What does it take to back yourself when, despite everything you’ve achieved, you still wonder whether you belong

This week on The Merri-Cast, I’m really thrilled to be joined by Lou Brown, author of “Bold, Brave, Brilliant!” and founder of BRAVElou®.

Lou spent more than 30 years in the public sector, building a successful career in HR and senior leadership before taking the leap earlier this year into running her own business.

However, as she explains in the episode, the achievements other people saw didn’t always match how she felt inside.

I think everyone should listen to this episode. One story that particularly stayed with me involves Oxford University, a broken pink suitcase and an episode of Tipping Point. There’s lots of humour in the telling, but also an important realisation: Lou had earned her place at Uni, even if she didn’t believe it yet herself.

I think many of us will recognise that feeling. I know I do – it’s the main reason why I’ve written my forthcoming book The Confidence Shift – I felt that I found a kindred spirit in Lou when interviewing her.

In this episode, Lou also shares:
• Why she believes beginnings don’t dictate endings
• How a lecturer who saw something in her helped her begin to see it herself
• What her Oxford experience taught her about imposter syndrome
• The excitement and challenges of becoming your own boss
• Why HR professionals sometimes overlook their own confidence and development

Whether you’re building a business, taking on a leadership role or finding that self-doubt and imposter syndrome are holding you back, there’s so much to take away from this conversation.

Lou Brown:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/louise-brown-fcipd-1a9140a8/
Book: Bold, Brave, Brilliant!: Overcoming Imposter syndrome with Courage and Confidence
Website: https://www.bravelou.co.uk/

Trevor:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/trevormerriden/
Merriborn: https://merriborn.co.uk/
Email: trevor.merriden@merribornmedia.co.uk

Incoming CIPD CEO Neil Carberry OBE joins CIPD Chair Professor Chris Bones and President Chloe Smith for an exclusive Merri-Cast conversation about the future of HR, the direction of the CIPD and what the profession must do next.

This week, we have a really special episode of The Merri-Cast podcast to bring to you.

Neil Carberry OBE is preparing to take the reins as CEO of the CIPD later this month, at a pivotal moment for HR. And before taking office, he joins me on the show alongside CIPD President Chloe Smith and Chair Professor Chris Bones for an exclusive and powerful conversation about the future of the profession – and the direction the CIPD now needs to take.

And in this episode – they don’t shy away from the big questions.

Is HR doing enough to demonstrate its contribution to organisational performance? What needs to change if the profession is to remain relevant and influential? And, with AI, shifting demographics and economic uncertainty changing organisations around us, how can HR step forward and lead?

In this episode, we discuss:
• Why HR is at such a critical turning point – right here, right now
• Why productivity and performance must be central to the profession
• The role HR now need to play in leading organisations through AI and technological change
• Why HR needs to solve business as well as HR problems
• What CIPD membership should mean - to members and employers
• What Neil, Chloe and Chris believe needs to change at the CIPD
• The capabilities that HR professionals need to invest in now to prepare for their future

There is a real sense throughout this conversation that something big is changing.

The opportunity is there for HR to become more confident, more commercially focused and more central to organisational performance. But as Neil, Chloe and Chris make clear, taking that opportunity will require the profession and the CIPD itself to make some important choices.

This is a conversation anyone working in HR - or alongside it – definitely won’t want to miss!

CIPD: https://www.cipd.org/uk/
Neil Carberry: https://www.linkedin.com/in/neil-carberry-obe-95948938/
Chloe Smith: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rthonchloesmith/
Chris Bones: https://www.linkedin.com/in/professor-chris-b-793a50/

Trevor:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/trevormerriden/
Merriborn: https://merriborn.co.uk/
Email: trevor.merriden@merribornmedia.co.uk

What does it really take to build a successful business – and how can we make life easier for the people running them?

This week on The Merri-Cast, I’m really thrilled to be joined by Emma Jones, Small Business Commissioner and Founder of Enterprise Nation.

Emma has spent much of her career starting, growing and supporting small businesses. And today,
she’s tackling one of the biggest frustrations facing entrepreneurs: getting paid on time.

Emma tells me that small business owners spend an average of 86 hours chasing debt – time that could be spent winning customers, hiring people and growing their business. Think what we could all do with that time. Her mission as Small Business Commissioner is simple – to get money moving through the economy quicker.

In this episode, Emma shares:
• What the dot-com boom taught her – and why she (wisely, in my view) turned down investment
• How she grew Enterprise Nation - and how taking angel investment then changed her thinking
• Why late payments remain such a serious problem for small businesses
• How new legislation could change the way businesses get paid
• Where she sees the biggest opportunities for SMEs
• Her advice for aspiring entrepreneurs

Whether you’re running a small business, thinking about starting one or simply interested in what Britain can do to create a better environment for entrepreneurs, there’s so much take away from this conversation.

Emma Jones:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/emma-jones-8063536/
Small Business Commissioner: https://www.smallbusinesscommissioner.gov.uk/

Trevor:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/trevormerriden/
Merriborn: https://merriborn.co.uk/
Email: trevor.merriden@merribornmedia.co.uk

Many dream about starting a business. Far fewer understand what it takes to succeed.

This week on The Merri-Cast, I’m excited to be joined by Dan Dunn, Co-founder and CEO of Paperplanes, a business that’s helping reinvent direct mail by combining traditional marketing with modern technology and data.

Dan’s journey is striking. Like many others, he took the leap into entrepreneurship with courage. But what really comes through is a deep sense of personal responsibility. Nobody else is going to build your business for you, he says.

His resilience isn’t about being fearless. It’s about getting back up, learning from what didn’t work and continuing to move forward even when progress feels slow.

