Become a Creator today!Start creating today - Share your story with the world!
Start for free
00:00:00
00:00:01
Inspire Club EP #27 - Kay Vessey
14 Plays9 months ago
In this episode we talk with Kay Vessey, Learning & OD Specialist at H&H Agency.
Kay gets a real buzz out of supporting and developing people to reach their full potential – transforming behaviours so people can unleash their happiest, most fulfilled and productive selves.
She advises on the psychology and strategy behind H&H’s client projects. Known as the model queen (scientific models – not catwalks!), everything she does is underpinned with robust theory, translated into action and behavioural shift.
We hope you enjoy it.
Recommended
Transcript
Introduction to the Inspire Club Podcast
00:00:00
Speaker
Hello and welcome to the latest episode of the Inspire Club podcast by Inspiring Workplaces. For those that don't know me, I'm Matt Maners, CEO and founder of the Inspiring Workplaces group, and it really is a pleasure to be your host.
00:00:15
Speaker
Straight into the podcast today, and to our guest, Kay Vesey, Learning and OD Specialist at the H&H Agency. Kay gets a real buzz out of supporting and developing people to reach their full potential, transforming behaviours so people can unleash the happiest, most fulfilled and productive selves. She advises on the psychology and strategy behind H&H's current projects.
Kay Vesey's Approach to Learning and Leadership
00:00:38
Speaker
and is known as the Model Queen, scientific models, not catwalks, as she says, because everything she does is underpinned with robust theory, translates into action and behaviour will shift. In her own words, her question of the day is, so what? It makes sure their creative approaches, her real substance, are meaningful and engaging, as well as stunning and exciting.
00:01:00
Speaker
So as you can see from Kay's passions, I've been really looking forward to welcoming Kay onto this podcast. So without further ado, hello Kay, how are you? Hello, Matt, I'm very well, thank you. It's an absolute pleasure to be here.
00:01:14
Speaker
Thank you. Well, thank you for your patience. We've probably postponed this about two or three times because of my hectic 2023. So I really appreciate your patience and it's really exciting to have so many of such passions about what you do on the podcast. And to that end, I think we should get straight into the first question and the one rule of the Inspired Club podcast. Sharing a story about somebody who's inspired you at work along the way and why.
Inspiration from Equine Guided Leadership
00:01:44
Speaker
Yeah, okay. So I've got a couple actually, is that allowed? I'm not quite sure. Oh, absolutely. Even better.
00:01:52
Speaker
Yeah, yeah, okay. So I suppose for me in the kind of role that I do that there's been a couple of people earlier on in my career that has deeply, deeply inspired me and has really helped me to learn along the way and really kind of shift my thoughts and views and learn from them. So they've also been great mentors as well as trainers, facilitators and tutors.
00:02:19
Speaker
So the first, and they're both kind of couples actually. So the first people that I want to share with you about is a couple called David and Sharon Harris. And they are both equine guided leadership development facilitators. So they have heard of horses that they use in the coaching business field with regards to facilitating leadership development.
00:02:46
Speaker
And I came across them in a previous business that I worked in probably about 12 or 15 years ago. And at the time we was looking to create a new leadership development program that moved beyond the typical let's build a raft and let's push ourselves across a pond and having a great team type thing. Do you know what I mean? The business that I worked in at the time,
00:03:12
Speaker
it was very progressive and the business at the time was going for a huge amount of shift and change. And we was looking for something that was going to be fundamentally different that created us a change at a very, very deep level. And we came across
00:03:31
Speaker
David and Sharon and you know the program that they delivered using a herd of horses as facilitators basically and you're probably thinking well you know what horses got to do with leadership what they are amazing leaders because they you know operate in a herd and they all have
00:03:48
Speaker
a specific role to play. And yeah, so for a number of years, you know, we integrated the equine guided leadership development into our leadership program. And as a result of that, I became a facilitator. And a little bit later on, I then wrote, well, I actually did a master's degree in coaching and I integrated that within the practice.
00:04:14
Speaker
So they had a profound, profound inspiration on me about my own practice around my knowledge about learning and development and leadership development and people development and human motivation. So they're kind of my first people that I would cite as massively inspirational to me
Work Culture and Collaboration at H&H Agency
00:04:34
Speaker
and the amazing work that they do.
