Fearless Forward

"Death involves everyone," says Ivor Williams. “Design accordingly.” This line from my conversation with this week’s Fearless Forward guest sums up his life’s work. Many wisdom traditions and indigenous cultures treat awareness of mortality as a way into deeper consciousness. In the West, we tend to do the opposite: often pushing the subject away until it becomes urgent. But by that time it may be too late to do and say things that really matter. Ivor is a death care design consultant offering us a different way of looking at our own mortality. As he sees it, mortality awareness is a uniquely human trait which can sharpen our appreciation of life and help us live with more intention and joy. His own path to this work was far from linear. After art college, he spent ten years on a wide range of design projects and won multiple awards. Then a year-long residency for young creatives at a design research centre in Italy changed the direction of his career. Working on experimental projects about death and dying, he found his vocation. He went on to found one of the first design studios dedicated to rethinking how we experience the end of life. In the twelve years since, his work has included long-term projects with hospices and co-founding Humane Engineering, a tech-for-good mental health start-up. Its app, Cove, was one of the first available on the UK’s National Health Service and has been used worldwide. But our conversation, as you might expect, is less about his achievements and more about the person behind them. We talk about how Ivor’s own life has shaped his work, and what led him to create Mortals, an online community and group programme. Facing mortality alone can feel overwhelming. Mortals offers a safe space to explore it together, as a way of living more fully. If you’re curious to learn more about this enlivening perspective on death, I’d encourage you to listen in. Highlights: [00:00:16] Introduction to Ivor Williams [00:02:14] Mortality Awareness and Joyful Living [00:03:58] The "Mortals" Program [00:06:40] The Vividness of Life Near Death [00:07:50] Ivor's Journey and Upbringing [00:09:58] Early Experiences with Loss [00:12:48] Turning Towards Grief [00:13:57] The Aftermath of a Friend's Death [00:17:41] Following Feelings and Intuition [00:21:25] Designing for Palliative Care [00:25:26] The Power of Group Work [00:27:26] Leaving Nothing on the Table [00:29:14] Intergenerational Trauma and Family History [00:33:20] The Concept of "Living Practice" [00:36:24] Self-Care and Finding Rejuvenation [00:38:45] What "Fearless Forward" Means [00:39:58] Episode Outro and Reflection Links: Mortals Community Ivor on LinkedIn

Imagine a nine-year old girl writing and directing her first play. Even at this young age, she has a natural inclination to lead. An extrovert, she’s also highly sensitive. And this trait, while often misunderstood by others, becomes a cornerstone of her self-awareness. Over time, her hypersensitivity becomes a guide to what feels right for her. The little girl grows into a remarkable woman whose career journey crosses continents and industries, and takes her from her native Nigeria to a new home in Scotland - via a series of bold reinventions: entrepreneur, strategic marketing consultant, author, certified coach, inspirational speaker, and now Chancellor of the University of the West of Scotland and CEO of Somebody Cares Scotland. This is the brief history of the amazing Dr Yekemi Otaru - my guest on this week’s Fearless Forward podcast. How she came to be the CEO of Somebody Cares Scotland — an award-winning charity that alleviates hardship by providing free food, furniture and essential household items to people moving into empty homes — is itself an extraordinary story. Serendipity brought her to the role. Self-trust propels her forward. “Self-trust is not about always getting it right, but about believing you’ll handle whatever comes.” For Yekemi, self-trust is built through experience, reflection, and the courage to recognise fear — without letting it stop you from doing what you really want to. “It’s about trusting that you can adapt, learn, and find your way — even when the path is unclear.” She listens to others carefully and asks for input; but may still make a decision not everyone likes. Because in leadership and in life, self-trust is about ceasing to defer to other people’s opinions, and instead paying attention to what feels true to you and what drains you; to where you’re just performing and where you’re actually in flow. To be the leader, parent, partner, friend you want to be, self-trust is essential. As you step into your day, take a moment to ask yourself: Where might I be allowing my choices to be shaped by other people’s wishes? Am I giving myself permission to explore the paths that align with what I truly want and need? Highlights: [00:00:19] Introduction to Dr. Yekemi Otaru [00:02:30] Who Are You? [00:07:04] The Journey of Self-Understanding [00:11:29] Self-Trust in Leadership [00:17:20] A Leader's Evolving Approach [00:22:45] A New Chapter in the Third Sector [00:28:15] The Work of Somebody Cares [00:34:27] Expanding the Charity's Impact [00:37:15] A Key Career Lesson: Overcoming Fear [00:41:02] What Fearless Forward Means [00:42:42] Episode Wrap-up Links Somebody Cares Scotland Dr. Yekemi Otaru on Wikipedia Dr. Yekemi Otaru on LinkedIn

