Hazel Smith always knew she wanted to be an accountant. Numbers came naturally to her, but she soon discovered that a career in finance was about much more than spreadsheets. It placed her at the centre of a business, building relationships, connecting with people and helping teams understand the decisions being made.

Hazel is now Group Finance Director at DFS, following senior roles at Hallmark Cards and an 18-year career at Asda. In this episode of Coach Class, we reflect on the distinctive culture we experienced at Asda: its shared language, Monday morning rhythms, deep relationships and values that became part of who we are.

Hazel talks about the leaders who shaped her career, including Judith McKenna, Monica Turner and Ellie Doohan. She recalls Judith encouraging her to take a six-month career break in 2007, assuring her that she would return stronger and that there would be a job waiting for her.

We also discuss flexible leadership. Hazel has worked flexibly since her son Adam was born in 2004, setting clear boundaries while recognising that flexibility needs to work both ways. She explains why leaders should “leave loudly”: by being open about leaving the office for family or other commitments, they give others permission to do the same.

Hazel also speaks movingly about the sudden death of her partner, John, by suicide in 2021. She stepped away from her executive career for 14 months to support her children and rebuild a stable family life. When she was ready to return, former Asda colleague John Fallon helped create an opportunity at DFS that worked around her responsibilities as a single mum.

This is a conversation about finance, friendship and leadership, but also about recognising that success doesn’t always mean continually moving upwards. Sometimes it means understanding what matters most at a particular point in your life.

We discuss:

• Why great finance leadership is about taking the business with you
• The culture and values Hazel carried with her from Asda
• The mentors who gave her confidence and backed her decisions
• Setting boundaries and role-modelling flexible working
• Stepping away from work following bereavement
• Returning to her career on terms that worked for her family
• The relationships that sustain us through life’s unexpected turns
• Hazel’s ambition to make more room for volunteering and creativity

Content note: This episode includes a discussion of suicide and bereavement.

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What happens when the job title you've worn for years suddenly disappears?

In this episode of Coach Class, I sit down with former Asda and Co-op leader Dahlia Stroud for an honest conversation about leadership, identity and what comes next when your career takes an unexpected turn.

From choosing a Nestlé graduate scheme over a glamorous London marketing role, to leading major commercial teams in retail, Dahlia reflects on the people and experiences that shaped her career—and why every new role means proving yourself all over again.

Together we explore:

• Why great leaders understand there is "no white horse – we are the cavalry."
• How managers create the micro-cultures that define people's experience at work.
• The emotional reality of redundancy, from losing routine and identity to rebuilding confidence.
• Why Dahlia launched the Stressed But Well Dressed podcast as a way of finding her own voice.
• The importance of matching organisational values with everyday behaviour, not just policies.
• Why stepping outside your comfort zone can unlock unexpected opportunities, including her father's advice to attend a conference where you're the only person who does what you do.

Whether you're leading a team, navigating change, or wondering what comes after redundancy, this episode is packed with practical insights and thoughtful reflections on resilience, culture and career reinvention.

Key takeaway:
"Don't get trapped in the immediate need to do. Lift your head up, look up and out, and ask yourself not just what's my next job, but what's the next chapter I want to write?"

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What does it really take to turn around a struggling business?

In this episode of Coach Class, I sat down in person with former Dreams CEO Mike Logue for an honest conversation about leadership, resilience and the moments that shape a career.

Mike reflects on his journey from a 17-year-old at Marks & Spencer to leading some of the UK's biggest retailers, sharing the lessons he learned through success, failure and some of the toughest decisions of his career.

Rather than focusing on balance sheets and boardrooms, this conversation explores the human side of leadership, earning trust, building culture and why telling people the truth is one of the most important responsibilities of any leader.

Key takeaways

This episode is a masterclass in authentic leadership. Mike explains why respect always comes before performance, why difficult conversations should never be avoided, and why the best leaders create environments where people feel trusted, valued and heard.

It's also a reminder that careers are rarely linear. Setbacks can become turning points, and sometimes the biggest lesson isn't how to build a successful busines, it's learning to breathe.

Whether you lead a global organisation, manage a small team or simply want to become a better leader, this conversation offers practical wisdom grounded in decades of real-world experience.

If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe to Coach Class, leave a review, and share it with someone who believes that great leadership starts with great people.

In this episode we discuss:

• Why walking into Asda felt like "going back to big school"
• The leadership lessons Mike learned from Andy Bond, Judith McKenna and the exceptional talent around him
• How great leaders ask better questions rather than having all the answers
• What it feels like to walk into a business emerging from administration
• Why Mike spent his first month at Dreams travelling the country listening to colleagues instead of sitting in head office
• How one conversation in a Clydebank store shaped the culture of Dreams for the next eight years
• The heartbreaking experience in Hong Kong that completely changed his approach to leadership
• Why honesty, even when the news is difficult, is the foundation of trust
• The importance of creating workplaces where people are proud to say where they work
• Why culture isn't built through slogans, but through everyday behaviours
• How losing his job became the catalyst for the greatest chapter of his career
• What success really means after more than 30 years in retail leadership

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🎧 Please consider sharing Coach Class with someone who’d enjoy it — and leaving a review on your podcast platform. It genuinely helps more people find the show.