00:04:37
Speaker
And then the next couple that had a huge influence on me was Dr. Jan Russell and Dr. Graham Dexter. So again, a couple. And I joined, I wanted to do a master's degree for a long time because I'm a bit of a geek and a bit of a nerd. And also it's a stretch for me.
00:05:04
Speaker
And I also really wanted to do a very deep dive into coaching. And I found this program online that they delivered, which was at Lincoln University. And so this was probably about 10 years ago. And so for them, their history and their background and their experience
00:05:26
Speaker
is astonishing. So, you know, a background of social work, psychiatric nursing, coaching, counseling, therapy that was all integrated within this, you know, coaching master's degree. And so I did that and I integrated the equine guided leadership development into that piece of work. So whilst the two things are kind of separate that for me, they kind of had an intersection in my learning and development OD career that kind of
00:05:55
Speaker
made my knowledge about the people development space at a very deep level. So those two, from a career point of view, I would kind of cite as being the greatest inspiration on me as a human being and on me as a professional learning and development practitioner. So they've had a great impact on you then? Yeah, yeah.
00:06:24
Speaker
Yeah, massively so. Fantastic. Well, thank you to both of them, both couples. And also to have heard of probably the most unique training, leadership development I've ever heard of. So I might have to go and look into that after the podcast as well. Everybody that does it kind of says, you know, what an impact and shift that it has on them, because it's, you know, it's quite incredible.
00:06:53
Speaker
And I suppose from a, you know, from an H&H perspective, I mean, I'm talking that's from a career point of view, but from an H&H perspective, I think I am very lucky that I work with such amazing, talented people that, you know, inspiration is part of our everyday because we've, you know, everybody is an expert in their own field, whether it's creative, whether that's design, whether that's illustration, animation, or creative copy,
00:07:21
Speaker
you know, internal comms. And, you know, one of the things that, you know, we do and we focus on as a team is inspiring one another and making sure that we share and learn from one another. So, you know, I've I've I'm in a very fortunate position that actually I get inspiration every day we do this, we do this little session on a weekly basis called called an appetizer. And it's like a little 15 minute get together. And somebody from the team will share either a piece of work or
00:07:50
Speaker
something that they've learned or anything that will inspire other people to either model it or do the same or integrate that within their practice. And I missed it yesterday because I was actually running a workshop, but they always get recorded. So I watched it this morning, a little 15 minute golden nugget of information, which I watched it and thought, I feel really inspired by that, which is great because I think that's it. It's not about
00:08:17
Speaker
just pieces of inspiration periodically. I think it's about an everyday inspiration that really kind of drives that motivation and energy and I think we do that really well.
00:08:30
Speaker
I love hearing these stories from inside other organisations because that is it, isn't it? The greatest sources of inspiration are the people around us and the work that we do and do for one another. So if you find that, then hold on to it. So it's lovely to hear that you're getting that all the time from the people around you. Yeah, we kind of laugh. We have a little phrase in H&H that's every day's a school day. And it is very true. It is very true.
00:09:01
Speaker
Yeah, well, I'm not even going to comment on that because I'm not entirely sure that would be a positive for me. You get the sentiment though, Matt, don't you? You get the sentiment. I do, I do, I do. Joyful, abandoned, yeah. Yeah, no, totally get that.
00:09:19
Speaker
but not going back to school days, don't want to take my brain
Passions and Priorities in the Workplace
00:09:23
Speaker
there. We're trying something new on this season of the Inspire Club as well, so whilst we have the greatest source of inspiration throughout your career, we also kind of want to flip it and I actually ask like a kind of heaven and hell view, so greatest source of inspiration, but what was a negative experience that actually you've turned into a positive?
00:09:42
Speaker
Yeah, it's a great question, isn't it? Because it is through that kind of reflection and experience, you do that balance of, would I do that or actually would I do something quite different? I think very early on, I have got an example of something that very early on in my career, and it's one of those, isn't it? You start within a particular career and you don't know what you don't know, typically. And I was very new into
00:10:12
Speaker
like the Learning and Development Arena and everything. And it was probably one of the very first projects that I'd worked on. And I'm talking a long time ago, so back in the day when everything was physical, we didn't have learning platforms, we didn't have digital online stuff, it was all physical toolkits and folders and all that type of thing.