Fear fascinates me. It’s ever-present, but rarely obvious. It’s behind every knee-jerk reaction to a stressful event. And, ultimately, it’s what makes us human. So I particularly enjoyed recording this week’s episode of the Fearless Forward podcast with author and productivity expert Grace Marshall. Our conversation centres on the hidden force she calls high functioning fear. We explore how fear often masquerades as relentless busyness, overstretching, or people-pleasing - especially among high achievers. Grace shares practical ways to notice and name these patterns. Here are two: 1. Curiosity is key. Pausing, noticing what you’re feeling and asking “What’s really going on?” What is this feeling (of frustration, disappointment, anxiety etc.) telling me? You can’t make the feeling go away. But by consciously recognising what’s really going on, you open your mind to possibility and connection, especially in stressful moments. 2. Not all struggle needs fixing. Instead of looking for the “light at the end of the tunnel”, better to be more present in the tunnel and shine a light on the hidden treasure it may hold. In other words, the very struggle you’re experiencing might be concealing helpful clues to what you really need. At the end of the episode I asked Grace the question I put to all my podcast guests: “What does Fearless Forward mean to you?” Here’s her reply: “The more that we can notice fear, the less it will drive us. And the more choice we’ll have... less held back by fear, more able to show up fully, to connect, to dream and achieve what’s possible.” If fear can hide inside apparent competence, then a lot of what we reward in working life may not always be as healthy as it looks. Performance and visible results matter, but so does genuine wellbeing. Without the latter, the former is not sustainable. Where might fear be showing up in your work or life? And how could you reframe your relationship with it? Listen to this episode for some powerful insights. Highlights: [00:00:21] Explaining high-functioning fear [00:05:51] Flight and freeze responses explained [00:08:06] Finding power in stillness [00:12:04] Understanding the role of fear [00:15:59] Recognising and managing fear response [00:17:51] Discovering high-functioning fear [00:20:55] Handling adult tantrums with care [00:23:51] Naming emotions for presence [00:28:24] Quick, handy time management tips [00:33:38] Rethinking Struggles as Growth [00:34:47] Finding growth in struggle [00:41:26] Understanding fear and alternative stories [00:44:03] Seeing struggle as a catalyst [00:48:44] Setting up a live demonstration [00:49:36] Event mix-up with client [00:55:04] Embracing ongoing growth mindset [00:57:05] Recognising hidden fear at work Links: Grace Marshall's website Grace Marshall on LinkedIn

If the life you’ve built for yourself falls apart, no amount of discipline or achievement or ‘pushing on through’ can save it. You’re in a moment of truth. What’s needed is for you to face the fact that the only way out of this is in. In other words, resolution cannot be found by changing your external situation, but by turning your focus inward to explore your own self. Daily Telegraph Business Leader of the Year Award winner and former CEO Ray Martin learnt all this the hard way. In a short space of time his marriage ended, he lost his business partner, and his father became ill and died. In our conversation on this week’s Fearless Forward podcast Ray describes how he felt. “Within three or four months, everything that I knew to be my life, that gave it the shape and identity and form it had, just disappeared. I was the most lost and broken I'd ever been.” We explore how a 6-month sabbatical became a 14-year journey through 28 countries: a quest to find out what living his life true to himself - and not as others expected him to - might look and feel like. “Ray the businessman is the character I've been playing. It's not me.“ He became a blogger, a meditator, a coach, a marathon runner, and a charity fundraiser. But the biggest personal shift came through meditation. Consistent practice gave him space to notice his thoughts, his habits, his fears, and to understand how they’d been driving his choices. He became more intentional and built stronger connections with the people and things that truly mattered to him. If you’re curious about what it really means to live and lead with freedom - to be, as Ray puts it, "the source of your own creation" - listen in here. And perhaps ask yourself this: where in my own life might I be performing a version of myself that it’s time to let go of? This episode will help you: Shift from an "outside-in" perspective to an "inside-out" mindset by recognising your personal agency over how you respond to life's external events. Break away from living an "off-the-shelf" life dictated by societal expectations and realign your daily choices with your authentic values. Cultivate greater self-awareness through mindfulness to observe the mind's patterns, break cycles of constant craving, and drive your happiness from within. Highlights: [00:00:22] Introduction to Ray Martin [00:02:11] You Are the Source of Your Own Creation [00:04:35] The Pivotal Moment of Suffering [00:06:13] The First Vipassana Meditation Retreat [00:08:46] Taking Responsibility for Your Thinking [00:10:02] Living an "Off the Shelf" Life Story [00:12:09] The Austere Experience of the Retreat [00:17:10] A Unique Visa Dilemma [00:19:34] Finding a Community in Chiang Mai [00:24:23] Bringing Mindfulness to the Business World [00:28:12] From Getting to Giving [00:29:26] Running the New York Marathon [00:32:38] Creating a Foundation [00:33:56] Returning to the Business World [00:35:16] Asking the Universe for Help [00:42:40] When the Universe Responds Unexpectedly [00:50:14] Letting Go of a Character [00:52:57] What "Fearless Forward" Means to Ray Links: Ray's LinkedIn Ray's book and website

