Clowning Around Podcast

The Podcast to make you laugh and think. Join Emma Stroud and her clown Barbara interviewing experts from all walks of life. They will share their stories, wisdom and wit. This is personal development that will make you laugh and think.

The Final One 06/25/2024

The Final One Join Em on the final episode of Clowning Around.. yes it is true this will be the last episode – find out why and what is next… /episode/index/show/clowningaroundthepodcast/id/31887982

Playing in Many Spaces with Sabah Ahmad 06/18/2024

Playing in Many Spaces with Sabah Ahmad Join Em as we chat to Sabah all things football, queerness, identity, ADHD and success in Playing in Many Spaces – Sabah is a force of nature, a force for good and one of the best guests I have ever had. Enjoy! Follow Sabah: Instagram: / LinkedIn: About Sabah Ahmad: Sabah is a child protection Social Worker by day, and in her spare time she’s a founder and captain of inclusive Manchester based football team Lez Be United. Earlier this year she created, Marta, an inclusive platform for the fans of women’s football with a goal to combat online hate towards the women's game. She has a strong passion for social justice and impact. /episode/index/show/clowningaroundthepodcast/id/31849437

Leadership with Monique Borst 06/11/2024

Leadership with Monique Borst What really makes a good leader? What can we learn from horses? What happens when we open our heart and look into the mirror with kindness? Join Em as she chats to Monique about all this and more. Follow Monique: Instagram: LinkedIn: About Monique Borst: Human WD40. CEO catalyst, strategist and coach. An experienced advisor, Monique takes on collaborative assignments across leadership, growth and change that require a focused dose of energy, insight, independent thinking and intuition. With broad sector experience (finance, design, education, media, wellness) and a strong knowledge-base, growth-oriented leaders work with her to scale and lead business their way, so they can break new ground without breaking themselves. She guides clients holistically, but typically collaborations are arranged around these pillars: Strategy - creating a sustainable, investable proposition. Implementation - setting the business up to grow and scale, talent, marketing, business operations, fundraising. Mindset - the double track of learning: growing your business and yourself. Uncovering and unblocking the unconscious paradigms and beliefs clients hold that are controlling their business and growth. Monique has learned that 90% of the game is played above the shoulders and that businesses thrive when individuals do. She cares deeply about creating a supportive work environment. Monique is one of the people who puts the passion into compassionate: she believes in thoughtfulness.  /episode/index/show/clowningaroundthepodcast/id/31704672

Spiritual Leadership and adventure with Josh Zweig 05/28/2024

Spiritual Leadership and adventure with Josh Zweig How can you really lead from a place of deep growth and include adventure in your life? Em and Josh chat all this and so much more. Hear a founders journey to really living the life he wants. Follow Josh: Facebook: Instagram: LinkedIn: Twitter: About Josh Zweig: As the largest online accounting firm in Canada, our vision is to build a great place to work and make a life worth living. A workplace which allows you to grow professionally and balance your career with the other important aspects of your life. That idea of continuous professional growth and improvement extends to our customers and it's what motivates us to constantly think about how to improve the customer experience. Working together with a team that shares that vision is what continues to inspire me each day. I graduated from the Richard Ivey School of Business and spent a number of years in public practice at both a national and mid-size CPA firm where I received both my CPA, CA designations as well as a public accounting license. I like to take advantage of this whole “work from anywhere” thing, and enjoy exploring the world with my backpack, guitar and laptop. /episode/index/show/clowningaroundthepodcast/id/31501882

Moods and Emotions with Rachael Edmondson 05/21/2024

Moods and Emotions with Rachael Edmondson We all have them. Some we like, some we struggle with – what can we do to change our relationship to moods and emotions so we can live a more easeful life. We all need to know how we can be in charge of ourselves and what we can do to truly look after how we feel. Join Em as she chats to Rachel as they explore their own relationships with moods and how they have learnt to be curious and change how they show up in their lives. They talk this and so much more. Follow Rachel: About Rachael: Rachael is a certified Coach, and practitioner of Neuro-Linguistic Programming® and MBTI®, she has a Masters in Marketing and Management, and a proven record as a trusted performance consultant for high-profile brands spanning seven, eight, and nine figures. She is also an international speaker and current Vice President of the Professional Speaking Association UK & Ireland. /episode/index/show/clowningaroundthepodcast/id/31405272

