ABOUT THIS EPISODE

Today’s guest is Lisa Partridge, communication skills specialist, facilitator, founder of SIXCOMMS and host of the SIXCOMMS podcast. I had the joy of getting to know Lisa through following each other on LinkedIn, and through our shared passion for working in nature with leaders. Lisa invites people to ‘Come Curious, and Leave Connected’.

In our conversation Lisa offers valuable insights into:

• The 3Cs of human-centred effective communication: Connection, Curiosity and Compassion;
• The benefits of taking conversations outside in nature;
• How being in nature allows us to listen more deeply and be more present with ourselves and each other;
• How taking our conversations outside in nature can unlock insight and give us the clarity to see the path ahead.

Lisa’s Three Key Encouragements to Leaders:

1. Connection first, always.
2. Step outside to see inside.
3. Slow down to lead strong.

About Lisa:

Originally from the UK and based in Singapore since 2009, Lisa Partridge is a communication skills specialist, facilitator, and founder of SIXCOMMS. She has worked with leading organisations including Singapore Airlines, Marina Bay Sands, Maxwell Chambers, and ADB Bank. Guided by her 6Cs of Effective Communication: Connection, Curiosity, Compassion, Clarity, Customization, and Consistency, Lisa helps leaders and teams communicate with greater impact. She also hosts The SIXCOMMS Podcast, now with over 70 episodes, and leads 6Cs walking sessions in Singapore’s parks, where a community of professionals “Come Curious, Leave Connected.”

To connect, follow and find out more about Lisa:

LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/lisasing/

Website: www.sixcomms.org

Instagram: @sixcommslisa

YouTube: www.youtube.com/@sixcommsconversations2025

Lisa's Podcast: sixcomms.buzzsprout.com

Free download: The 6Cs of a Thriving Communicator Guide

To listen to other Leaders in Conversation with me Anni Townend go to my website, www.annitownend.com; to listen to Finding Your Collaborative Edge with Lucy Kidd and I, to do go our website www.Collaboration.Equation.

I had the joy of meeting Karen via an online supervision group organised by EY in collaboration with Henley Business School. Karen has written a book, Breaking the Coaching Code - how great coaches transcend the rules published in November 2025.

• What it means to walk home to yourself.
• The journey to and of self-acceptance.
• And having a social conscience.

1. Reconnect with your unique self rather than trying to be what you think a good leader is
2. Understand your strengths and be clear about your purpose
3. Build your ability to have effective conversations with clarity, compassion, curiosity and courage

Karen Foy has been coaching since 2003, her background before coaching was in the NHS working locally, regionally and nationally on policy related to patient experience. She caught the coaching bug on an Open University summer school whilst undertaking a module from the MBA on Creativity, Innovation and Change thinking about creativity innovation and change.

She heard about this thing called coaching and thought, that’s the thing she does when she’s supposed to be working and was blown away that she could do it as a career. She trained as a coach, built her business alongside her work, and then jumped in 2007 to become a full-time coach.

She already had a first degree in psychology and the next step for her was to undertake a master’s degree in Coaching Psychology which she gained in 2011. She is a Master Certified Coach with the International Coach Federation, a Certified Mentor for ICF Credentials and she has a Professional Certificate in Coaching Supervision from Henley Business School.

She has recently retired from her lecturing role at Henley Business School where she was the Programme Director for Accredited Coaching Programmes. Joining an academic institution was a crash course in acceptance as she is a Yorkshire woman from a ‘dyed in the wool’ working class background who left school at 14 with no qualifications.

She has come to a place where she is more able to welcome her gremlin of not being good enough as the gift it is to her coaching.

Website: www.thecoachtribe.com

LinkedIn: @Karen Foy, MCC

Go to my website, www.annitownend.com

A big thank you to SHMOGUS Media for the wonderful production and marketing of the podcast.

To contact me Anni Townend do email me on anni@annitownend.com visit my website www.annitownend.com, subscribe to my newsletter and follow me on LinkedIn.

To find out more about Collaboration Equation, do go to our website www.collaborationequation.com and follow us on LinkedIn. I look forward to connecting with you, thank you for listening.

ABOUT THIS EPISODE

I had the joy of meeting Tim when he came to speak on the Marketing Leaders Programme some years ago. I had previously heard about his amazing adventures with the Lost Gardens of Heligan and the Eden Project in Cornwall, the UK, from a mutual friend.

I then had the pleasure of meeting again at Anthropy 25 which was hosted at the Eden Project, a gathering of leaders and organisations to inspire and learn through meaningful collaboration, human kindness and unbound leadership.

