There's a difference between being busy and actually moving forward.

In this episode, inspired by a solo trip to Edinburgh that helped her work through something she'd been stuck on, Maya shares four levels at which you can extract yourself from the day-to-day and do the thinking that actually moves your life and work forward.



What you'll learn:

 * Four levels - from daily to occasional - at which you can step back from business as usual to actually move the needle

 * How Maya structures her own review and planning practice at each level



As usual, connect with Maya at https://www.linkedin.com/in/mayagudka/

And subscribe to her YouTube Channel https://www.youtube.com/@MayaGudka?sub_confirmation=1

For all other info, visit the website www.refreshingleadership.com [http://www.refreshingleadership.com/] 



Working In Your Life V.S. Working On Your Life (Refresh Your Life The Lazy Way Series)

As a Senior Leadership Team Coach, Maya is always looking for the simplest tools that create the biggest perspective shift. In this episode, she shares one of her favourites.

This episode is for anyone grappling with a decision, feeling stuck in an area of their life, or simply taking stock before the end of the year.

What you'll learn:

 * The 8 and 80 exercise for perspective on leadership decisions - and specific reflection questions Maya uses with her coachees

 * How to reconnect to what really matters, and what will endure

As usual, connect with Maya at https://www.linkedin.com/in/mayagudka/

And subscribe to her YouTube Channel https://www.youtube.com/@MayaGudka?sub_confirmation=1

For all other info, visit the website www.refreshingleadership.com [http://www.refreshingleadership.com/] 



Ask Your 8-Year-Old and 80-Year-Old Self (Make Better Leadership Decisions With These Two Perspectives)

September marks the start of one of the busiest stretches of the year. But before heading into autumn, Maya is sharing two ideas from her summer that she thinks can make any busy period feel more intentional - and more worthwhile.

In this episode, Maya introduces the concept of the golden thread, and makes the case for creating more space in your calendar before the busy season hits.

What you'll learn:

 * The golden thread - a simple monthly habit that keeps you moving forward even when life gets unpredictable

 * The Kendra Adachi technique Maya is using to make her autumn feel more manageable before it's even started

As usual, connect with Maya at https://www.linkedin.com/in/mayagudka/

And subscribe to her YouTube Channel https://www.youtube.com/@MayaGudka?sub_confirmation=1

For all other info, visit the website www.refreshingleadership.com [http://www.refreshingleadership.com/] 



NEW! What's Your Golden Thread This Month? (Quick Summer Review + Next Steps)

Archive Episode

September has a particular energy to it - back to school, fresh start, the perfect moment to take stock of the year and set yourself up for a strong finish.

In this episode, Maya shares four simple steps that can each be done in under five minutes, and that together can make goal attainment for the rest of the year feel more fun, more easeful and more inevitable.

What you'll learn:

 * Four practical steps to capitalise on September's unique energy

 * How investment changes your relationship to your goals

For details of Maya's Vision Builder programme (since renamed Vision Code), visit https://www.mayagudka.com/vision-code-programme 

As usual, connect with Maya at https://www.linkedin.com/in/mayagudka/

And subscribe to her YouTube Channel https://www.youtube.com/@MayaGudka?sub_confirmation=1

For all other info, visit the website www.refreshingleadership.com [http://www.refreshingleadership.com] 



Four Steps to Seize September & Supercharge Your Goals Today! 

Part of the August 2026 Refresh Series.

If you’re a high achiever who has built success through relentless doing, pushing harder, and staying “always on,” this episode will challenge and transform the way you think about achievement.

Maya is joined by bestselling author and leadership thinker Steven D’Souza, whose book Not Doing explores how pausing, letting go, and working with natural rhythms can lead to more success, not less.

Steven offers a radically refreshing perspective on leadership, ambition, creativity, and sustainable performance. This is not about sacrificing drive, it’s about discovering a more effective, easeful way forward.

What you'll learn:

 * The concept of negative capability - and how pausing and creating space can make you a more effective leader

 * A different relationship to time that the most effortlessly effective leaders seem to share

Connect and find out more about Steven on his website https://stevendsouza.com/ or LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/steven-d-souza-5351712/

As usual, connect with Maya at https://www.linkedin.com/in/mayagudka/

And subscribe to her YouTube Channel https://www.youtube.com/@MayaGudka?sub_confirmation=1

For all other info, visit the website www.mayagudka.com [http://www.mayagudka.com] 



Why Doing Less Helps You Achieve More - with Steven D’Souza - The August Refresh, Archive Episode

Part of the August 2026 Refresh Series.

Whether you're naturally calm or naturally sensitive to what life throws at you, today's world is enough to test anyone's nervous system. And yet nervous system regulation rarely gets talked about in leadership spaces.

In this episode, Maya is joined by Kate Brassington for a conversation that demystifies how the nervous system actually works, and what we can do to regulate.

