This is a reflection episode where I look back on two very different conversations I had with former Typhoon Fighter Pilot, Helen Seymour and Animal Enrichment Specialist, Mark Kingston Jones.

I walk through three top things that came up for me from these discussions:

1. Building confidence in SELF and TOPIC

2️. Speaking up about what you do

3️. Collaboration and communication

These conversations re-enforced for me how important it is to practice being confident by taking action and pushing past comfort zones. It also reminded me of the importance of clear and transparent communication and I walked away with a few things that I want to shift in my own life and work.

Join me as I reflect on these two marvellous professionals contributions to the conversations.

Come chat to me on social media:

Instagram : @shelleyrostlund Or LinkedIn: /shelleyrostlund

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𝗦𝗛𝗘𝗟𝗟𝗘𝗬 𝗥𝗢̈𝗦𝗧𝗟𝗨𝗡𝗗 𝗕𝗜𝗢:

Shelley is a systems-led personal brand strategist working with knowledge experts…those who teach, educate, consult, advise or mentor others. Her specialism is in helping her clients to uncover their genius gifts which the world needs and translate that into something that can be marketed and communicated in a way that’s comfortable for them.

South African born and British-grown, Shelley has worked with 150+ brands across 30+ industries through her consultancy and agency work. She runs her specialist marketing agency Harbour 32, with her magically gifted friends, where they focus on personal brand strategy and podcast show positioning.

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All episodes are video recorded and can be watched in the website show notes at shelleyrostlund.com/podcast, or on YouTube. (Click here for the full audio transcribed version).

Part of my series: ‘Real life Personal Brand Examples’.

I chat to Mark Kingston Jones, an Animal Enrichment specialist, who delivers talks and workshops around the world – educating keepers and animal professionals on the importance of enrichment on the lives of animals.

Even after 20 years of doing this kind of work - he still gets his biggest buzz from seeing how the animals interact with the devices once they are installed.

In this conversation you’ll get to hear how he navigated from studying psychology, then moving into the research of animal behaviour and welfare, to running a business today that focuses on building enrichment devices for zoos, safari parks and sanctuaries around the world.

You’ll also hear how he is fairing marketing himself and his business in a world that has many challenges around funding and restrictive systemic issues – not to mention the welfare of the animals and the keepers as working parts of the whole.

Do come listen. Mark is very passionate about his work and it was a delight to get insight into his world.

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𝗚𝗨𝗘𝗦𝗧 𝗕𝗜𝗢:

Mark Kingston Jones is an Animal Enrichment specialist with a psychology degree and a deep focus on the welfare of the animals, enriching their environments, and educating their keepers.

His educational work includes leading Environmental Enrichment courses for students wishing to go into the industry, and delivering keeper workshops around the USA, Europe and the UK.

Academically he’s authored and co-authored numerous publications and presented talks and workshops at professional conferences internationally. And, as part of his commitment to his field, he advises the Animal Behaviour and Training Working Group of the British and Irish Association of Zoos and Aquariums (BIAZA); is an instructor for the American Association of Zoos & Aquariums (AZA).

He runs a business called Team Building With Bite with his co-founder and friend Chris Hales where they have designed and delivered more than 300 unique team building workshops to corporate teams. Clients participate in building enrichment devices for animals that need them, and for keepers who are grateful for improving the life for their animals.

𝗦𝗛𝗘𝗟𝗟𝗘𝗬 𝗥𝗢̈𝗦𝗧𝗟𝗨𝗡𝗗 𝗕𝗜𝗢:

Shelley is a systems-led personal brand strategist working with knowledge experts…those who teach, educate, consult, advise or mentor others. Her specialism is in helping her clients to uncover their genius gifts which the world needs and translate that into something that can be marketed and communicated in a way that’s comfortable for them.

South African born and British-grown, Shelley has worked with 150+ brands across 30+ industries through her consultancy and agency work. She runs her specialist marketing agency Harbour 32, with her magically gifted friends, where they focus on personal brand strategy and podcast shows for in-demand subject matter experts.

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All episodes are video recorded and can be watched in the website show notes at shelleyrostlund.com/podcast, or on YouTube. (Click here for the full audio transcribed version).

Part of my series: ‘Real life Personal Brand Examples’.

I chat to Former Typhoon Fighter Pilot Helen Seymour, who comes on the show to share a small part of career journey and in starting her own business and how she has navigated her way to learning to market herself.