Connecting with Susan McPherson 05/14/2024

Connecting with Susan McPherson How do we really connect with each other? Why does this matter? How can we get better at connecting to help us in life and business. Join Em as she chats to the author of The Lost Art of Connecting Susan Mcpherson in a truly insightful and engaging conversations – plus you will learn some very cool stuff about Dolphins... they really do know how to connect! Follow Susan: Instagram: LinkedIn: Twitter: About Susan McPherson: Susan McPherson is a serial connector, seasoned communicator and founder and CEO of McPherson Strategies, a communications consultancy focused on the intersection of brands and social impact. She is the author of The Lost Art of Connecting: The Gather, Ask, Do Method for Building Meaningful Relationships. Susan has 25+ years of experience in marketing, public relations, and sustainability communications, speaking regularly at industry conferences, and contributing to the Harvard Business Review, Fast Company, and Forbes. She has appeared on NPR and CNN, and has been featured in USA Today, The New Yorker, New York magazine, and the Los Angeles Times. Susan is a Vital Voices global corporate ambassador and has received numerous accolades for her voice on social media platforms from Fortune Magazine, Fast Company, and Elle Magazine. She resides in Brooklyn. Her book: /episode/index/show/clowningaroundthepodcast/id/31292007

Navigating Change with Alexis Boyett 05/07/2024

Navigating Change with Alexis Boyett How do we navigate change? When we are really changing right now what do we do, how can we make our self feel safe and how can we find the bravery to change. We chat this and so much more with Alexis who is right in the middle of changing her worlds.. It is honest, open and truly inspiring. I hope you love it as much as I did. To follow Alexis as she grows, shifts and changes… Follow Alexis Boyett: Instagram - /episode/index/show/clowningaroundthepodcast/id/31177482

How do you Present Yourself? 04/30/2024

How do you Present Yourself? Join Em on this short, solo episode as she reflets on how she presents herself, how to self reflect and why it matters. Course can be bought /episode/index/show/clowningaroundthepodcast/id/31098658

AI and Impro with Piotr Mirowski 04/23/2024

AI and Impro with Piotr Mirowski How can AI play with Improvisation? What is it like to create shows with AI? What are the joyous moments that this unlikely partnership creates? Join Em as she chats to Piotr one of the creators of Improbotics (A show Em guest performs with) We chat this and how the technology is developing to create even more amazing theatre Follow Piotr: Facebook: Instagram:     LinkedIn:   Twitter:      About Piotr Mirowski: Since 2016, we have been pioneering improvised theater and comedy with the most unlikely cast member, a robot powered by artificial intelligence. We performed around 300 shows in the UK, Canada, Sweden, Belgium, US, France, Germany, the Netherlands, Norway, Belgium, Bulgaria, Romania, most times in person and sometimes online in a virtual reality environment designed by ourselves. We also addressed the thorny issues of risks from AI, ranging from the most hyped and apocalyptic ones, to the actual ones that involve the propagation of fake news, reinforcement of existing biases, and consequences for artistic agency and ownership. We have made our AI ourselves, and we regularly publish academic research on how humans interact with computers. Our shows are a form of public engagement about science but also a celebration of maker culture fused with making things up in improv. We illustrate a new, play for and I'm powering use of AI as a tool to stimulate human creativity and simply to have a lot of fun and silliness on a theatre stage.  /episode/index/show/clowningaroundthepodcast/id/30953688

Spoken Word with Peju Abuchi 04/16/2024

Spoken Word with Peju Abuchi How can the power of the spoken word really change you? How can you engage with language so it affects hearts and minds? This week join Em as she chats to the brilliant Peju who is an amazing spoken word artist – they explore connection, deep joy, how words can be a calling and so much more. Contact Peju: Website: Linked in: You can buy copies of her book here: /episode/index/show/clowningaroundthepodcast/id/30858223