What you'll learn:

 * What polyvagal theory is - and why understanding it changes how you think about burnout, freeze states and switching off

 * How to find the nervous system regulation practice that actually works for your personality and wiring - no one size fits all approach

You can connect with Kate Brassington at https://katebrassington.com/

As usual, connect with Maya at https://www.linkedin.com/in/mayagudka/

And subscribe to her YouTube Channel https://www.youtube.com/@MayaGudka?sub_confirmation=1

For all other info, visit the website www.mayagudka.com [http://www.mayagudka.com] 





Four Key Concepts To Help Regulate Your Nervous System - The August Refresh, Archive Episode

Part of the August 2026 Refresh Series.

We know that getting outside does us good. But outdoor intelligence - the idea that we actually think, see and know more when we're in nature - goes a step further than that.

In this episode, Maya is joined by Fi Macmillan, coach and adventurer, to explore what outdoor intelligence actually is and how it differs from simply going for a walk.

By the end of the conversation, they co-create an equation that sums it up neatly: nature + walking = deep work + intuition.

What you'll learn:

 * How to start accessing outdoor intelligence

 * Three simple practices to help you reconnect with your intuition through time outside

You can connect with Fi Macmillan at https://www.linkedin.com/in/fi-macmillan/

As usual, connect with Maya at https://www.linkedin.com/in/mayagudka/

And subscribe to her YouTube Channel https://www.youtube.com/@MayaGudka?sub_confirmation=1

For all other info, visit the website www.mayagudka.com [http://www.mayagudka.com] 



Access Your Intuition Through Outdoor Intelligence - The August Refresh, Archive Episode

Part of the August 2026 Refresh Series.

Most bucket lists don't make it to 100 items. That's exactly the point of this exercise.

In this episode, Maya walks through the list of 100 dreams - an exercise she came across via Laura Vanderkam, originally from career coach Carolina Ceniza-Levine - and shares how she went about it herself. The idea is simple: an unedited list of anything you might want to do or have more of in your life - a powerful exercise for a number of reasons. 

What you'll learn:

 * How to actually do the exercise - including what to do when you run out of ideas

 * How the list becomes a useful reference point for goal setting and making the most of your leisure time

As usual, connect with Maya at https://www.linkedin.com/in/mayagudka/

And subscribe to her YouTube Channel https://www.youtube.com/@MayaGudka?sub_confirmation=1

For all other info, visit the website www.mayagudka.com [http://www.mayagudka.com] 



The List of 100 Dreams - The August Refresh, Archive Episode

Part of the August 2026 Refresh Series.

What's your default strategy when you're feeling burnt out or depleted? A sunny trip away? Nothing wrong with that - but there are other, perhaps more powerful, ways to recharge too.

In this episode, Maya breaks down her own version of the seven types of rest, drawing on years of coaching conversations to explore why switching off looks different for everyone - and why going from near-burnout to a beach doesn't always solve the problem.

What you'll learn:

 * The seven types of rest - and a simple way to identify which ones you're missing

 * The difference between rejuvenation and refresh - and why relying on a change of scene alone often isn't enough

You can read Maya's accompanying LinkedIn post and access the rest checklist here: https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/when-you-cant-switch-off-maya-gudka-msc-cfa-ma-cantab-/

You can also listen to Maya's episode on sleep here: https://open.spotify.com/episode/0XscMUgFfUgsDE2JX931jN?si=ea2d0fe498ec4271 

As usual, connect with Maya at https://www.linkedin.com/in/mayagudka/

And subscribe to her YouTube Channel https://www.youtube.com/@MayaGudka?sub_confirmation=1

For all other info, visit the website www.mayagudka.com [http://www.mayagudka.com] 



The Seven Types of Rest: Which One Do You Need? - The August Refresh, Archive Episode

Workplace bullying happens more often than it should. In this episode, Maya shares guidance from inside her coaching programme - practical steps that have helped clients deal with this and start to move things forward.



She explains why the bullying interaction itself isn't something the victim can fix, as well as sharing details of her own past experiences.



What you'll learn:

 * Specific techniques to manage a bullying situation - including one that made HR start taking action almost immediately

 * A simple shift in how you frame the issue that makes leadership take it seriously
   
   

To find out more about the programme curriculum, visit https://www.mayagudka.com/for-individuals

As usual, connect with Maya at https://www.linkedin.com/in/mayagudka/

And subscribe to her YouTube Channel https://www.youtube.com/@MayaGudka?sub_confirmation=1

For all other info, visit the website www.mayagudka.com [http://www.mayagudka.com] 



What To Do if You're Being Bullied at Work

Maya Gudka (@mgudka) · Zencastr

Maya Gudka (@mgudka)

For intelligent leaders wishing to step up, craft, or transition into their dream roles, without burning out. Instead of pushing ourselves harder, we take a step back, find the less trodden path, and invite spaciousness & intentionality into our work and lives. Hosted by Maya, MSc, MA (Cantab) Master Accredited Coach (EMCC), seen in HBR, Stylist, Psychologies Mag, top Academic Journals. Clients include Sony, London Business School & Legal & General. Career Growth. Positive Leadership. Work/life balance. Virtual Work. Executive Coaching. Get Promoted. Earn More.

Life-Work with Maya: Career, Boardroom & Leader Success, Your Way