🎙 New Podcast Episode: Leadership, Veterans & Building Better Workplaces

In this episode of Tap Into Something Better, I’m joined by Alistair Scott — a leader who truly walks the talk when it comes to people-first leadership in facilities management.

Alastair is:

• Founding Director of Maze Vanguard Group

• Founder of Integrated Estate Management (IEM)

• A driving force behind the IWFM Veterans in FM Network

• Board member of Veterans Can

• Ambassador for Care After Combat

• 🏆 Veteran Leader of the Year (Veterans Awards, Oct)

We dive into:

• Why ex-service personnel are hugely underestimated in FM

• How veterans bring real-world leadership, resilience and delivery under pressure

• Why compliance and sustainability must be treated as wellbeing and safety issues, not tick-box exercises

• A brilliantly simple way to think about building compliance (hint: think MOT, not paperwork)

• Why trust — not beanbags or foosball tables — is the single biggest missing ingredient in modern workplaces

This conversation is about more than FM. It’s about leadership, inclusion, purpose and designing workplaces that actually work for human beings.

🔗 Explore Alistair’s work and the organisations we discuss:

• Integrated Estate Management (IEM): https://integrated-em.com/

• IWFM Veterans in FM Network: https://www.iwfm.org.uk/community/veterans-in-fm.html

• Veterans Can: https://www.linkedin.com/company/veterans-can/

• Maze Vanguard Group: https://mazevanguard.co.uk/

If you care about: ✔ Better leadership ✔ Supporting veterans in industry ✔ Smarter, safer, more human workplaces

— this episode is for you.

Our guest, Sharmin Akter, is a workplace experience and facilities management leader specialising in inclusive, human-centred design. Passionate about shaping environments that prioritise wellbeing, equity, and employee empowerment, Sharmin advocates for transforming FM into a strategic driver of organisational success.

Episode Summary In this episode of Tap Into Something Better, host Hannah Freeman sits down with Sharmin Akter to explore what it truly means to design workplaces that empower people to thrive. Together, they unpack how wellbeing, inclusivity, and green spaces can transform workplace culture and why the future of facilities management lies in elevating the human experience. Sharmin shares her passion for creating environments shaped with employees, not for them—from sensory gardens to nap pods—and explains how meaningful innovations can boost productivity, creativity, and connection.

• Real workplace transformation is done with people, not to them.

• Sensory gardens and green spaces foster inclusivity, creativity, and wellbeing.

• We are human first, employees second.

• Listening to employee voices is essential for meaningful change.

• Facilities management is shifting from a cost centre to a strategic business driver.

• Diversity in leadership is crucial for shaping better environments.

• Innovations like nap pods can significantly enhance workplace culture.

• Short power naps can deliver major productivity boosts.

• The best workplaces are inclusive, human-centric, and experience-led.

• Transforming Workplaces: A People-First Approach

• The Power of Green Spaces in Work Culture

• “Creating a sensory garden for inclusivity.”

• “We are human first and employees second.”

• “Power naps can boost productivity.”

00:00 — Introduction to Transformative Workplaces 01:13 — People-Centred Initiatives in Workplace Transformation 05:28 — The Impact of Green Spaces on Wellbeing 10:36 — Diversity, Equity, and Employee Empowerment 15:47 — Facilities Management as a Strategic Driver 20:28 — Innovative Ideas for Enhancing Workspaces

In this episode of Tap Into Something Better, Hannah Freeman sits down with Samantha Mant, founder and CEO of Halcyan Water Conditioners, to explore the hidden impact of limescale on energy consumption and carbon footprints.

Samantha shares her journey from conservation to innovation, explaining how Halcyan’s 30-year warranty water conditioners prevent limescale, protect appliances, and drive long-term energy savings. Together, they uncover why water is radically undervalued in sustainability conversations, the importance of accountability in green claims, and how small innovations can create big environmental change.

💡 Key Takeaways:

• Halcyan prevents limescale build-up while saving energy.

• Limescale dramatically increases energy use.

• A 30-year warranty proves durability and trust.

• Real sustainability demands honesty and accountability.

• Small solutions can drive large-scale environmental progress.

• Dogs in the workplace can improve wellbeing too!

🎧 Tune in for an honest conversation on sustainability, innovation, and why it’s time we start valuing water properly.

Follow Samantha Mant, and Halcyan on Linkedin here