Kat talks with Jay Alderton, a transformation coach, speaker and former British Army soldier, who cuts through the noise with brutal honesty and knowledge based on his personal experiences. They talk about the dangers of online connection replacing real human interaction, relationship longevity and personal growth. Jay delivers powerful truths about self-awareness, accountability, and the courage to do hard things and his unique perspective on why "knowing and not doing is the same as not knowing" will challenge you to examine your own life and excuses!

KEY TAKEAWAYS

• Jay's experiences have taught him that true success comes from understanding the difference between failing and failure. Failing is just part of the learning process.
• Through his years of experience in the fitness and social media industry, Jay has observed how modern technology creates a false sense of connection. We need real human interaction and he creates this himself by challenging his comfort zone in various situations.
• Jay has found that public accountability is crucial for achieving goals. When he tells others about his intentions, he's more likely to follow through because he values being seen as reliable and trustworthy.
• Environment shapes performance. One thing you can do for your environment is consider your own digital connections through actions like auditing your Whatsapp conversations and social media feeds to ensure they support growth rather than negativity.
• There is power in focusing on one "keystone habit." which can often create a cascade of good habits and success.
• Self-awareness and brutal honesty are essential. Jay challenges his clients for their own benefit.
• Having been with his wife since age 13, Jay understands that relationships require constant communication and adaptation.
• Based on his observations of both clients and his own journey, Jay recognises how people can become comfortable in negativity, creating toxic cycles of complaining without action.

BEST MOMENTS

“You can't fail if you don't give up.“

"Knowing and not doing is the same as not knowing. So you don't know something if you're not doing it, that's the reality. So don't fool yourself that you are, that you know something."

"My granddad taught me to leave things better than when you found them... if every human being left people and things a little bit better than when they found them, the world would be a much better place."

"We are more attracted to negativity and drama than we are to positivity and kindness”.

"Environment dictates performance... Being around other people who are focused on growth and focused on improvement, you end up being that person who's focused on growth and focused on improvement."

ABOUT THE GUEST

Jay Alderton

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Hard-Stuff-Easy-Life-Principles/dp/0241682673

ABOUT THE HOST

Kat started her career as a teacher, before moving into Tech where she worked in different executive roles within teaching and consulting working across the globe, both in the public and private sector. Despite appearing 'successful' on the outside, she paid a heavy ‘life’ price. In 2016, her whole world collapsed. The reason? The compound effect of years of unhealthy and toxic habits that destroyed her health, relationship and career. She suffered a severe breakdown and lost everything. In the middle of this she got headhunted for her first CEO role. She rebuilt herself by changing just one small habit, and built a series of positive habits which has transformed her professional and personal performance, resulting in becoming the healthiest and happiest version of herself.

She is a positive habits international keynote speaker and teacher, giving talks and delivering high impact programmes to organisations across the globe.

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Kat talks to social psychologist Thomas Curran for a fascinating exploration into perfectionism, productivity, and the pressure to constantly achieve more. Kat and Thomas challenge the societal obsession with constant growth and explore why we feel we're never "good enough." From the surprising economic roots of perfectionism to practical strategies for breaking free from its grip, they share tips on finding balance in a world that demands perfection. Thomas also shares his thoughts on the power of doing nothing and his life changing decision to give up alcohol.

KEY TAKEAWAYS

• The feeling of "not being good enough" is partly driven by our economy's need for constant consumption, which requires people to feel perpetually insufficient to drive purchasing behaviour.
• Success stories like Gymshark shouldn't be our only measure of achievement. We need to recalibrate and redefine what success means, recognising that making a decent living is enough.
• Perfectionism creates a gap between who we are and who we think we should be, this is driven more by the pressure to constantly achieve more.
• True rest and "doing nothing" can paradoxically be our most productive moments, allowing for creativity and lateral thinking that busy work prevents.
• Early morning exercise, even just 15 minutes, can transform your day - the key is making it easy and accessible rather than setting unrealistic expectations.
• Parents can integrate positive habits with family life rather than seeing them as separate activities, this can be anything, from family book clubs to exercise and walks.
• Phone addiction and constant screen time pull us away from being comfortable in our own skin, contributing to perfectionism and hyperactivity too.
• Small changes, like giving up alcohol, can have transformative effects on energy, presence, and productivity that exceed expectations.

BEST MOMENTS

"Growth doesn't thrive in abundance, it thrives under scarcity... In order to have growth, there has to be deficit."