00:10:33
Speaker
And I'd done a project, my very first project, which was it was I worked in retail at the time and we did this, you know, like weekly kind of little training sessions for that got sent out to the stores. I mean, you know, when you're talking about three, 350 odd stores with, you know, thousands of employees, that was the best method of actually getting that training, you know, out to everybody that was, you know, kind of customer facing.
00:11:03
Speaker
And to make that engaging, we kind of created a metaphor around it, which was called recipe for success. And it was all built on like a learning menu and all that kind of stuff. And I was so proud of this piece of work that I kind of created and everything. And it got to the point of sending it to the printers and getting it signed off. And we had this lead time. And at the very last minute, the line manager said,
00:11:29
Speaker
Oh, I'm not quite sure about that. Can we change the creative on it? You know, you think, oh my God, it's like we need to get this. We need to get this out to the printers like today and you changed your mind. And for me, it was like rabbit in the headlights of, oh my goodness, you know, how am I going to cope with this? Because the lead time of everything needs to be
00:11:53
Speaker
spot on and it needs to be out to the stores and it's a big launch and everything. And I think it was being blindsided really, you know, and I kind of think about that and I thought, you know, anyway, it all panned out and it was fine in the end and we got it out to stores and but it was that, you know, for me,
00:12:11
Speaker
I would make sure that I would never blindside anybody by something and kind of derail a project and making sure that before it was always, this is what you'd ask for. And I think it was the first time that I'd ever really experienced that kind of spontaneity of changing your mind at the last minute, which I was not really used to.
00:12:36
Speaker
It's a really interesting example, actually. I think it's almost at its core, it boils down to having the courtesy of your fellow colleagues of not blindsiding another human being and actually throwing a lot more work on them right at the last minute and actually doing your job properly. It reminds me of a time when I was in my old career working in Sydney.
00:12:58
Speaker
I think probably most of the negative experiences usually happen early on, don't they? But as you're learning, we were creating a report for a client because I used to work in an agency. I won't mention their name. My manager, director, it's about seven o'clock at night and the next day it was a meeting. And we're working on it all day just before he's leaving to go home and went, actually, I think we should do it like this.
00:13:27
Speaker
And we went, okay, but we've done it like this. And the meeting's tomorrow nine in the morning. And he went, yeah, but I think we should do it like this. Having already told us to do it the other way. And I was there till three in the morning doing it. You can't get home.
00:13:44
Speaker
uh you know sleep in the office and then go to the meeting and it didn't impact anything it was just personal preference and you're going and but and he left at that moment in time at seven in the evening you know he's just left us third or you're going well never let any never do that to anybody either so good negative experiences can create good outcomes i think and drive great behavior and go i'll never do it like that
00:14:06
Speaker
Yeah, absolutely. And I think for me, it was also that, you know, that spontaneity and changing your mind at the last minute. And I think for me now it's about, I don't mind, you know, I like spontaneity and I don't mind if somebody changes the mind at the last minute. I think for me, it's about being prepared for that.
00:14:26
Speaker
And so now, you know, I'm always prepared for any eleventh hour, you know, shifts and changes or, you know, actually making sure that something's briefed properly, you know, up front. I'm not expectation that, you know, you're that, you know, the first version might not be the final version. So but it's it is really good learning. And I think, you know, to your point, it's it's where we have the most profound learning, isn't it, of actually what would you do in the future and
00:14:53
Speaker
So hopefully I never blind somebody. Definitely shapes us. Learning is good and bad. But I suppose talking about the things that drive us, moving on to the next part of the podcast, but what's your personal why? What drives you? What gets you up in the morning?
00:15:12
Speaker
Yeah, so really good. And thank you for that little intro that you gave me earlier on, which does kind of say it in a nutshell. But for me, it is about making a difference for people and helping them to fulfill their potential, really. So I'm a big one for sharing. I'm a big one for learning. I am a bit of a learning junkie. And I love to do that.