In our conversation Tim offers valuable insights into:

• Losing your fear of being disliked
• Daring to dream
• Enjoying provocation
• Knowing your weaknesses

Tim’s Key Encouragements to Leaders:

1. Dare to have your dreams and then deliver on them or give them up and do something else.
2. Defeat the look in people's eyes or the tone in people's voices, which says, this isn't for the likes of you.
3. Embrace those dancing lessons from God, these random meetings, and you'll be amazed at how your life changes.
4. Always hire people that are better than you and tell them how much better than you they are.

To find out more about Anthropy 2026 go to anthropy.uk, the Anthropy Charter is made up of Human Kindness, Meaningful Collaboration and Unbound Leadership.

To read about, and visit Heligan, heligan.com

To read about Eden Project edenproject.com and to learn about other Eden Projects including Eden Morecambe all reconnecting people with nature, and all that we can learn and with nature.

To listen to other Leaders in Conversation with me Anni Townend go to my website, www.annitownend.com

A big thank you to SHMOGUS Media for the wonderful production and marketing of the podcast.

To contact me Anni Townend do email me on anni@annitownend.com visit my website www.annitownend.com, subscribe to my newsletter and follow me on LinkedIn. To find out more about Collaboration Equation, co-founded by Lucy Kidd and I, go to www.collaborationequation.com I look forward to connecting with you, thank you for listening.

ABOUT THIS EPISODE

I had the joy of meeting Rachel through The Marketing Society, and over the years of getting to know her through her love of the Walk and Talk, her excellent marketing and most recently through the Marketing Leaders Programme.

In our conversation Rachel offers valuable insights into:

• How to recognise and prevent organisational burnout;
• The business case for a positive mindset at work;
• The strategic power of content as a business driver when it serves brand objectives and real human needs;
• And finally building brand reputation through stakeholder engagement.

Rachel’s Three Key Encouragements to Leaders:

1. Align Your Strategic Vision with Personal Purpose.
2. Build Excellence Through Audience-Led Thinking.
3. Embrace the Power of Integrated Leadership.

About Rachel

Rachel Letham is Head of Brand and Communications at The Marketing Society, where she leads strategic brand development and integrated communications for the global membership organisation. As a key member of the Leadership Team, she has established the function as a centre of excellence, implementing bold, audience-led strategies that drive measurable improvements in brand visibility and stakeholder engagement.

With over 13 years of experience in strategic communications and brand development, Rachel combines commercial expertise with creative vision to transform organisations through innovative content strategies.

At The Marketing Society, she oversees the development of impactful communications and content, ensuring consistent messaging while pioneering new approaches to enhance brand reputation and member engagement.

Alongside her corporate role, Rachel is a certified positive mindset coach, working with global organisations including Google, Target, and Kargo. This unique combination allows her to bring fresh perspectives to brand challenges, helping both individuals and organisations align their strategic goals with purposeful vision-setting. Her approach was shaped by her own experience of near-burnout in the fresh produce industry, leading her to develop sustainable approaches to professional growth and team development.

As a leader, Rachel is known for building and inspiring high-performing teams, fostering cultures of innovation and strategic thinking. She maintains a strong focus on data-driven decision-making and measurable outcomes, while ensuring that brand and content strategies deliver genuine business impact. Her work demonstrates the power of combining strategic brand thinking with positive mindset techniques to drive organisational success.

Through both her role at The Marketing Society and her coaching practice, Rachel helps organisations and individuals unleash their full potential, creating meaningful change through the intersection of strategic communication, brand development, and personal growth.

Connect with Rachel:

LinkedIn: Rachel Letham

Website: www.rachelletham.com, www.marketingsociety.com

Instagram: @rachelletham

To listen to other Leaders in Conversation with Anni Townend:

Go to my website, www.annitownend.com

A big thank you to SHMOGUS Media Management for the wonderful production and marketing of the podcast.

To contact me Anni Townend do email me on

ABOUT THIS EPISODE

My conversation today is with Anna Deacon, photographer, writer and wild swimmer. I had the joy of meeting Anna at the Creative Light Photography Festival in the Highlands of Scotland in October 2022. I was inspired by her, and by her many, many books on Wild Swimming.

In our conversation Anna offers valuable insights into:

• How and why the wild swimming project started.
• Getting comfortable with being uncomfortable.
• How to find your peace in the wild/outdoors.

