Act Like an Owner — How Culture Really Gets Built
The Executive Edge
Episode 227 Released February 19, 2026 With Greg Hawks, Corporate Culture Specialist What if the problem with employee engagement isn't the disengaged — it's the people you've been tolerating? That's the starting point for this week's conversation with Greg Hawks, corporate culture specialist, keynote speaker, and author of Act Like an Owner: Five Unlocks for Creating Culture People Love and Results People Need. Greg has spent 15 years helping organisations build environments where people genuinely buy in — and his framework is built around three types of employee. Owners, Renters,...
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Developing a Future-Ready Mindset with Allister Frost
The Executive Edge
Episode 226 Released February 5, 2026 In this episode, Sue Firth talks with about why cultivating a future-ready mindset is essential for leaders navigating constant change—and how to do it without feeling overwhelmed. About Allister Frost Allister spent ten years in traditional manufacturing before joining Microsoft, where Bill Gates' philosophy—"If it works, it's obsolete"—transformed his thinking about innovation. For the past 15 years, he has worked as a consultant, speaker and coach, helping individuals and organisations thrive amid relentless transformation. His mission: to...
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The Leadership We Need - with Maria Brinck
The Executive Edge
Episode 225 Released January 22, 2026 Episode Overview In this episode, I'm joined by , leadership consultant, public speaker, and author of The Leadership We Need. Maria shares her remarkable journey from corporate America to the rainforests of Cameroon, and explains why the leadership models we've relied upon for generations are no longer fit for purpose. This is an essential conversation for any leader ready to challenge conventional thinking and create meaningful, lasting change. About Maria Brinck Maria Brinck is the founder of Zynergy International and a certified StrengthsFinder...
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Selling Your Business: What Nobody Tells You About Letting Go
The Executive Edge
Episode 224 Released January 8, 2026 This week I’m joined by , a fellow Vistage member who’s been on quite a journey – from building a manufacturing business with his brother over nearly two decades, through its sale, to running a funeral director businesses in Kent. through acquisitions, post-acquisition challenges, and the transition out of businesses. What struck me most was James’s honesty about the emotional reality of selling a business. We hear the success stories – the champagne corks, the celebration – but rarely what comes next. James opens up about what he...
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Building Culture Through Strategic Internal Communication
The Executive Edge
Episode 223 Released December 11, 2025 Guest: Alejandra Ramirez, Founder of Ready Cultures Episode Overview In this episode, Sue is joined by Alejandra Ramirez, an internal communications specialist with nearly 20 years of experience helping service-driven businesses shape their culture from the inside out. Together, they explore why so many organisations struggle to turn their values into lived reality—and what leaders can do about it. The Culture Gap We've all seen it: values proudly displayed on office walls that bear little resemblance to how things actually work day-to-day....
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Leading with Emotional Intelligence
The Executive Edge
Episode 222 Released November 27, 2025 Audio Quality Note Please note: Due to technical difficulties with the host's microphone during recording, Sue's audio quality is below our usual standard. We've chosen to release this episode despite these challenges because the conversation offers valuable insights that we believe are too important to delay. We appreciate your understanding and patience. Episode Overview In this conversation, Swedish-born CEO and leadership coach Andreas Pettersson shares his transformative approach to leadership that prioritizes emotional intelligence,...
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Turning Adversity Into Leadership – with Ted Santos
The Executive Edge
Episode 221 Released November 13, 2025 Guest: Ted Santos, Business Strategist and Founder of Turnaround Investment Partners ----- In this episode, I sat down with Ted Santos, a business strategist who has pioneered a disruptive leadership model that challenges how executives think about change, adversity, and organisational transformation. Ted’s approach isn’t just theoretical – it’s forged from personal experience that would break most people. The Power of Early Adversity Ted’s story begins with tragedy. At just 21, he lost his mother and found himself responsible for his younger...
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Building Your Resilience Plan – with Dr. Marie-Hélène Pelletier
The Executive Edge
Episode 220 Released 2025-10-30 Building Your Resilience Plan with Dr. Marie-Hélène Pelletier Guest: Dr. Marie-Hélène Pelletier, Workplace Mental Health Expert, Psychologist, and Speaker If you're a busy, I suspect you've already spotted yourself in this scenario: demands are increasing, deadlines are looming, and your natural response is to lean in harder, work longer hours, and push through with the same tools that have got you here. In this conversation, I sit down with Dr. Marie-Hélène Pelletier to unpack why this instinct—whilst understandable—is precisely what leads...