00:15:37
Speaker
supporting others to be the best that they can possibly be really. Whether that's in the workspace or outside of the workspace I think for me it's just about that human connection and you know lots of the stuff that I do within H&H especially from our psychological
00:15:57
Speaker
and print profiling tool, you know, that's about human motivation. So, you know, whether you're inside or outside of work, that application can be used wherever. And I think, you know, for me, getting that feedback of how that's impacted and supported people to be the best that they can be is a real, you know, really fulfills me. And I love that.
00:16:21
Speaker
Well, it's seriously amazing why that gives back to others. Is that something that has always been there or is that something that's come to you over time? I don't know. It's an interesting one, isn't it? I think, you know...
00:16:36
Speaker
For me, it probably has always been there. When I think about as a child and the things that I would engage with as a child, I think I'd always thought that I would be a teacher. And I remember I used to create little tools and write little books and teach
00:16:54
Speaker
dollars in the Tedis and stuff and so it was probably maybe always in there you know at an unconscious level and and it's funny really because you know I think for a lot of L&D practitioners they they organically come across
00:17:10
Speaker
and become L&D, OD practitioners and it almost becomes one of those things that you try and think I really love this and actually I'm you know I'm really enjoying this and it's making a real difference and this is something that I'd never even considered or thought that could be a career and then when you then obviously then go much deeply into it and the
00:17:32
Speaker
You know, you focus on kind of like, you know, the psychology of people and behaviors and behavioral shift. And then when you integrate that within to a business.
00:17:41
Speaker
you know, the impact that you can have across that, you know, full spectrum of communication and motivation and, you know, helping people to be the most resourceful.
Personal Insights and Inspirations
00:17:51
Speaker
It probably always was in there for me and it was something that I stumbled across whether that was purely by accident or whether that was, you know, the universe drawing me into it or not. So, yeah. Well, it's got to be the universe.
00:18:09
Speaker
Yeah. And I've been really lucky across that L&D career that I've worked with some amazing people for some amazing businesses that I've been able to demonstrate my why and being able to help and support them. Well, I can't express how much the passion for what you do is how much it's coming across right now. And it's absolutely lovely to see because, you know,
00:18:39
Speaker
It's not always there for people, that purpose or that they're why. And it's something that they do discover later on. But it's so nice to hear that it does feel like this putting in a lifelong passion that you have, that you now are doing on a day-to-day basis. And like I said, what an amazing thing to drive you that actually helps others and helps them fulfill their potential. Absolutely fantastic. And lovely to hear.
00:19:06
Speaker
So going out into the wider world, what do you think is a major workplace priority right now that you're seeing within the work that you're doing?
00:19:16
Speaker
I think there's a few that are front and center. We talk to a lot of our print coaches and we ask them what's on their plate from a people development point of view and what are they looking at. A lot of that is around neurodiversity. It's about
00:19:38
Speaker
quality, you know, it's about, you know, being able to, you know, connect people in an ever growing digital world and making sure we've got those human, you know, those human connections. And, you know, one of the other things that came up the other day was, was around that menopause awareness and actually making sure that, you know, that's, you know, that's a topic that we're talking about, making sure that actually it's, you know, it's reflected in
00:20:08
Speaker
in creating a psychologically informed and safe environment that people are aware of it. I think it's about that uniqueness of individuals and making sure that it's, you know, one size doesn't fit all. It's, you know, one size really fits nobody. So making sure that we're creating
00:20:30
Speaker
every opportunity for everyone to be the best that they can be and making sure that we're creating those environments and workplaces for people to be inspired to be their best and to bring their A-game every day. And I think there's lots of topics out there, but they're some of the common ones that we're kind of hearing really.
00:20:58
Speaker
Well, there's a lot there and I suppose if I was trying to simplify that down, I guess it's trying to create those safe environments where people can be themselves, but also I guess personalising the experience for people. So whether it's neurodiversity or, you know, experiencing the menopause, it's actually being an organisation that deals
00:21:24
Speaker
and gives the ability to support people going through them or having have them.
