In this episode of the Humanising Business Podcast, I sat down with Catia, founder and Chief Happiness Officer of Summit Business School, to talk about something most businesses are still treating as a soft metric.

This isn't just a conversation about workplace culture. It's about what happens when happiness gets measured the same way businesses measure revenue, and what the numbers actually show when you do.

Catia brought her Happyology methodology to this conversation, a framework built on PhD research that measures and improves well-being at both the individual and organisational level. Not as a feel-good initiative. As a business strategy with a documented return on investment of 18 to 21 percent.

We went into what happiness actually looks like inside an organisation, why trust is one of the clearest indicators of it, and why Gen Z is forcing businesses to reckon with something older generations were conditioned to push through. Time matters more than money to this generation, and that is reshaping everything.

We also talked about gender equality and neurodiversity not as compliance boxes but as genuine contributors to organisational performance, and why ignoring them is leaving measurable value on the table.

This conversation will shift how you think about what belongs in a boardroom conversation.

You'll learn:

• What Happyology is and the PhD research it is built on
• How to measure happiness the same way you measure financial performance
• Why trust is one of the clearest indicators of organisational well-being
• How Gen Z's relationship with time and money is changing what workplaces need to offer
• The 18 to 21 percent return on investment linked to happiness-focused strategies
• Why gender equality and neurodiversity directly impact organisational performance
• How to connect with Katya for consultation and training services

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In this episode of the Humanising Business Podcast, I welcomed Laurie Kennedy to talk about her journey from caregiving into the work she does now, helping women navigate life's biggest transitions.

This isn't just a conversation about self-care. It's about what happens when a woman spends years giving everything to everyone else and finally builds a framework to give some of it back to herself.

Laurie brought her Five For You program to this conversation, a practice built on the idea that even five intentional minutes can change the trajectory of a day. She also walked us through her ABCs: Awareness, Boundaries, and Community, the three pillars she leans on to help women recognise burnout before it takes over.

We went into what burnout actually looks like in the body and in daily life, why setting boundaries gently is still setting them, and why community is not a nice-to-have but a requirement for any woman trying to hold caregiving and her own life at the same time.

We also touched on something most people avoid naming. The role victim mentality can play in keeping personal growth stuck, and what it looks like to move through that without judgment.

You'll learn:

• Laurie's journey from caregiving into the work she does today
• The Five For You program and why five intentional minutes matter more than people think
• The ABC framework: Awareness, Boundaries, and Community
• How to recognise burnout symptoms before they take over
• Why setting boundaries gently still counts as setting them
• The role journaling plays in sustainable self-care
• Why community is essential for women holding caregiving and their own needs at once
• How victim mentality can quietly stall personal growth

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In this episode of the Humanising Business Podcast, I sat down with Ellen Duffy Boop, holistic life coach and founder of Reclaim Your Control, based in the Netherlands.

This isn't just a conversation about burnout. It's about what happens when a high-performing woman hits a wall at 31, working in international marketing research, and decides to build something from that experience that actually helps others avoid the same collision.

Ellen brought her full story to this conversation. The burnout, the recovery, and the five-step framework she built around energy management that is now helping professionals perform sustainably without running themselves into the ground to do it.

We went into the warning signs that most high performers brush past, the physical signals the body sends long before the breakdown, and why sensitive, high-achieving women in particular tend to be the last ones to slow down and the first ones to pay for it.

This one is practical and personal in equal measure. Ellen does not just talk about the problem. She hands you tools you can use today.

We explored what sustainable high performance actually looks like, why energy management changes everything, and why the discomfort of the recovery path is worth every step.

You'll learn:

• How Ellen went from burnout at 31 to building a coaching framework used by professionals across industries
• The five steps at the core of her energy management approach
• The common burnout symptoms high performers keep overlooking
• How to use the Circle of Control tool to stop overwhelm before it takes over
• Why daily breathing exercises and walks are not soft suggestions but performance tools
• Why high-performing sensitive women respond so strongly to energy management approaches
• Why recovery involves temporary discomfort and why it leads somewhere better than before

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In this special Global Women Voices edition of the Humanising Business Podcast, I sat down with Dr. Deidre Payne, founder and CEO of Fabulous Coaching, Training, and Productions.

This isn't just about motivation or mindset. It's about what happens when life takes everything and you choose to build something from what's left.

Dr. Payne brought her full story to this conversation. Losing her father, experiencing memory loss in 2022, and finding her way back through gratitude and positivity as daily, non-negotiable practices. Not as buzzwords. As survival tools that became a philosophy.

We went into what resilience actually looks like when it is lived, not just spoken about on a stage, and why women in business are often the last ones to give themselves the care they so freely give to everyone else.

This conversation stayed with me. It is for the woman who keeps going. The one who needs a reminder that growth and hope are not accidental. They are practiced.

We explored what it means to choose positivity when life gives you every reason not to, why gratitude is the practice that actually moves the needle, and how Dr. Payne is taking this message to women's conferences around the world.

