I Shouldn't Say This, But...

A TED talk was on my vision board for this year. So when I was asked to speak at TEDx Trafford this November, I was thrilled, but when I started the process I was surprised by just what it takes to get on that stage. So for this week's episode, I'm joined by TEDx Trafford Curator Martina Witter to throw back the curtain on what really goes on behind the scenes. Martina had her first TEDx licence application rejected outright, but rather than treating that as a final no, she used it as information to try again and successfully put on the very first TEDx Trafford last year. In this episode we discuss: 🎤 The difference between TED and TEDx, and how a curator's values shape the whole event 💡 Why TEDx isn't looking for speakers, it's looking for one idea worth spreading (not ten, as I found out the hard way) 📋 The TEDx framework: 8–18 minutes, grounded in science, no politics, religion or plugging your business, and a powerful hook within the first 60 seconds 🧠 Why coaching starts months in advance, and how Martina builds psychological safety into it 🎭 The art of TEDx curation, and why the running order is planned around the audience's emotions 👀 What the coaching has changed about how I speak on stage, and a little teaser of my own idea worth spreading (watch this space…) If you've ever thought "I'd love to do a TED talk one day," well this episode is giving you a sneak peak into the process. TEDx Trafford takes place on 21st November. Grab your tickets at tedxtrafford.com or on Eventbrite. I'd love to see you there. 🎙️ Recorded at the beautiful Mollies Manchester. Proudly sponsored by We Are The Allies. Looking for creative firepower, a new skillset or need to get through a backlog of content? The Allies can help!

18 episodes into series 6, and I don't know where the time's gone! This week, to celebrate, I've pulled together my favourite moments from my guests this series. If you'd like to watch any of the episodes in full, scroll down for the links. In this episode: - Kelly Tucker on why your team are "subscribing" to your workplace - Sarah Louise Keane on why we keep playing down our own numbers - Jade Reilly on creatine: what it is and who should take it - Pav Riyat-Ward on what freelancers need to get booked - Ash Jones on personal branding when there are no gatekeepers - Sacha Lord on why he spoke out after a tragedy at Warehouse Project - Heather Elkington on nice vs kind, and why saying the hard thing matters - Liberty Mills on the fertility conversation nobody's having with men Once again, thank you to my sponsor, We Are The Allies 🤝 Launching a new product, working on new creative or tackling a content backlog? We Are The Allies has the biggest and best bank of UK freelancers around. Find out more: https://newbusiness.wearetheallies.com/katyleeson/ Catch up on the full episodes 🎧 Kelly Tucker → https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vSXlrwk4H-k Sarah Louise Keane → https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H9exBcd6MZY Jade Reilly → https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_9UHWIgRqyk Pav Riyat-Ward → https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EMrs-bFaADk Ash Jones → https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZNCzgrs8OEQ Sacha Lord → https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O-Mh7nSdiig Heather Elkington → https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i1_qmqkZMOA Liberty Mills → https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gvLRLU2KFo4 🎙️ Recorded at the beautiful, Mollies Manchester.

When I went on BBC Radio 4's The Bottom Line, someone said that people fear public speaking more than they fear death. It's stuck with me ever since. Because if that's true, most of us are walking into every pitch, presentation and team meeting carrying a fear we've never actually been taught how to handle. So this episode is all about changing that. I'm letting you in on how I, a self-confessed introvert who refused to be in the Social Chain daily vlogs, ended up speaking every single week. In this episode, we get into: - My speaker journey, from winning new business at Social Chain to being signed by Champions Speaker Agency - The coffee with an audience member that gave me my "why" - The best advice I've been given to plan my talks: have data, because you can't argue with data - How to plan the "landing points" in a talk - Why I only talk on topics I have lived experience on - My method for cutting a full script down to the points you have to nail, and how this can practically help you - What's in my boost folder right now, and what I'm manifesting into it for 2027 🎙️ Recorded at the beautiful Mollies Manchester. Proudly sponsored by We Are The Allies, the creative network that makes this podcast possible. Find out more about what they do here: https://newbusiness.wearetheallies.com/katyleeson/

I’m back for another catch-up with my producer Stefan - the second one now, so if you liked the last unfiltered chat, this is more of that. We're covering off everything that’s been going on in my life since the last one: The ‘old man in a grey suit’ MD image that’s followed me since my first imposter syndrome session Flying BA to speak at BA and making someone overcome with an emotion (which was a win, not a fail - trust me!) The shift that’s changed how I run my business thinking not about income I need but as an actual business with a P&L What "quiet" really means for someone who doesn't switch off, Communication across generations, what I learned at Social Chain and how I teach organisations this now Plus, an update on my TEDx announcement - from my vision board in January to now being less than two months away from actually doing it If you've ever wondered what actually goes on behind the scenes of building a business and a podcast at the same time, this one's for you. 🎙️ Recorded at the beautiful Mollie's, Manchester. Proudly sponsored by We Are The Allies. Need creative firepower without the agency overhead? We Are The Allies connect brands with the UK's best freelance talent, fast. No endless briefs, no mismatches, just the right person for the job. Get in touch here. *This episode was recorded at the start of August. We've re-ordered the episodes to publish our Guest episodes first.

At 43, Liberty Mills was told one of your ovaries is empty and you are barren. She could have accepted it. She didn't, having already reversed her lupus diagnosis and gave birth naturally two weeks before turning 25. I sit down with Liberty, a Fertility and Autoimmune Coach, to unpack how she did it and the philosophy she teaches clients: test, don't guess. Before any supplement or protocol, find out what your body is actually doing. We also get into a stat almost nobody talks about: 48% of infertility cases involve a male contributing factor. Plus how stress shows up in the body before you notice it, and Liberty's "golden hour" routine, journaling, movement, and learning something unrelated to your goals, in that order. In this episode: The diagnosis at 43, and the path to a natural conception at 44 Why "test, don't guess" comes before any supplement or pill The overlooked male fertility factor behind that 48% What stress actually does in the body, and the early signs most people miss Liberty's golden hour, step by step The best advice Liberty's ever received, and how she uses it If you've ever been handed scary language about your body and told to just accept it, this one's for you. 🎙️ Recorded at Mollies, Manchester 🙏 Sponsored by We Are The Allies