Magic and the Brain with Dr Ben Levy 04/02/2024

Magic and the Brain with Dr Ben Levy How do you experience magic? What does it do to your brain? How can you be both a Psychologist and a Magician and how do those worlds come together? We chat this and so much more on this weeks episode of the podcast. Follow Ben: LinkedIn: About Dr Ben Levy: Ben is a Psychologist specialising in goal achievement. He’s developed a new methodology to make teams more effective. Oh yes, he’s also a professional magician. On this podcast, Ben might talk about his methodology, his magic, or Brian McClair. Don’t get him started on Brian McClair. In 2021, Ben had a jolting realisation. You only need five things in place to achieve your goals...no matter what they are. As a result, Ben created a completely new approach to improving outcomes, ABC ME. He is currently consulting with four companies using the ABC ME methodology, and getting great feedback. Ben also coaches individuals using this unique system. And he’s part of Arianna Huffington’s Thrive Global coaching team. On evenings and weekends, Ben rips off his shirt, gets into a tux and performs magic at private and corporate events. Seriously /episode/index/show/clowningaroundthepodcast/id/30656913

Stop Hiding behind the masks 03/19/2024

Stop Hiding behind the masks Join Em as she chats all things masks. These are not the funny masks nor the face mask kind. This is Em sharing how for many many years she felt compelled to wear a mask to hide who she was. To be who she thought others wanted her to be and how overtime she has learnt to put these masks down and be who she is in all situations. /episode/index/show/clowningaroundthepodcast/id/30449223

Resilience with Angie Read 03/12/2024

Resilience with Angie Read How resilant do you need to be to overcome two strokes? How can we reclaim this word so it really lands and is not just a term that is used so lightly? Join Em as she chats to the amazing Angie – her story will surprise you and connect with you deeply. If you have ever been challenged then this episode will help you understand how far you have already come and so much more. Follow Angie: LinkedIn: About Angie Read: Angie Read is a two-time stroke survivor turned author, speaker, and professional life coach. Herstrokes, and the debilitating anxiety and depression they brought forward, forced her to take agood look at her life and reevaluate what truly matters. After a nearly 30-year career incorporate communications and public relations, she’s pivoted to something much more fulfilling--helping other stroke survivors reclaim their confidence. From her pain, she’s found herpurpose. Find her at /episode/index/show/clowningaroundthepodcast/id/30352098

Making a Spectacle of Yourself with Laura Murphy 03/05/2024

Making a Spectacle of Yourself with Laura Murphy Join Em and award winning performance artist Laura as they chat all things shows, bravery, creativity and so much more. If you have ever been curious to discover how one woman shows are created then listen in – if you have ver been curious about how we can all make a Spectacle of ourselves and why that can be a good thing then you will love this chat. Follow Laura: Instagram: @ Twitter: @ About Laura Murphy: Laura Murphy is a genre-defying, award-winning, performance maker from Bristol, who makes text driven and dynamic physical work about things that they think need to be talked about.  Internationally recognised for their innovative approach to circus and performance making, Murphy’s work is a cross-disciplinary fusion of theatre, aerial choreography, live art, dance and verbal explosions, which integrates intimacy and spectacle. They are the co-artistic director of theatre company Contra Productions, which they run in collaboration with Nicole A’Court Stuart. Proudly queer and neurodivergent, Laura’s work traverses the personal and the political, connecting the everyday and autobiographical testimony to wider global and social issues.  When they aren’t making theatre, Laura likes hanging out with her partner and dogs and listening to techno. /episode/index/show/clowningaroundthepodcast/id/30248148

Entrepreneurship with Erica Birtles 02/20/2024

Entrepreneurship with Erica Birtles Join Em as she is joined by Erica a powerhouse of a young entrepreneur who I creating huge waves in the world of EDI – we chat all things business journey, how she likes working with her dad and how we can all be a little bit braver… Follow Erica: LinkedIn: About Erica Birtles: Erica is the Interim CEO of the UWI, a social enterprise helping to connect the seekers and solvers of workforce topics in order to drive positive change in the workplace. Through their UWI:Hub community app, events and initiatives, Erica and her team are empowering businesses and their leaders to move the dial on their DEI, Future of Work and Culture initiatives. /episode/index/show/clowningaroundthepodcast/id/30037488

