitor and whose banishment at the last round table set the series up for a memorable finale. But the story of Andrew’s journey starts long before he was on TV. Two decades ago, at the age of 21, he was in a horrendous car accident and was thought to be dead at the side of the road. In a coma for 4 we...
Aug 28, 2024•57 min•Ep. 151
This raw, unflinching account of burnout and recovery from leading psychotherapist Anna Mathur is one of the most emotionally-charged conversations I've had to date here on The Unlock Moment. Anna is widely celebrated for her accessible mental health advice she offers across her platforms – including her Instagram page, incredibly popular podcast ‘The Therapy Edit’ and five-star rated online courses on Reframing Anxiety, People Pleasing and Self-Worth. With an audience of over 210,000 on Instagr...
Aug 10, 2024•1 hr 10 min•Ep. 150
Recorded LIVE at the Climb24 Investor Summit in Leeds, UK. Dominic McGregor is today a successful investor with Fearless Adventures, investing and driving growth in entrepreneur-led e-commerce businesses. But he's most famous for co-founding Social Chain with Dragon's Den star Steven Bartlett in 2013, and after six years selling that business and eventually taking the combined business public. The Unlock Moment though is about the personal more than it is about the job. And Dominic has spoken pu...
Aug 08, 2024•38 min•Ep. 149
I’m sure most of us can think of an inspirational teacher who helped to guide us in our journey from childhood to adulthood. Mine was Mr Rutland, my enigmatic physics teacher who revelled in turning complex concepts into memorable moments. He also started me on my journey in public speaking, teaching me and my friends the skills required to be impactful speakers and driving us up to London in the rickety school minibus to hear thought leaders of the day debating at the English Speaking Union in ...
Jul 29, 2024•1 hr 31 min•Ep. 148
Here in summer 2024, the world is more uncertain and unstable than it has been for many years. And I have always believed in the power of the arts to transcend politics, to transcend conflict, to show us a light and to give us hope for a better future. Today it is my privilege to welcome to the podcast an incredibly talented young dancer who epitomises that vision of hope. I met her late last year and was immediately captivated by her quiet power and her belief in exploration and growth. I’ve be...
Jul 23, 2024•44 min•Ep. 147
In these most volatile of times, it feels as though the only certainty in business and life is that change is the new normal. So today I’m delighted to welcome a world-leading thinker and author on transformation and change to The Unlock Moment. Faisal Hoque is an accomplished entrepreneur, a noted thought leader, technology innovator and advisor to CEOs and the US federal government. He is the founder of SHADOKA and NextChapter, and he serves as a strategic partner and an innovation leader for ...
Jul 05, 2024•44 min•Ep. 146
I met today’s guest last year, a world-leading coach and the kind of deep thinker that I love to spend time in conversation with. I know you will enjoy hearing from her too. Dr Francoise Orlov, who holds a PhD in Economics from the University of Strasbourg in France, is an accredited Master Coach, Mentor, and Coaching Supervisor. She is a published author and a member of Marshall Goldsmith's 100 Coaches. As an advocate of the professionalisation of coaching, she actively contributes to the advan...
Jun 11, 2024•31 min•Ep. 145
Today we are meeting a top marketing executive, a leadership and branding coach and a top business school professor – the many-hatted Jenny Fernandez. Jenny is an award-winning executive and team coach, Columbia and NYU faculty, and brand strategist. She works with senior leaders and their teams to maximise their impact by becoming more curious, collaborative, and resilient. Her work spans Fortune 500 companies, startups, and higher education. Jenny has been recognized by Thinkers50 Radar as one...
May 28, 2024•50 min•Ep. 144
The Post Office Horizon IT Scandal represents the biggest single series of wrongful convictions in British legal history. Brought to life in the hit ITV series "Mr Bates vs. The Post Office", the story hit the headlines in early 2024 and at the time of publication is the subject of a major public inquiry. Faulty equipment and computer software made it look as though money was missing from post office branch accounts and the sub-postmasters’ contracts held them personally liable. More than 900 we...
May 20, 2024•47 min•Ep. 143
The other day it was my huge honour to deliver the commencement address at the University College London (UCL) MBA Graduation. Sitting in the front row and wearing my university robes for the first time in 20 years, I was humbled to hear from the graduating students how much they had sacrificed to complete their studies over four years alongside busy day jobs. And the common threads in each person's story were the human connections that they had made through the programme. I talked about how my ...