For more than 20 years Helen was actively encouraged NOT to share what her job was and what she did on a day-to-day basis. One because of the confidential nature of the work she was doing in the RAF and also from a personal safety perspective.

In this conversation you’ll get to hear how she had to get her head around actually sharing what she does and also standing up on stages and talking about what it was like being a Typhoon Fighter Pilot.

Her business today – which she started with her friend Rosie who was a navigator on some of her early missions – has managed to transfer their learning from their RAF days and bringing them into to the corporate world.

Do come listen and hear how even Helen, after flying countless dangerous missions through international skies at 9Gs… has experienced imposter syndrome.

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𝗚𝗨𝗘𝗦𝗧 𝗕𝗜𝗢:

Helen Seymour is the first female Eurofighter Typhoon pilot, with more than 20 years of fighter pilot experience in the RAF.

She’s been involved in delivering air defence in the form of Quick Reaction Alert to the UK, Falklands and for NATO in the Baltic States. She has served on operations as part of the liberation of Libya, as well as taken part in, and held, the role of Mission Commander in many multi-national exercises world-wide.

Before she retired from the RAF her final role was as an Evaluator Pilot on the Typhoon Test Squadron; responsible for the safe and effective introduction of new equipment and capability to the war fighter on the Typhoon Force.

This included missile firing, weapon dropping and many complex and highly pressured radar, avionic and test profiles. She was the lead pilot for the Typhoon defensive aids system.

Today, after retiring from the RAF, Helen runs a business with her friend Nic “Rosie” Steevenson who was a navigator on some of her early missions. They deliver high impact keynote talks and workshop training for businesses in safety -critical, high performance industries.

𝗦𝗛𝗘𝗟𝗟𝗘𝗬 𝗥𝗢̈𝗦𝗧𝗟𝗨𝗡𝗗 𝗕𝗜𝗢:

Shelley is a systems-led personal brand strategist working with knowledge experts…those who teach, educate, consult, advise or mentor others. Her specialism is in helping her clients to uncover their genius gifts which the world needs and translate that into something that can be marketed and communicated in a way that’s comfortable for them.

South African born and British-grown, Shelley has worked with 150+ brands across 30+ industries through her consultancy and agency work. She runs her specialist marketing agency Harbour 32, with her magically gifted friends, where they focus on personal brand strategy and podcast show positioning.

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All episodes are video recorded and can be watched in the website show notes at shelleyrostlund.com/podcast, or on YouTube. (Click here for the full audio transcribed version).

This is a reflection episode where I look back on two fascinating conversations I had recently – one with my long-time friend, Penny Hopkinson, and another with Izabela Russell, an audio and podcasting specialist.

I explore three big themes that surfaced from these discussions:

1. Relationship building and communication skills
2. If you have a voice – use it
3. The opportunity that Artificial Intelligence presents

These conversations inspired me to think deeply about what I’m learning in my own life, particularly as I’ve hit a milestone birthday and noticed how my perspective on change, technology and how human connection has and is evolving.

Join me as I explore how these threads weave together to remind us of what really matters in life and work.

Come chat to me on social media:

Instagram : @shelleyrostlund Or LinkedIn: /shelleyrostlund

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𝗦𝗛𝗘𝗟𝗟𝗘𝗬 𝗥𝗢̈𝗦𝗧𝗟𝗨𝗡𝗗 𝗕𝗜𝗢:

Shelley is a systems-led personal brand strategist working with knowledge experts… those who teach, educate, consult, advise or mentor others. Her specialism is in helping her clients to uncover their genius gifts which the world needs and translate that into something that can be marketed and communicated in a way that’s comfortable for them.

South African born and British-grown, Shelley has worked with 150+ brands across 30+ industries through her consultancy and agency work. She runs her specialist marketing agency Harbour 32, with her magically gifted friends, where they focus on personal brand strategy and podcast show positioning.

==================

All episodes are video recorded and can be watched in the website show notes at shelleyrostlund.com/podcast, or on YouTube. (Click here for the full audio transcribed version)

Part of my series: ‘Real life Personal Brand Examples’.

I invite Izabela Russell, CEO of Music Radio Creative (MRC) back on the show to share her career journey and how she has navigated her way to being the podcasting and audio specialist that she is today.

While she started in the banking world many years ago - today she focusses on the cross-section between the corporate and creator world with business podcasting.