Anna’s three Key Encouragements to Leaders

1. Don’t be afraid to change things up/take risks
2. Believe in your gut intuition
3. Don’t write yourself off before you have really tried something

About Anna

Anna has worked as a photographer since 2007, specialising in wild swimming, portraits, nature and travel. She has worked with large and small brands like MINI, Speedo, Kit Kat, Visit Scotland, Cape Cove, Selkie and more to create content. Her photography work has been published extensively in the national press including The Guardian, The Telegraph, Stylist and The Scotsman. She has also had her work featured in large scale photography exhibitions.

Since 2019 Anna has had seven books published, working with co-author Vicky Allan on Taking The Plunge (2019), For The Love Of Trees (2020), The Art Of Wild Swimming series (Scotland, 2021, England & Wales, 2021, and Ireland, 2022, The Ripple Effect published in 2023 and Swimming Wild Ireland in 2024, all published by Black and White Publishing/Bonnier.

Also in 2021 The Wild Guide Balearic Islands book was published by Wild Things Publishing, this extensive travel guide was co-written by Anna and her sister Lizzie Graham. Anna is working on her ninth book which is due for publication in Autumn 2026.

Anna hosts a popular Instagram page @wildswimmingstories which The Sunday Times magazine named as one of the Top 7 influencers to follow in the ‘Health and Fitness’ category in 2023.

Previous to this Anna worked in the music and entertainment industry in London for over a decade, specialising in PR and events such as NME Awards, Isle of Wight Festival, Ibiza Rocks, MOBO Awards, British Comedy Awards and Teenage Cancer Trust concerts. She co-founded the PR agency Amazing Media in 2004 who were at the forefront of working with brands such as Nokia, T- Mobile, Diageo and O2 to create dynamic partnerships with the live music industry. Anna also worked in talent handling and personal PR for The Who, Jamiroquai, Anastacia, Beverley Knight, Sia, Big Brother, and many others.

Connect with Anna:

LinkedIn: @Anna Deacon

Website: www.anna-deacon.com

Instagram: @wildswimmingstories

To listen to other Leaders in Conversation with me Anni Townend go to my website, www.annitownend.com

A big thank you to SHMOGUS Media for the wonderful production and marketing of the podcast.

To contact me Anni Townend do email me on anni@annitownend.com, subscribe to my newsletter and follow me on LinkedIn. I look forward to connecting with you, thank you for...

ABOUT THIS EPISODE

I had the joy of connecting with Susie through a colleague. I enjoyed our conversation so much that I invited her to be a guest.

Susie offers valuable insights into:

• Following your passion to find your purpose
• Living outside your comfort zone as a way to learn and grow
• Finding your balance to enable you to do your best work

Susie’s three key encouragements to leaders:

1. Take time to understand what matters to you - so you can enjoy doing what you do
2. Get comfortable being uncomfortable - it’s a source of growth
3. Be confident in finding your own rhythm - and then set your boundaries to stick to it

About Susie

After a successful career in marketing at Unilever and British Gas, and then fulfilling her ambition of sailing a yacht around the world, Susie started her next adventure when she founded the strategic marketing agency Blue Feathers.

Susie’s aim was to help marketers to be their best and drive their brands to succeed. She now leads a team of marketing experts who work with major brands including Tesco, Primark, Michelin, Simplyhealth and Cambridge University Press & Assessment.

Susie believes that people do their best work when life is balanced – and that belief is reflected in how she leads the Blue Feathers team: a highly skilled, fully remote group, motivated through shared purpose and a deliverables-based approach.

Susie remains passionate about sailing and loves spending time on the water. She is also now a keen beekeeper and gardener, and enjoys spending time hiking.

The best way for people to connect and follow Susie is:

LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/susiepartridge/

Website: www.bluefeathers.co.uk and www.yachtadina.co.uk

To listen to other Leaders in Conversation with me Anni Townend go to my website, www.annitownend.com

A big thank you to SHMOGUS Media for the wonderful production and marketing of the podcast.

To contact me Anni Townend do email me on anni@annitownend.com visit my website www.annitownend.com, subscribe to my newsletter and follow me on LinkedIn Anni Townend, and Collaboration Equation. I look forward to connecting with you, thank you for listening.

ABOUT THIS EPISODE

I had the joy of being introduced to Jane through Dawn Harding, a previous podcast guest on Leaders in Conversation and recent guest on Finding Your Collaborative Edge.