Stay on your own path 02/13/2024

Stay on your own path Join Em as she shares how she is choosing to stay on her own path. Why it is important that we alldo that and how we can be truly brave when we stick to where we want to go. /episode/index/show/clowningaroundthepodcast/id/29909858

Free Up Time for What Matters Most with Alexis Kingsbury 02/06/2024

Free Up Time for What Matters Most with Alexis Kingsbury How can you as business owner really find time for what matters? How can you truly create the life you want? Join Em as she chats this and so much more with the fab Alexis! Follow Alexis: Facebook: Instagram: LinkedIn: Twitter: About Alexis Kingsbury: Alexis always wanted to be either a comedian, or a business owner like his childhood hero, Richard Branson. After being booed off stage when telling jokes at a school talent show, Alexis started his first business aged 12 — four years earlier than Branson! However, Alexis then failed to grow any of his six(!) businesses all the way through school and University. His most successful business closed after a visit from the police. His early failures lead to him fear hiring people and so he nearly gave up completely. Even his wife and mother were telling him to wake up and let go of the dream. Fast forward 10 years, Alexis is now an award-winning entrepreneur, with two software businesses and a consulting practice, serving over 600 organizations around the world, including well known brands such as Sony, 3M, Swarovski, Fitness First, and Pepsi. Alexis is passionate about freeing up time for business leaders so they can spend it on what matters most. Through his work as Founder of AirManual, Alexis has saved 1,000s of hours of time for business owners and their leaders each year, enabling them to unlock business’ growth, and scale with less stress. In his own businesses, he has removed himself from day-to-day operations, allowing him to go on a 6-week road trip across Europe whilst his businesses continued to operate and grow. /episode/index/show/clowningaroundthepodcast/id/29830128

Natural World with Sophie Darlington 01/30/2024

Natural World with Sophie Darlington Natural World with Sophie Darlington How can we all shift our perspective on the natural world? What can we learn from someone who has made her career documenting the natural world? What are the moments that have taken her breathe away while in the natural world? Join Em as she chats this and so much more with the fab Sophie. Follow Sophie: Instagram: LinkedIn: Twitter: About Sophie Darlington: Sophie left the UK at age 19 and moved to Tanzania to chase a dream of wildlife filmmaking. That was 30 years ago, where she was one of a handful of female filmmakers working in the wild. Today, she is a BAFTA-award winner who has held the door open for other women to follow in her footsteps. She is actively and passionately involved in mentoring, public speaking & increasing diversity in wildlife filmmaking. Sophie has an outstanding reputation as a highly experienced self-shooting cinematographer specialising in long lens camerawork, beautiful composition, high speed and animal behaviour. She has worked on many feature films for Disney Nature, BBC Earth and The Discovery Channel as well as landmark television series for The BBC, Netflix, National Geographic, CBS, PBS & The Discovery Channel. /episode/index/show/clowningaroundthepodcast/id/29721418

Episode 200! 01/23/2024

Episode 200! Join Em as she reflects on Clowning Around’s 200 episodes! It’s a short, joyful episode! /episode/index/show/clowningaroundthepodcast/id/29614413

Simplicity with Ben Guttmann 01/16/2024

Simplicity with Ben Guttmann Simplicity with Ben Guttmann How can we make our lives more simple? How can we make our businesses more simple and why should we? Join Em as she chats to Ben about all things Simple and why it will help you in your life and your business! Follow Ben: Instagram: LinkedIn: About Ben Guttmann: Ben Guttmann is a marketing and communications expert and author of Simply Put: Why Clear Messages Win — and How to Design Them. He’s an experienced marketing executive and educator on a mission to get leaders to more effectively connect by simplifying their message. Ben is former co-founder and managing partner at Digital Natives Group, an award-winning agency that worked with the NFL, I Love NY, Comcast NBCUniversal, The Nature Conservancy, and other major clients. Currently, Ben teaches digital marketing at Baruch College in New York City and consults with a range of thought leaders, venture-backed startups, and other brands. Simply Put Book: Free Chapter: /episode/index/show/clowningaroundthepodcast/id/29512413

