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  • Crossing Borders with Kave Bulambo

    Crossing Borders with Kave Bulambo
    2026/03/17
    Building leadership across borders, systems, and cultures.

    In this episode, Charlotte Otter speaks with Kave Bulambo: founder, TEDx speaker, talent expert, and cultural transformation advocate. Kave is the force behind BlackInTech Berlin, the first community of people of African descent in tech in Germany, and the founder of Talent Diverse, which connects diverse talent with inclusive organisations.

    Born in Congo, raised in Durban, South Africa, and now based in Berlin, Kave brings a rich and deeply human perspective to leadership, diversity, and work. She shares how crossing borders geographically, socially, and professionally shaped her ability to connect with people from all walks of life and gave her the confidence to become a natural bridge builder.

    Together, Charlotte and Kave explore one of the biggest myths in the diversity conversation: that Europe lacks underrepresented talent. Kave argues the real problem is not talent, but systems. Too many organisations still lack the structures, promotion pathways, and inclusive hiring practices needed to bring diverse talent in and help it thrive once inside.

    This is a warm, thoughtful conversation about leadership, inclusion, personal branding, community building, and changing the old archetype of who gets to lead.

    In this episode, you’ll hear:
    * Why underrepresented talent is being failed by systems, not ambition
    * What inclusive organisations do differently
    * How to think about personal branding and reputation with integrity
    * Why leadership often begins before anyone officially gives you the title

    This episode is for anyone interested in leadership, diversity, inclusion, reputation, women in tech, underrepresented talent, career growth, and building a more human future of work. Follow Kave on LinkedIn · BlackInTech Berlin · Check out the Emerging Women Leaders Conference · · Follow Charlotte on LinkedIn · Subscribe to Speech Bubbles the newsletter · Link to buy We Need New Leaders
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    35 分
  • Fixing Credibility with Debbie Jenkins

    Fixing Credibility with Debbie Jenkins
    2026/03/02
    (And using AI to write your book won't help)

    In this episode of Speech Bubbles, host Charlotte Otter is joined by Debbie Jenkins - founder, publisher, author, marketing strategist, Stevie Award winner, and self-described horse tickler and wine enthusiast. Jenkins has written 18 books under her own name (plus ghostwritten others) and has been mentoring authors since 2004. Her company Intellectual Perspective Press is one of many businesses she runs.

    Debbie's central message around AI and publishing is clear: Faster isn’t better, it’s just faster.

    Charlotte and Debbie explore what AI is doing to publishing, leadership, and credibility and why the biggest risk isn’t speed, but reputation. Debbie says that when authors outsource their words to AI, they risk creating work they can’t defend over time. If someone can’t stand behind what they publish in 10 years, they may be building a trust liability rather than a lasting asset.

    The conversation also celebrates the messy creative process: nonlinear thinking, detours, doubt, and effort. She describes this as ideas being forged in fire - where the struggle is not a bug, but the source of authenticity, depth, and value.

    Debbie shares insights from her award-winning book Stop the Credibility Crisis, which introduces a practical framework: credibility sits at the intersection of trust and desirability. In a world where AI can fake both, she encourages genuine experts and leaders to take control of their trust and desirability clues.

    To get better leaders, we must become better followers, says Debbie. The onus is on us to be more discerning about who we elevate in an age of manufactured personas. Follow Debbie on LinkedIn · More about Debbie · Find Debbie's books · · Follow Charlotte on LinkedIn · Subscribe to Speech Bubbles the newsletter · Link to buy We Need New Leaders
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    37 分
  • Don't Be a Hero with Michael Gerharz

    Don't Be a Hero with Michael Gerharz
    2026/02/16
    From computer scientist to communications advisor.

    In this episode of Speech Bubbles, Charlotte Otter talks with Dr. Michael Gerharz — author, speaker, podcaster, and former computer scientist — about why brilliant ideas so often fail for one painfully simple reason: people don’t find the right words.

    Michael shares his journey from the world of code (during the mobile phone revolution) into the world of communication, after watching smart teams get stuck, not because the problems were too complex, but because the language was. He explains why simplicity isn’t the enemy of complexity — it’s the doorway in. When you make something feel clear and personally relevant, you don’t have to persuade. People move.

    Together, Charlotte and Michael explore:
    * Why clarity creates progress — and confusion quietly kills momentum
    * How simple language can actually reveal deeper strategic truth (and expose the flaws fast)
    * Michael’s framework for communication that drives action
    * Why strategy launches fade within months — and what to do instead
    * A more modern leadership model: step off the hero pedestal, ask better questions, and tap into collective brilliance

    There’s also a brilliant detour into Michael’s unexpectedly non-linear creative life — from daily blogging discipline, to writing in English as a second language, to toy licensing and a children’s book success story (The Grumble Troll), all tied together by the same thread: making ideas land with both logic and emotion.