She is not only a strong businesswoman founded opinions and views on her field, she is also at the coal face of how artificial intelligence has reshaped her business and given birth to a new business for her husband to focus on alongside MRC.

She's a force of nature and I think you’ll love listening to how she’s navigating this tricky balance of trying to bring more of ‘Izabela’ to the front of how she communicates and markets herself as a professional.

However, she is also incredibly forthright, intelligent, driven, funny, curious and lovable as a person. When you meet her or hear her speak, her sense of self and context in the world she operates in - comes through clearly.

Come listen!

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𝗚𝗨𝗘𝗦𝗧 𝗕𝗜𝗢:

Izabela Russell is the CEO of Music Radio Creative (MRC), a family-owned full-service audio agency and the largest professional voice-over agency in the world.

MRC have been at the forefront of professional audio in the UK, and around the world, since 2005 when Izabela's husband Mike Russell founded the business.

They have 180+ professional voice-over artists they work with to support and deliver on their client’s needs globally.

Their clients range from big brands like Warner Bros, the World Health Organization, FBI, the BBC, as well as thousands of smaller businesses and solopreneurs. They work with businesses, podcasters, radio stations, DJ labels, movie production houses, advertisers, and more.

𝗦𝗛𝗘𝗟𝗟𝗘𝗬 𝗥𝗢̈𝗦𝗧𝗟𝗨𝗡𝗗 𝗕𝗜𝗢:

Shelley is a systems-led personal brand strategist working with knowledge experts… those who teach, educate, consult, advise or mentor others. Her specialism is in helping her clients to uncover their genius gifts which the world needs and translate that into something that can be marketed and communicated in a way that’s comfortable for them.

South African born and British-grown, Shelley has worked with 150+ brands across 30+ industries through her consultancy and agency work. She runs her specialist marketing agency Harbour 32, with her magically gifted friends, where they focus on personal brand strategy and podcast show positioning.

==================

All episodes are video recorded and can be watched in the website show notes at shelleyrostlund.com/podcast, or on YouTube. (Click here for the full audio transcribed version).

Part of my series: ‘Real-life Personal Brand Examples’.

I introduce you to Penny Hopkinson, the UK’s go-to expert on planning and developing ENGAGING Operations Manuals. Her specialism is in the franchise sector which is where I met her back in the early 2000s.

She has written an Amazon No 1 Bestseller called: “Manual Magic: Create the Operations Manual Your Franchisees Need to Succeed.” It is the definitive work of its type, endorsed by the British Franchise Association.

Never to let her 70s stop her, she also founded Manual Magic AI in 2025, which turns her Manual Magic 3-step process into a "Done with You, Done by You' SaaS product, which you can hear more about on the show.

Penny is a treasure trove of stories and she even shares how she was the first woman to get a rare Saudi visa to cross the Saudi Arabian Pipeline route from Muscat to Stuttgart in a rare racing green Chevrolet Camaro, in the late '70s.

Working on your personal brand strategy means digging into the stories that have made you who you are today. Come hear Penny’s.

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𝗚𝗨𝗘𝗦𝗧 𝗕𝗜𝗢:

After training as a trade and tech journalist and international editor in her early working years, and a brief flirtation with public relations, Penny Hopkinson spent over a decade as a socio-economics correspondent and travel writer reporting on the emerging Arabian Gulf States and Saudi Arabia. Here, she interviewed ministers, merchants, and members of the ruling families.

For almost four decades however her professional specialism has been in the world of franchising and licensing - she is the UK’s go-to expert on planning and developing engaging Operations Manuals. She has written an Amazon No 1 Bestseller, “Manual Magic: Create the Operations Manual Your Franchisees Need to Succeed.”

In 2025 she founded Manual Magic AI as a follow-up to her book. This tool turns her Manual Magic 3-step process into a "Done with You, Done by You' SaaS product.

Penny lives with her husband, Steven, in Warwickshire in the UK.

𝗦𝗛𝗘𝗟𝗟𝗘𝗬 𝗥𝗢̈𝗦𝗧𝗟𝗨𝗡𝗗 𝗕𝗜𝗢:

Shelley is a systems-led personal brand strategist working with knowledge experts… those who teach, educate, consult, advise or mentor others. Her specialism is in helping her clients to uncover their genius gifts which the world needs and translate that into something that can be marketed and communicated in a way that’s comfortable for them.

South African born and British-grown, Shelley has worked with 150+ brands across 30+ industries through her consultancy and agency work. She runs her specialist marketing agency Harbour 32, with her magically gifted friends, where they focus on personal brand strategy and podcast show positioning.