Society with Leigh Vallance 01/09/2024

Society with Leigh Vallance Leigh is one of the most remarkable people I have met – we chat her story and how she sees Society from her perspective of Hospice CEO – you really are in for a treat. Follow Leigh: Facebook: Instagram: Twitter/X: LinkedIn: About Leigh Vallance: Leigh has been a CEO for over 20 years working for organisations both large and small, operating at local, regional and national level, in areas of activity ranging from: looked after children; families in crisis; domestic violence; homelessness; urban and rural community development, autism, learning disabilities, mental health; and specialist health care before joining the hospice in 2012. /episode/index/show/clowningaroundthepodcast/id/29140308

End of Year Solo Episode 12/19/2023

End of Year Solo Episode Em ends this year with a brief short reflection on all things 23. /episode/index/show/clowningaroundthepodcast/id/29147388

Allyship with Humour with Shivani Nadarajah 12/12/2023

Allyship with Humour with Shivani Nadarajah How can you bring more humour into all elelemtns of your business? How can use more humour and light in work and what difference will it make? We chat this and so much more with the fab Shivani.. Her new comedy show can be watched here!! Follow Shivani: Facebook: Instagram: LinkedIn: About Shivani Nadarajah: How do you retain and attract diverse talent? Organizations world wide are all working on this initiative without really moving the needle. Shivani Nadarajah, Senior HR Director of Cytiva and part time storytelling comedian believes allyship is the answer to retaining and attracting talent. Shivani’s first comedy special will be released by DryBar comedy early 2024. She has also developed a keynote presentation on “how to tell a work appropriate joke: How to use humor to bring your authentic self to the work place without getting in trouble with HR” /episode/index/show/clowningaroundthepodcast/id/29038313

Soul FULL Ness with Shelley Paxton 12/05/2023

Soul FULL Ness with Shelley Paxton How can you create a life full of the brilliant things that will make your Soul Full? How and why should you put in the effort to do this? Join Em in this most joyful of inspiring chats with the fab Shelley… its so good there is going to be another.. Follow Shelley: Instagram: LinkedIn: About Shelley Paxton: Think Brené Brown meets Biker Babe, with a dash of Liz Gilbert. As former Chief Marketing Officer of Harley-Davidson, Shelley Paxton found herself at the top of the proverbial mountain feeling success-EMPTY instead of success-FULL. That awakening led her on a profound journey that became her mission, business, and Simon & Schuster-published bestselling book, Soulbbatical: A Corporate Rebel's Guide to Finding Your Best Life. She’s leading a REBELution to rewrite the script of success. Shelley’s work has been featured on NBC, CBS, Forbes, Thrive Global, Inc., Business Insider, Yahoo!, and other high profile media platforms. She’s based in Chicago (when not indulging her wanderlust) and is obsessed with mental health advocacy and the color orange. /episode/index/show/clowningaroundthepodcast/id/28938378

Coming Together with Jake Dubbins 11/28/2023

Coming Together with Jake Dubbins Follow Jake: LinkedIn: Twitter: About Jake Dubbins: Co-founder and Managing Director of Media Bounty, on a mission to be the leading independent ethical creative and media agency by 2026. We grow sustainable and ethical brands and businesses through deep insight, business and brand strategy, outstanding creative and transparent media planning and buying. Clients include New Automotive, Make My Money Matter, Bodyform, Ocean Spray, Crackd, AQA, Kind Snacks, RoC Skincare and Terry's Chocolate Orange. I am a passionate advocate of business as driver of social good. Media Bounty has funded the purchase of over 700 acres of critically threatened habitat through World Land Trust and the agency team volunteer for environmental, homeless and social cohesion charities. I am also co-chair of the Conscious Advertising Network (CAN), a cross industry group that believe that the ethics must now catch up with the technology of modern advertising. /episode/index/show/clowningaroundthepodcast/id/28846633