In this episode, Dan shares:
• What sparked his ambition to become a business owner
• Why having the right co-founder can make all the difference
• The challenges of scaling and building a team
• Why resilience really, really matters
• Why he's passionate about mentoring the next generation

If you're building a business, thinking about starting one, or just curious about what it actually takes, you can’t miss this episode.

Dan Dunn:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/daniel-dunn-1a2b763a/
Paperplanes: https://paperplanes.co.uk/

Trevor:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/trevormerriden/
Merriborn: https://merriborn.co.uk/
Email: trevor.merriden@merribornmedia.co.uk

Some entrepreneurs build businesses around products. Others build them around problems they can’t stop thinking about.

This week on The Merri-Cast podcast, I’m joined by Steve Dineen – Founder and Chief Storyteller at Fuse Universal, and a pioneer of digital learning.

From the early days of e-learning to launching fuseschool and Fuse Universal, Steve has spent decades exploring one central question: how do people learn better?

What stood out to me most in this conversation is the way that Steve thinks. Fast, curious and constantly making connections, he talks about the difference between improving what already exists and solving problems people don’t yet realise they have.

In this episode, Steve shares:
• Why every business needs to start with a problem worth solving
• How he makes decisions quickly without being reckless
• What it really takes to scale knowledge, learning and expertise
• How a charitable education project became part of a much bigger mission
• Why storytelling sits at the heart of better learning

If you're building, leading or growing a business, there's plenty of insight here on entrepreneurship, learning and thinking differently.

Steve Dineen:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/stevedineen/
Fuse Universal: https://www.fuseuniversal.com/demo

Trevor:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/trevormerriden/
Merriborn: https://merriborn.co.uk/
Email: trevor.merriden@merribornmedia.co.uk

A common challenge founders face isn’t strategy, sales or even growth. It’s learning how to stop doing everything themselves.

On this week’s episode, I’m joined by the brilliant Kate Davis – founder of Meraki People, leadership advisor and champion of building businesses where people genuinely thrive.

Kate’s journey into entrepreneurship was anything but straightforward. From starting her career in law, to live events and then corporate change management, she eventually built a business helping founders scale without losing themselves or their culture along the way.

What really stood out to me in this conversation was Kate’s honesty about leadership, confidence and the realities of growth.

In this episode, Kate shares:
• Why so many founders get trapped “doing all their own stunts
• The hidden people and culture issues behind scaling problems
• Why curiosity and self-awareness matter more than most leaders realise
• The role mentors have played in helping her build confidence as an entrepreneur
• Why businesses grow faster when leaders focus on people, not just processes

One thing that really stayed with me was Kate’s point that most “people problems” in business aren’t actually people problems at all. Underneath the surface, they’re usually structure, communication or leadership issues.

If you’re building, leading or scaling a business, this episode is packed with practical insight and honest reflections.

Kate Davis:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/katedavisleadership/
Meraki People: https://www.merakipeople.co.uk/

Trevor:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/trevormerriden/
Merriborn: https://merriborn.co.uk/
Email: trevor.merriden@merribornmedia.co.uk

Most businesses talk about creativity. But the real question is – who is creativity actually for?

On this week’s episode of The Merri-Cast, I’m joined by Robert Edmonds - founder of NRG Studios, a creative agency helping organisations bring their stories to life through content, events and campaigns.

Robert’s career began in broadcast television, working on major productions and building his craft in an environment where storytelling really matters. That experience has clearly shaped how he approaches business today.

What really comes through with Robert in this conversation is the clarity of his thinking, particularly when it comes to clients, creativity and building a business that actually works.

In this episode, Robert shares:
• Why building a business around clients, not only creativity, changes everything
• The reality of starting from nothing and reinvesting everything back into the business
• Why building a pipeline should be every founder’s first priority
• The difference between telling a story and actually creating impact

What stayed with me was his constant focus on the client – not as a buzzword, but as something practical.

If you’re building or growing a business, there’s a lot in this episode that will resonate.

Robert Edmonds:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/robert-edmonds-nrg-digital/
NRG Studios: https://nrg-digital.co.uk/

Trevor:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/trevormerriden/
Merriborn: https://merriborn.co.uk/
Email: trevor.merriden@merribornmedia.co.uk

Most businesses don’t lose their culture overnight… they lose it as they grow.

On this week’s episode of The Merri-Cast, I’m joined by David Liddle – Founder and CEO of The TCM Group and the People & Culture Institute. He’s a leading UK voice on people, culture and leadership.

His latest book, “People and Culture” explores many of the ideas we discuss in this episode - you can find it here.

I’ve known David on and off for around 20 years, and it’s been fascinating to watch his journey – from community mediation to becoming one of the most influential thinkers in his field.

What struck me most in this conversation is how honest he is about his entrepreneurial journey. It’s had its bumpy moments, but he’s come through them with resilience and continued to move onwards and upwards.

We talk about what really happens as businesses grow – and why the systems you introduce to support that growth can quietly start working against you.

In this episode, David shares:
• Why “growth can eat culture” if you’re not careful
• The mistakes that founders make as they scale
• Why most organisations handle conflict too late - and miss the opportunities it creates
• How better conversations unlock insight, learning and performance

As you’ll hear, David said so much that resonated with me, but most importantly…

Believe in yourself.
It sounds simple, but after listening to this conversation, I hope you will.

David Liddle:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/liddledavid/
The TCM Group: https://thetcmgroup.com/
PCA: https://www.peopleprofessionals.org/
Book: People and Culture - A Practical Guide for HR Professionals & Leaders

Trevor:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/trevormerriden/
Merriborn: https://merriborn.co.uk/
Email: trevor.merriden@merribornmedia.co.uk