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All episodes are video recorded and can be watched in the website show notes at shelleyrostlund.com/podcast, or on YouTube. (Click here for the full audio transcribed version).

I share what I’ve learnt from my conversation with Jake Moore, a Global Cybersecurity Advisor and ITV’s This Morning’s go-to cyber security expert. As well my discussion with Matthew Attfield, a strategic specialist working in the UK healthcare training space.

These two conversations, much like the others in this series will hopefully inspire you to shape a version of yourself that you feel happy sharing with the outside world.

In this episode I share three things that came up for me after reflecting on both Jake and Matthew’s episodes, and those centre around these thoughts:

#1 Openness and curiosity can shape your path

#2 Ideas grow from disparate pieces of information & experiences

#3 Your brain wiring can be an indicator your special talents

Both conversations have urged me to re-think my definition of a subject matter expert, as well as take on board some of the tips they’ve inadvertently shared about how they navigate their work worlds.

Would you do me a favour? Could you let me know what’s swirling around in your head when you listen to this one and the conversations in this series. I’d love to know if they are hitting home or are useful for you. I respond to everyone.

Instagram : @shelleyrostlund Or LinkedIn: /shelleyrostlund

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𝗦𝗛𝗘𝗟𝗟𝗘𝗬 𝗥𝗢̈𝗦𝗧𝗟𝗨𝗡𝗗 𝗕𝗜𝗢:

Shelley is a systems-led personal brand strategist working with knowledge experts… those who teach, educate, consult, advise or mentor others. Her specialism is in helping her clients to uncover their genius gifts which the world needs and translate that into something that can be marketed and communicated in a way that’s comfortable for them.

South African born and British-grown, Shelley has worked with 150+ brands across 30+ industries through her consultancy and agency work. She runs her specialist marketing agency Harbour 32, with her magically gifted friends, where they focus on personal brand strategy and podcast show positioning.

==================

All episodes are video recorded and can be watched in the website show notes at shelleyrostlund.com/podcast, or on YouTube. (Click here for the full audio transcribed version).

Part of my series: ‘Real life Personal Brand Examples’.

I introduce you to Matthew Attfield, Founder and MD of Ashfield Services, a specialist healthcare training provider.

I invited Matthew to come and share his career journey so far, and how he has navigated getting to know himself, what lights him up and how to bring that into his every day.

You’ll get to hear how a chance meeting late at night, while he was on holiday spurred what has now become his thriving business.

Matthew is an absolute joy to talk and listen to. He is enthusiastic, open to the questions I ask him, and he was up for us working on his strengths LIVE on the episode. This gives you a working LIVE example of what it’s like to learn what your strengths are that show up in your everyday and is what other people value about you.

This is at the heart of doing the marketable value and positioning work I do in personal brand strategy.

Come listen!

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𝗚𝗨𝗘𝗦𝗧 𝗕𝗜𝗢:

Matthew Attfield is the founder and managing director of Ashfield Services, a training provider dedicated to working in the healthcare sector and focussed on mandatory, clinical and specialist areas that mostly impact nurses, doctors and other healthcare professionals.

He is essentially a strategic systemic generalist who is passionate about making things better for people, so they can be healthy, happy and thrive.

He co-founded The Good Slice of Pizza, a community food-based pop-up monthly charity fund raising campaign with his best friend Adam Cherry after being inspired from a trip India.

Outside of work he loves the cultural, tactile experiences he gets through travelling, trying new food, as well as going to the theatre and meeting new people.

𝗦𝗛𝗘𝗟𝗟𝗘𝗬 𝗥𝗢̈𝗦𝗧𝗟𝗨𝗡𝗗 𝗕𝗜𝗢:

Shelley is a systems-led personal brand strategist working with knowledge experts… those who teach, educate, consult, advise or mentor others. Her specialism is in helping her clients to uncover their genius gifts which the world needs and translate that into something that can be marketed and communicated in a way that’s comfortable for them.

South African born and British-grown, Shelley has worked with 150+ brands across 30+ industries through her consultancy and agency work. She runs her specialist marketing agency Harbour 32, with her magically gifted friends, where they focus on personal brand strategy and podcast show positioning.

==================

All episodes are video recorded and can be watched in the website show notes at shelleyrostlund.com/podcast, or on YouTube. (Click here for the full audio transcribed version).