"We live in supply side economies where consumption is a big part of everything... if we need to consume all the time to keep our economy growing, that means that we need to feel inferior all the time."

"I think we should be lounging about wasting days more, human beings need to be contemplative, resting just as much as they need to work."

"When you become a parent, you realise that you're reduced to nothing more than a helpless spectator. So ultimately they're in control anyway."

ABOUT THE GUESTS

Thomas Curran

ABOUT THE HOST

Kat started her career as a teacher, before moving into Tech where she worked in different executive roles within teaching and consulting working across the globe, both in the public and private sector. Despite appearing 'successful' on the outside, she paid a heavy ‘life’ price. In 2016, her whole world collapsed. The reason? The compound effect of years of unhealthy and toxic habits that destroyed her health, relationship and career. She suffered a severe breakdown and lost everything. In the middle of this she got headhunted for her first CEO role. She rebuilt herself by changing just one small habit, and built a series of positive habits which has transformed her professional and personal performance, resulting in becoming the healthiest and happiest version of herself.

She is a positive habits international keynote speaker and teacher, giving talks and delivering high impact programmes to organisations across the globe.

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Kat is joined by Seema Menon, who shares her journey from being a ‘constantly on’ sales director to discovering the transformative power of mindfulness and balance. She discusses her experiences leading at Sony Pictures and completing marathons, challenging the "busy culture" mindset while offering practical ideas for sustainable high performance. This episode also features surprising statistics about productivity and includes a compelling discussion on why the simplest solutions are often the most effective.

KEY TAKEAWAYS

• Rather than making life easier, technology has created a "scarcity mindset" where we feel compelled to work harder and achieve more, leading to chronic stress and burnout.
• Small, sustainable changes like five minute meditation breaks or mindful walking can have more impact than dramatic lifestyle overhauls, making them more likely to stick and create lasting positive change.
• The cost of burnout extends far beyond work performance, affecting relationships, health, and finances, with some people taking years to recover from severe burnout.
• Businesses are seeing more silent resignations and decreased efficiency due to the "always on" culture, particularly in hybrid work environments where boundaries between work and personal life have blurred.
• Intentional congruence - combining activities like walking meetings, can help integrate mindfulness into busy schedules without feeling like it’s wasted time.
• Morning routines incorporating exercise or mindfulness can boost workplace productivity by up to 72%, while quality sleep can increase productivity by 29%.
• Seema's practice of mindfulness made her more aware of others' challenges, transforming her leadership style to become more empathetic and supportive of team members.

BEST MOMENTS

"Nobody's going to say that I wish I did that extra one hour of work and got that additional deal for that organisation. It would always be regret about not having spent enough time with their children."

"Every time you look at the clock, bring a smile to your face, you're alive and kicking."

"We get so caught up in this trap of work and careers... What are your children going to remember? What are your partners, your family, your friends going to remember?”

"You don't have to always be the Iron Man or the superwoman... just be yourself and just be kind."

ABOUT THE GUEST

Seema has over 19 years diverse experience in Broadcast Media and Entertainment predominantly in Advertising Sales. Her previous role as Region Head of Sales, Sony Pictures Network entailed leading teams across multiple geographies with revenue generation responsibilities.

Seema has had a stint in technology (Artificial Intelligence & Machine Learning) at SparkBeyond, UK, an AI scale-up, as Impact Strategist (EMEA). At present, she pursues her entrepreneurial venture as a Coach, Mentor and Keynote Speaker, conducting various Apperceptive programs with Headstride Ltd. Seema remains immersed in her Leadership roles at Toastmasters International, as a Mentor at The Prince's Trust and at CSO UK as a Steering Committee Member.

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ABOUT THE HOST

Kat started her career as a teacher, before moving into Tech where she worked in different executive roles within teaching and consulting working across the globe, both in the public and private sector. Despite appearing 'successful' on the outside, she paid a heavy ‘life’ price. In 2016, her whole world collapsed. The reason? The compound effect of years of unhealthy and toxic habits that destroyed her health, relationship and career. She suffered a severe breakdown and lost everything. In the middle of this she got headhunted for her first CEO role. She rebuilt herself by changing just one small habit, and built a series of positive habits which has transformed her professional and personal performance, resulting in becoming the healthiest and happiest version of herself.

She is a positive habits international keynote speaker and teacher, giving talks and delivering high impact programmes to organisations across the globe.

LinkedIn

Instagram