Magic of Media with Jon Card 11/21/2023

Magic of Media with Jon Card How can we create more Magic in the media? How can we tell really brilliant stories of really brilliant people? How can you get your stories told in the media? We chat this and so much more on this weeks episode! Follow Jon: LinkedIn: About Jon Card: Jon Card is a media strategist and the author of How to Make Your Company Famous. He has worked as a business journalist for The Guardian, Daily Telegraph and The Times. He now uses his media skills to help mission-led entrepreneurs gain the attention they deserve. He also works as a professional speaker helping companies to communicate better with his Fleet Street Test. /episode/index/show/clowningaroundthepodcast/id/28749508

Sisterhood with Chloe Davies 11/14/2023

Sisterhood with Chloe Davies Why does Sisterhood matter? What happens when you are truly in a Sisterhood and how can it make you feel? Join Em as she chats to Chloe about all this and so much more – expect laughs, truly brilliant words of wisdom and a lot of fab chat. Follow Chloe: LinkedIn: Instagram: About Chloe Davies: With over 20 years of experience in various business sectors, I am a founder, consultant, and leader who is passionate about creating and sustaining inclusive cultures within the workplace and society. I believe that community is the heart of everything, and I seek to empower and celebrate the diverse talents and experiences of underrepresented groups, especially Black women and LGBTQ+ people. As the founder of It Takes A Village, a collective for Black women in advertising, media, and marketing, I work with partners to amplify the voices and visibility of this demographic and to create opportunities for their professional growth and recognition. As a social impact consultant, I advise and support social enterprises, organisations and charities on their cultural strategy, inclusion and stakeholder engagement. I am also an ambassador for Mental Health First Aid England, a director at the London LGBTQ+ Community Centre Project, and a member of several and organisations that promote gender equality, diversity, and inclusion. Through my work, I aim to change the world for my sons and future generations. /episode/index/show/clowningaroundthepodcast/id/28648438

Women In Business with Victoria Armstrong 11/07/2023

Women In Business with Victoria Armstrong How can we think differently about Women In Business? What can we learn from Victoria and her attitude to business? What can we do to support more women become founders? Join Em as she chat to Victoria about all this and so much more… Follow Victoria: Instagram: LinkedIn: Twitter: About Victoria Armstrong: Victoria is a serial successful founder and Angel Investor from NZ,. She is currently COO for a Cyber tech company. On the board of Female Founders Rise (Emmie Faust)....growing hugely in less than a year. /episode/index/show/clowningaroundthepodcast/id/28551779

Culture with Matt Fletcher 10/31/2023

Culture with Matt Fletcher How can you create a brilliant culture in your business? What are the things you need to consider to create a truly brilliant place to work – join Em and Barbara as we chat to Matt who is quite simply brilliant! Follow Matt: LinkedIn: Twitter: @ About Matt Fletcher: Co-founder of Fivium, a software company who are on a mission to improve the life of the public sector through better technology whilst creating the best possible place to work for our people. Also a husband and proud dad. /episode/index/show/clowningaroundthepodcast/id/28478645

Black Women In Leadership with Elizabeth Anyaegbuna 10/24/2023

Black Women In Leadership with Elizabeth Anyaegbuna In Black History Month Em is joined by the fab Elizabeth – we talk all things Leading as A Black Woman, we talk her journey and what inspires her to be the fabulous human she is – we also talk challenges in the business world and so much more… Follow Elizabeth: Instagram: @ / @ LinkedIn: About Elizabeth Anyaegbuna: Elizabeth, a shining star in UK and African media with over 20 years under her belt. She secured high-value partnerships with big brands like 20th Century Fox, NFL, Nike and Adidas. With stellar experience at media giants Sky, Viacom, Turner and A+E Networks, she pioneered ad sales for African broadcaster GTV across 50 countries in Sub-Saharan Africa - how brilliant is that? She is an entrepreneur extraordinaire as Co-founder of indie 16x9media – a strategy, planning and production media agency. Elizabeth is super passionate about social justice and advocates loudly for diversity and inclusion in media fueled by her studies in Eng Lit and Law and a Masters in Law & Justice. She's a Founding Partner of Join Our Table, getting more Black women access in marketing, media and advertising. Our girl is President of Bloom UK, on the Mediacat editorial board, and made the 2022 IPA iList for her kick-arse DEI work. Tune in for all the insights from this female media powerhouse! /episode/index/show/clowningaroundthepodcast/id/28417538

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