    Michael closes with three clear tips for emerging leaders: stop trying to be the smartest person in the room, don’t confuse leadership with having all the answers, and choose plain, simple language over grand statements — every time.

    If you care about leadership, strategy, and communication that actually changes behaviour, this conversation will land with you. Follow Michael on LinkedIn · Sign up for Michael's newsletter · Check out Michael's website · · Follow Charlotte on LinkedIn · Subscribe to Speech Bubbles the newsletter · Link to buy We Need New Leaders
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    40 分
  • Your Difference is an Asset with Barbara Salopek

    Your Difference is an Asset with Barbara Salopek
    2026/02/02
    Diversity delivers value.

    In this episode of Speech Bubbles, Charlotte Otter talks to Barbara Salopek - Founder & CEO of Vinco Innovation, TEDx speaker, lecturer at BI Norwegian Business School, board member, and author of Future Fit Innovation - to unpack a powerful leadership truth: the very things that make you different can become your biggest advantage.

    Barbara, Croatian-born and Norway-based, challenges the modern obsession with innovation shortcuts. She argues that real, sustainable innovation isn’t delivered by a single workshop or the latest fashionable framework. It’s built by doing the deeper work: understanding individuals, how they form teams, and how teams operate inside organisations shaped by technology, markets, and society. Her three-level lens makes innovation feel less like hype and more like a capability leaders can intentionally grow.

    A standout theme is the link between diversity and psychological safety. Barbara makes the case that diversity can’t deliver value if people don’t feel safe enough to speak. When the loudest voices dominate and everyone else goes quiet, organisations end up with echo chambers, weak decisions, and missed customer insight. Her memorable analogy lands the point: we don’t expect everyone to wear the same shoe size - so why would we design one-size-fits-all products, solutions, or cultures?

    The conversation also explores Barbara’s leadership journey: learning under pressure early in her career, developing a practical, action-oriented style, and navigating cultural differences between direct Croatian communication and more conflict-avoidant Norwegian norms. Barbara shares what it took to write Future Fit Innovation alongside full-time work - including reviewing 50–60 scientific articles - and why she ultimately enjoyed the process more than she expected. Follow Barbara on LinkedIn · Buy Barbara's book · Barbara and her work · · Follow Charlotte on LinkedIn · Subscribe to Speech Bubbles the newsletter · Link to buy We Need New Leaders
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    34 分
  • Neuroscience and Leadership with Susan Ní Chríodáin

    Neuroscience and Leadership with Susan Ní Chríodáin
    2026/01/19
    Just because I feel it, doesn't make it true.

    In this episode of Speech Bubbles, host Charlotte Otter talks to Susan Ní Chríodáin - facilitator, leadership coach, podcaster, and award-winning author of Leading Beyond the Numbers: How Accounting for Emotions Tips the Balance at Work - to unpack what happens when we stop pretending work is purely rational.

    Susan shares a deceptively simple idea with massive consequences: our brains predict what’s about to happen next, and we often treat those predictions (and the emotions that follow) as facts. But just because my brain thinks it, it doesn’t make it true - and the same goes for feelings. Charlotte and Susan explore how workplace assumptions harden into permanent impressions, why personal responsibility is the antidote to reactive leadership, and how a shift from empathy-as-assumption to compassion-as-curiosity can transform relationships, performance, and trust.

    They talk body budgeting (sleep, movement, hydration), the grind of book marketing, the danger of outsourcing self-worth to external validation, and the leadership liberation that comes from three words: “I don’t know.”

    This is one of those episodes that lands in both head and heart — neuroscience with warmth, strategy with humanity, and a clear call to build leadership cultures where every voice counts.

    What you’ll learn:
    * Why your brain’s predictions can sabotage workplace relationships (and how to change them)
    * The “accounting for emotions” model: a balance sheet for energy, identity, and sustainability
    * Why Susan prefers compassion over empathy — and the question that changes everything
    * How body budgeting (sleep, movement, breaks) impacts performance and decision-making
    * The leadership power move hiding in plain sight: admitting you don’t know Follow Susan on LinkedIn · Learn more about Susan's work · Buy Susan's book · · Follow Charlotte on LinkedIn · Subscribe to Speech Bubbles the newsletter · Link to buy We Need New Leaders
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    46 分
  • Employee Ownership and Leadership with Eithne Devine-Hynes

    Employee Ownership and Leadership with Eithne Devine-Hynes
    2026/01/06
    What happens when a company becomes employee-owned?

    In this episode of Speech Bubbles, Charlotte Otter sits down with Eithne Devine-Hynes, CEO of DeltaXignia, to unpack the leadership and cultural shift that comes with becoming an Employee Ownership Trust (EOT).