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Mastering Salary Negotiation with John Gates
The Executive Edge
Episode 219 Released 2025-10-16 Guest: John Gates, Founder of Salary Coach Episode Summary I sit down with veteran recruiter , who shares over 30 years of insider knowledge on salary negotiation. With 75,000+ job offers under his belt, John reveals why 80% of people don't negotiate at all—and how much money they're leaving on the table. This episode is packed with practical techniques you can use immediately to maximize your compensation. Key Takeaways Why People Don't Negotiate Fear of losing the opportunity trumps everything else Most people lowball themselves at the first pay...
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Grasping Confidence with Tara Lafon Gooch
The Executive Edge
Episode 218 Released 2025-10-02 Episode Overview In this episode of The Executive Edge, host Sue Firth sits down with confidence coach and entrepreneur to discuss building authentic confidence, personal branding, and the transformative power of gratitude. Tara shares her journey from corporate burnout to becoming a TEDx speaker, author, and CEO, offering practical strategies for anyone looking to step into their power and purpose. Key Topics Discussed From Corporate Success to Personal Fulfillment Tara's 2022 turning point as a corporate sales director The difference between external success...
info_outlineEpisode 218
Released 2025-10-02
Episode Overview
In this episode of The Executive Edge, host Sue Firth sits down with confidence coach and entrepreneur Tara Lafon Gooch to discuss building authentic confidence, personal branding, and the transformative power of gratitude. Tara shares her journey from corporate burnout to becoming a TEDx speaker, author, and CEO, offering practical strategies for anyone looking to step into their power and purpose.
Key Topics Discussed
From Corporate Success to Personal Fulfillment
- Tara's 2022 turning point as a corporate sales director
- The difference between external success and internal fulfillment
- Recognizing when it's time for transformation
The Foundation of Confidence
- How childhood experiences shape our confidence levels
- The seed analogy: understanding your inherent purpose and potential
- Why external validation isn't enough for lasting confidence
The GRASP Method
- Gratitude: Rewiring your brain and taking control of your internal environment
- Responsibility: Developing an ownership mentality
- Action: Moving from theory to application
- Sight: The power of visualization and seeing your future self
- Purpose: Aligning with your natural strengths and fulfillment
Building Your Personal Brand
- Overcoming the fear of visibility and judgment
- Why consistency matters more than perfection
- The "one moonshot a day" philosophy
The TEDx Journey
- Landing a TEDx talk before publishing her book
- Choosing ideas with global resonance
- How TEDx became a launching pad for bigger opportunities
Practical Takeaways
- Start and end each day with gratitude to bookend your life in thankful acknowledgment
- Use "ninja mindset moves" to interrupt negative thought patterns
- Take one daring action every single day (365 moonshots = guaranteed results)
- Control your internal environment first when external circumstances feel overwhelming
- Remember: You can't be what you can't see—visualization is essential
Key Quotes
"Without that contrast of darkness, it can be hard to appreciate and have perspective," - Tara
"If I was to give you 10 million today but you're not going to wake up tomorrow, you don't care so much about 10 million. Every single day you wake up, you won the lottery." - Tara
"An ounce of doing is worth more than a pound of theorizing." - Wallace D. Wattles
"You can't be what you can't see." - Marian Wright Edelman
"You don't need anybody else; you just need you. You have all the tools and purpose within you already." - Tara
About Tara Lafong Gooch
Tara is a confidence coach, TEDx speaker, author, and CEO of Best Branding Solutions. She helps authors, speakers, and thought leaders build their personal brands through coaching, podcasting, and speaking engagements. Her upcoming book focuses on confidence in leadership, applying the GRASP method to team development.
Connect with Tara
- Website: TaraLaFonGooch.com
- LinkedIn: Available for connection (self-proclaimed frequent user!)
- Social Media: YouTube, Facebook
- Company: Best Branding Solutions
Resources Mentioned
- TEDx Nottingham talk on confidence and gratitude
- Book: How to deliver and market a TEDx talk
- Upcoming book: Confidence in Leadership (using the GRASP method)
- The Science of Getting Rich by Wallace D. Wattles (1910)
The Executive Edge provides practical skills you can apply to achieve and maintain success in life and business.