May 16, 2024•3 min•Ep. 142
Enjoy this remarkable extended podcast episode with Emmy Award-winner Topaz Adizes, in which he chronicles the search for home, his exploration of questions and his pursuit of the transformative power of deeper human connection. We’ve had many wonderful guests and today is no exception – a master in the art of powerful storytelling. Topaz Adizes is a writer, a director and an experience design architect. His work has been selected for prestigious festivals such as Cannes, Sundance and SXSW, and ...
May 14, 2024•1 hr 28 min•Ep. 141
Many years ago, when I was studying medicine and going through some challenging times, I took solace in poetry. I had never been the kind of person to study literature when I was growing up, but I set myself the challenge of learning some poems and I would go out for evening walks and recite the poetry to myself. I can’t recite them from memory any more, but I remember one that always made me reflect. It’s by the Welsh poet William Henry Davies and it’s called “Leisure”. Years on, I think this p...
May 06, 2024•3 min•Ep. 140
When your guest has over 300,000 LinkedIn followers, you know that they've got something incredibly valuable to share. This powerful interview with the inspirational Dorie Clark is a classic and I'm delighted to bring it to you here on The Unlock Moment! These days I’m working with more and more leaders in different countries, cultures and contexts who share one thing in common. They’ve reached a stage in their careers where they have built a lot of stuff – the basic skills and experience requir...
May 02, 2024•54 min•Ep. 139
Usually at this point I say - welcome to another episode of ‘The Unlock Moment’ podcast. But today is really exciting because I’m joined by hit podcaster Aoife O’Brien and we’re bringing together two great leadership and careers podcasts into one, as The Unlock Moment and Happier at Work come together for us to talk about really how to find work and career purpose, happiness and fulfilment. You'll hear our take on career success, finding your own authentic leadership, using your talents and stre...
Apr 18, 2024•1 hr 30 min•Ep. 138
There are an estimated 1 billion meetings held every day somewhere on this planet. And yet so often when it comes to connecting in the workplace, so many people say “I hate meetings!” – and that includes the people organising them as well as those forced to attend! So how do we meet better, connect better, build relationships and get things done, so that our workplace meetings are a pleasure and the fuel to our growth, rather than a chore? Dr Steven Rogelberg, an organisational psychologist, hol...
Apr 10, 2024•29 min•Ep. 137
A brilliant storyteller, Madelyn Blair's powerful and personal story about how she dealt with her daughter's brain tumour diagnosis is a model of resilience in action. Madelyn is all about helping you navigate life's twists and turns with resilience and grace. She’s host of Unlocked on YouTube, e360tv and LinkedIn, where she gives out tips for embracing the unexpected. She’s an executive coach, a former Columbia University faculty member, a bestselling author, a blogger, and a puzzle enthusiast....
Apr 07, 2024•30 min•Ep. 136
One of the most remarkable episodes we have ever recorded on The Unlock Moment, Megan Gluth-Bohan's journey from a difficult childhood through addiction to becoming one of the most successful female CEOs in the US is a powerful one. She's a brilliantly vulnerable storyteller and, if you're like me, you'll be drawn in to the vivid pictures she paints. As owner and CEO of a major multinational corporation, Megan Gluth-Bohan is a picture of success. But the path there was not easy, and her struggle...
Mar 31, 2024•53 min•Ep. 135
In this very special episode, Adam Pacifico of The Leadership Enigma podcast got together with Dr Gary to talk all things The Unlock Moment. We talked about Gary's personal journey and how he discovered purpose in coaching, speaking and podcasting. And we discovered a powerful Unlock Moment in Adam's own journey, the day he dropped his daughter off at rehab for addiction and tuned into his own vulnerability as a parent. Adam Pacifico is a partner at global leadership and recruitment firm Heidric...
Mar 17, 2024•54 min•Ep. 134
This episode is a fascinating journey of deep discovery with top leadership coach Andy Martiniello, which had us landing on the idea of 'Accountability Untethered'. Join us on this wonderful exploration of a true Unlock Moment. Andy Martiniello is an accomplished Executive Coach with over 25 years of business development and team leadership, bringing a wealth of lived experience to his coaching practice. His recent role as the global Head of Growth for Strategyzer, a leading Swiss innovation con...
Mar 17, 2024•45 min•Ep. 133
Hi, it’s Gary here. Welcome to a very special episode of The Unlock Moment. This is something we’ve been planning for a long time, and at the same time it’s something we didn’t plan at all. Something quite remarkable that gets right to the heart of The Unlock Moment. Back in October 2022 I was joined by Maika Leibbrandt in Episode 42 of The Unlock Moment. She’s one of the world’s very best and highest profile strengths coaches, having spent many years at the Gallup Organisation developing and le...
Mar 06, 2024•1 hr 44 min•Ep. 132