You'll learn:

• How Dr. Payne rebuilt her life after losing her father and experiencing memory loss in 2022
• Why positivity brings hope while gratitude creates growth
• The daily gratitude journaling practice that changed everything
• Why women in business struggle to prioritise themselves and what to do about it
• What it looks like to practice gratitude consistently for a full year
• How Dr. Payne is sharing her message of resilience through global speaking and women's conferences
• How to connect with Dr. Payne if you want her to speak at your next event

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Michele LaFemina has 26 years of personal recovery and is now the Clinical Director of Pathways Treatment Center, a private insurance facility she helped open in April 2024 that is doing what the industry keeps saying can't be done. In this episode, I sat with Michele, and we talked about the thread between spiritual gifts and addiction, her work as a psychic healer sitting right alongside peer-reviewed research, and what it actually means to lead a treatment model when you have lived the thing you are treating. She is building a second facility called Pegasus for 100 clients, and she is just getting started. This conversation stayed with me.

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In this insightful episode of Humanising Business, Kiani Mills is joined by Jarred, founder of Dot & Crossed Conveyancing, for a candid conversation about entrepreneurship, leadership, technology, and the future of professional services.

After beginning his career in large corporate law firms in London, Jarred shares how a desire for greater impact, autonomy, and connection led him to build a conveyancing business focused on delivering a genuinely human experience during one of life's most significant milestones: buying a home.

Together, they explore the realities of growing a service-based business, the opportunities and challenges of acquisitions, and how technology is reshaping industries that have traditionally relied on manual processes. While artificial intelligence continues to transform the way businesses operate, Jarred explains why trust, relationships, and human connection remain irreplaceable.

From scaling teams and building culture to navigating industry change and maintaining customer focus, this episode offers valuable insights for business owners, leaders, and anyone seeking to create a company that grows without losing its humanity.

This conversation is a powerful reminder that while systems and technology can create efficiency, sustainable success is ultimately built on people, trust, and meaningful relationships.

You'll learn:

• How customer experience can become a competitive advantage in traditional industries
• The opportunities and limitations of AI within professional services
• Why human connection remains critical in an increasingly automated world
• How culture influences team performance and client outcomes
• The role of leadership during periods of rapid growth and change
• Why trust is one of the most valuable assets a business can build
• How to create a brand that people remember and recommend

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In this special first episode of Humanising Business & Life, Kiani Mills is joined by Becc Hannan to introduce a new chapter of the podcast, one that goes beyond business and into the realities of life behind it.

This isn’t just about strategy, success, or growth. It’s about the human experience that sits underneath it all.

Together, Kiani and Becc open up a space for honest, unfiltered conversations around what it really looks like to build a business while navigating relationships, identity, pressure, emotions, and personal growth in real time.

This episode sets the foundation for the series, a place where nothing is off limits. Where conversations aren’t polished or perfect, but real, reflective, and deeply human.

They explore the importance of creating environments where people feel safe to be seen, heard, and understood, and why so many of us feel disconnected despite appearing successful on the outside.

From self-awareness and emotional honesty to the realities of balancing ambition with life, this conversation is an invitation to slow down, reflect, and reconnect with what actually matters.

This series is for anyone building something a business, a life, and wanting to do it in a way that feels aligned, honest, and human.

You’ll learn:

• Why business and life cannot be separated, no matter how hard we try

• The importance of creating space for honest, unfiltered conversations

• How pressure, expectations, and identity shape our decisions

• Why so many people feel disconnected despite external success

• The role of self-awareness in navigating both business and life

• How vulnerability builds stronger relationships and deeper connection

• Why slowing down can create more clarity than constantly pushing forward

• The importance of feeling seen, heard, and understood

• How to navigate growth while staying aligned to who you are

• Why real conversations matter more than perfect ones

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In this deeply reflective episode of Humanising Business, Kiani reconnects with Mirza Mahic, a childhood friend whose life journey has spanned war, migration, hardship, brotherhood, entrepreneurship, and profound spiritual growth.

From leaving war-torn Bosnia as a child to rebuilding life in Germany and eventually Australia, Mirza shares how navigating different cultures, languages, and identities shaped his emotional intelligence and adaptability. What could have immobilised him became the foundation of his strength.

Together, they explore the power of embracing both darkness and light within ourselves, the illusion of “saving” others, and the wisdom that comes from allowing each person to walk their own path.

Mirza also shares the evolution of his business, Aluminium Revival, and how passion, mastery of craft, and identifying a gap in the market allowed him and his brother to build a scalable, purpose-driven company rooted in excellence.

This conversation moves beyond business into the heart of what it means to be human, to accept our parents, release blame, guide our children without control, and understand that every challenge carries a gift.

This episode is a reminder that hardship can either harden you or awaken you, and the choice is always yours.

You’ll learn:

• How growing up through war and migration shaped emotional intelligence and adaptability

• The difference between being immobilised by hardship and allowing it to transform you

• Why you cannot “save” anyone, you can only hold their hand in the dark

• The importance of allowing people to walk their own journey

• How embracing both your light and shadow creates true self-acceptance

• Why contrast and polarity are essential for growth

• The power of compassion in parenting, leadership, and relationships

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