In our conversation Jane offers valuable insights into:

• Transitioning in life from one thing to another: School to University, University to the first job, career building and then a massive career change followed by leaving full time work to pursue voluntary roles and enjoying time which is less structured.
• The ability to let go, to move on without regret and to forge ahead with new adventures: Understanding that you will also lose contact with some people as your lives take different paths.
• Understanding the impact on others of your deeds, words and attitude.
• The importance of being authentic, whilst evolving, developing and changing and rocking up as yourself everyday.

Jane’s Three Key Encouragements to Leaders:

1. Learn from everyone you meet - everyone has something to give. Be prepared to know a little about a lot of things and trust the experts in each field to know a lot about a little.
2. Stay positive. A positive attitude helps to make those around you positive and if things are going a little bit wrong, it is easier to turn it round with a positive attitude. A smile is infectious. A frown turns people off.
3. Focus on the difference you are really making. It is the stories behind the numbers which are of paramount importance. The balance sheet and Key Performance Indicators are never enough!

To connect with Jane, follow and find out more about her:

LinkedIn - for her volunteering / corporate side of life

Instagram - for her wildlife snaps and fun things.

To listen to other Leaders in Conversation with me Anni Townend go to my website, www.annitownend.com

A big thank you to SHMOGUS Media for the wonderful production and marketing of the podcast.

To contact me Anni Townend do email me on anni@annitownend.com visit my website www.annitownend.com, subscribe to my newsletter and follow me on LinkedIn. I look forward to connecting with you, thank you for listening.

About Jane

Jane has had two different careers in her life, one in the hospitality industry and one in sport. She took learnings from the hospitality industry into her sport leadership role. Now she has moved into voluntary, charity roles and is travelling to many far-flung places where she is learning from different communities. She loves the outdoors, reading and encouraging total strangers to tell her their life stories.

ABOUT THIS EPISODE:

In this episode, my guest is Claire Bowden-Hughes, CEO and Founder at En2End, a leading sports fan engagement agency, founded on trust, respect, and reciprocity in relationships and leadership.

In our conversation Claire shares valuable insights into:

• The Balancing Act of thriving as a mother and as an entrepreneur: The real life challenges and triumphs of juggling these 2 demanding but extremely rewarding roles.
• Excelling in a male dominated industry: The journey of being a female entrepreneur in the sports events world.
• The art of making lasting connections and exceeding expectations: The importance of building and nurturing a professional network in the sports event industry, how to make lasting connections and how relationships have been pivotal is driving business success.

Claire’s three Key Encouragements for life, entrepreneurship and leadership:

1. Define the direction and hold the vision, but invite others into the journey: You have to take space for others to be able to be part of your journey. You won't be able to get there on your own.
2. Stay curious and adaptable because nothing ever stays the same: The landscape is always shifting. Technologies are always evolving, behaviors are always changing.
3. Your attitude sets the tone: The way that you come across, and the energy that you bring is something that can really inspire others and create momentum.

Connect with Claire and find out more about her, and her amazing work:

LinkedIn: Claire Bowden Hughes

Website: www.en2end.com

Instagram: @en2endltd

About Claire Bowden-Hughes:

Early Life and Education: A sheep farmer’s daughter from Mid Wales, Claire Hughes has always been ambitious and adventurous. Her journey began at the University of Central Lancashire, where she pursued a BA in languages ( French, German and Spanish with Tourism), laying the foundation for her career.

World Traveller: After university, she embarked on a 9-month world tour, absorbing cultures across Singapore, Australia, Fiji, Hawaii, and America. This global exposure honed her adaptability, cultural sensitivity, and language skills, particularly French, which would become invaluable in her career.

Luxury Retail in London: Claire’s first foray into the professional world was in London’s prestigious New Bond Street, where she leveraged her fluency in French to excel in sales and account management for a high-end luxury brand, Lalique. Here, she mastered the art of client relations and high-stakes negotiation.

Sports Event Management: Moving to Manchester, Claire joined a small sports events agency, diving into the world of sportsman’s lunches and dinners with notable sporting legends such as Lawrence Dallaglio, Sir Alex Ferguson, Gareth Edwards, Shane Warne, Frank Bruno and more! This role expanded her network significantly and introduced her to the intricacies of event management and sports marketing.

TSMGI and Liverpool FC: Her career took a significant turn when she joined TSMGI, an American agency, where she was integral in the Aon-Man Utd shirt deal delivery. Subsequently, at Liverpool FC as Head of Partner Experience, she managed VIP match days, sponsor relations & international event programmes, further honing her skills in stakeholder management and sports...