We’re all afraid of something. But what if we let our fear guide us to what really matters? When we take the time to understand the source of the fear, we can also tune into what it’s asking of us. A fear of loss might be telling us to appreciate our friends and loved-ones. A fear of loneliness in old age might be encouraging us to cultivate closer connections now. A fear of change might be pointing to a need for more adventure in our life. And a fear of regret? For my guest on this week’s Fearless Forward podcast, Happy Startup School co-founder Laurence McCahill, that fear is a driving force. For Laurence, the very thought of wasting talent, an idea, a dream, or a relationship - drives him to do the opposite. “For many people, the fear of getting it wrong is greater than the fear of regret. But for me it’s always been the other way around. I’d rather get it wrong than not try.” In my conversation with Laurence, I explore where all this comes from. The early-life and intergenerational influences that have guided his purpose and direction. Living most of those years above a pub - various pubs - in North London. And his father’s struggles with alcoholism. Laurence grew up in a world full of warmth, music and belonging – and with conflict and addiction. The former helped him navigate the latter, and they still do. Looking back on his relationship with his father, he’s taking forward not a polished lesson, but a practice of noticing what he’s inherited, keeping what feels true, and trying not to pass on what caused harm. All this and more has informed Laurence’s need to build community - through the Happy Startup School he co-founded 14 years ago with his childhood friend Carlos Saba. Together they create spaces where people can feel more at home, be themselves, and be curious and open-minded. “We create what we most need in the world, I believe. And one of the joys of this work [for me] is connecting great people and seeing what unfolds.” If you’re looking for a story that’s inspiring and deeply human, I hope you'll give this episode a listen. This episode will help you: Hear how to prioritise long-term happiness, purpose, and genuine human connection over traditional corporate metrics when building a meaningful business. Discover how to create safe, human-centric environments that foster authentic relationships, trust, and organic collaboration among like-minded leaders. Learn to cultivate self-acceptance and trust in your own value so you can lead authentically without trying to fit into rigid industry expectations. Highlights: [00:00:34] Introducing Laurence McCahill [00:01:55] Growing Up in a Pub [00:03:52] Navigating Conflict and a Father's Temper [00:04:40] Early Career Disconnect [00:07:25] A Father's Influence and Irish Heritage [00:09:12] Understanding His Father's Struggles [00:12:36] Compassion and Hindsight [00:14:25] Conversations About the Past [00:18:10] Parenting with Conscious Intention [00:22:31] Creating Experiences Over Owning Things [00:25:28] The "Anti-Career" and Finding Purpose [00:28:46] The Problem with Traditional Networking [00:31:32] The Birth of the Happy Startup School [00:35:02] The Ongoing Quest for Happiness [00:39:08] The Joy and Frustration of Building Community [00:40:14] The Power of Trust [00:42:57] Facing the Fear of Loss and Regret [00:46:12] The Gift of Being Yourself [00:50:21] What "Fearless Forward" Means Links: Laurence's LinkedIn Website: The Happy Startup School TED talk: The Art of Being Yourself by Caroline McHugh