    Eithne explains why becoming an EOT is not a switch you flip, but a story you have to bring to life through governance, education, transparency, and culture. She explains the practical structure behind EOTs, including trustees and quarterly governance rhythms.

    On leadership: Eithne’s most formative training came from leading large projects without authority, learning how to win buy-in through clarity, metrics, and mission rather than hierarchy. She also offers a powerful reframing of diversity as diversity of thought and argues that employee ownership could play a role in tackling long-term wealth imbalance by keeping value inside communities.

    Eithne’s advice for emerging leaders is clear and energising: be yourself, stay authentic, and don’t dim your light for anyone.

    In this episode, you’ll learn:
    * What an Employee Ownership Trust is and how it works in practice
    * Why culture is the heartbeat of employee-owned companies
    * How financial transparency helps employees think and act like owners
    * The underrated leadership superpower of leading without authority
    * How to challenge outdated leadership archetypes with authenticity

    This is a thoughtful exploration with an insightful leader of how employee ownership, culture, and authentic leadership come together to create businesses where people don’t just work for success, they collectively own it. Follow Eithne on LinkedIn · Read Eithne's story · · Follow Charlotte on LinkedIn · Subscribe to Speech Bubbles the newsletter · Link to buy We Need New Leaders
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    43 分
  • Uncaged Leadership with Katia Vlachos

    Uncaged Leadership with Katia Vlachos
    2025/12/15
    How a defence analyst became a reinvention coach.

    In this episode of Speech Bubbles, Charlotte talks with coach, speaker, and author Katia Vlachos about what it really means to become uncaged as a leader and as a human.

    Katia shares her journey from high-flying defence analyst to reinvention coach and author of A Great Move and Uncaged: A Good Girl’s Journey to Reinvention. She explains how invisible cages like perfectionism, people-pleasing, and self-sacrifice quietly shape our careers and relationships – and how learning to self-validate, rather than chasing external approval, changes everything.

    Together, Charlotte and Katia explore:
    * How to spot your own cages and start breaking free
    * Why reinvention is never starting from scratch, but building bridges from what you already know
    * The link between purpose, self love, and true authority
    * Katia’s idea of uncaged leadership – leading from deep self awareness, integrity, and inner security
    * Why vulnerability, feedback, and inner work are non-negotiable for modern leaders

    Katia closes with three powerful tips for emerging leaders: do the inner work, become your own secure base, and be a secure base for others so they can take risks and grow.

    Also there's a shout-out to one of Charlotte's favourite authors and podcasters, Glennon Doyle.

    If you care about reinvention, personal growth, and building a more humane style of leadership, this conversation will land with you. Follow Katia on LinkedIn · Katia's website · Buy Uncaged here · · Follow Charlotte on LinkedIn · Subscribe to Speech Bubbles the newsletter · Link to buy We Need New Leaders
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    43 分
  • Doing Well by Doing Good with Zoë Colosimo

    Doing Well by Doing Good with Zoë Colosimo
    2025/12/08
    Building the future of social impact.

    In this episode, host Charlotte Otter talks with Zoë Colosimo, a founding member and Chief Operating Officer at Neighbourly, the UK platform connecting big brands with local communities. Neighbourly helps companies turn brand purpose into real-world impact through volunteering, grants, and redistribution of surplus food and products – delivering more than £1.7 billion in social value and over 270 million meals across the UK and Ireland.

    Zoë shares how corporate social responsibility has moved from the edge of business to its heart, driven by ESG, reputation, and rising expectations from employees and customers. She explains how Neighbourly’s data shines a light on what every neighbourhood needs, and how partnerships with companies like Microsoft are tackling digital poverty through AI skills training for community organisations and the people they support.

    Breaking news: Since this episode was recorded, Zoë, the Neighbourly team and other advocates (convened by the Confederation of British Industry (CBI)), celebrated the announcement in the 2026 Budget that the British government will introduce VAT relief on qualifying business donations of goods to charity. As Zoë says, this is a game changer for business, the charity sector, and channeling excess products to those in need instead of letting them go to waste.

    Charlotte and Zoë also explore:
    • Why trust, social justice, and equitable communities sit at the centre of Zoë’s leadership
    • How AI can both widen and close inequality gaps – and why diverse groups must help shape it
    • Practical ways leaders can stay resilient, positive, and principled in an AI-led world
    • Why local causes boost the reputation of the businesses that back them

    This is an inspiring conversation for leaders, communicators, impact investors, and anyone who believes business should be a force for good. Follow Zoë on LinkedIn · Learn more about Neighbourly · · Follow Charlotte on LinkedIn · Subscribe to Speech Bubbles the newsletter · Link to buy We Need New Leaders
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    40 分