00:21:31
Speaker
So the other one I would like to touch upon is connections. And I guess this links to my next question as well, human connection and the four day week. And I suppose it gets expanded into the hybrid working. What is your view on the four day week? And also the importance of human connection, I guess, because I really believe strongly that one thing that got lost and is still not spoken about enough during the pandemic,
00:21:59
Speaker
because I think it's great to have flexible working and hybrid and giving people choice.
00:22:04
Speaker
But the power of human connection, it's just so, so powerful. And all the health benefits and the scientific studies that are out there that show the actual need for people to be in the same space as one another and to interact with one another. And I feel that that has been lost along the way. And I'd just love to know your views on human connection, the importers out in the workplace, and also the four-day week.
00:22:32
Speaker
So there's lots of questions in there, isn't there? There are. Inspiring workplaces, I think, are built by people and people interacting with people. So I'd love to get your take on it already because we've just gone through so much over the past three or four years and we're still fighting our way through it all, aren't we?
00:22:51
Speaker
Yeah, absolutely. So let's do the four-day wait, first of all. So, you know, I know that there's lots of research out there that, you know, kind of focusing on, you know, the benefits and the costs and consequences and the upsides and the downsides of that. And I think generally, you know, it kind of talks about that, you know, there's lots of benefits.
00:23:10
Speaker
you know, to doing that. And I think it does go back to the individual around, you know, having a workplace where you can explore that flexibility of what works for me, because it doesn't work for everyone. So for some people that might be, you know, spot on for them because of the nature of, you know, a family dynamic, or if they've got children to care for, or, you know, elderly people to care for.
00:23:35
Speaker
you know, taking into consideration commuting and, you know, and all of those types of things. You know, I think for us, it's about, you know, that that flexibility. So, you know, some people within within our team do do four days a week. And some some of us do nine day fortnight. Some people do the standard traditional, you know, five days. Some people do four days over five.
00:24:02
Speaker
And I think, I think again, it's about it is about that human connection, isn't it? And actually exploring, you know, what's, what's right for you, what's going to be, you know, kind of psychologically safe and psycho psychologically sound to support you to be the best that you can be, whilst balancing, I think, you know,
00:24:25
Speaker
the individual and the team's needs and the organisational needs and your clients and customers. And that's a tricky balance. It's almost like the Goldilocks moment, isn't it? This is too hot, this is too cold, this is just right. And I think it's about
00:24:42
Speaker
it being dynamic and being able to work within that kind of space of saying, how do these things work? How do these things play out? And let's keep reflecting upon that. Let's keep measuring its success. Let's keep that connection going of saying, how does this work for you?
00:25:03
Speaker
Yes, I suppose treating each other like adults and having those conversations around the impact of it. Because if you all buy into the values and the purpose of the business and you all wanted to succeed, then you'll do what's necessary to make that so. Because we as a business have committed to the four-day week.
00:25:24
Speaker
but still on the nine day fortnight about 18 months in because we keep saying shall we go to the full four day week now and as a team we keep reflecting on it properly monthly and we're going no the nine day fortnight is the right balance right now like we would never give back that Friday
00:25:44
Speaker
but we don't want to take the next Friday off yet. What it has done is really transformed the focus on output and doing the things that make the most impact for the people we work with and work for. Really interesting. I like all these things. It's nuanced, isn't it? I think people love to jump to a
00:26:09
Speaker
yes or no, black or white, you know, but it's never that simple and it shouldn't be, I don't think.
00:26:16
Speaker
Yeah, it isn't. And, you know, and, you know, and kind of like that traditional, you know, not, you know, nine to five, you know, is there, is there an opportunity and a possibility to, you know, work outside of those, you know, because, you know, because I know that, you know, some, some, some of the guys that I work with, you know, they got really early and like to start at six in the morning, because that's, you know, that's it, that's when they're most productive. And I think that that's the thing for me, it's about,
00:26:43
Speaker
Like you just said, it's about output, it's about outcomes, outcomes for you as an individual, your team, your organization, your customers, your clients. When are you most productive, resourceful, energetic, motivated? So is that starting at six?
00:27:01
Speaker
if you're a night owl, some people like to work late into the night because that's where they get their most inspirational or feel most alive. And I think that's it about the hybrid working, isn't it? For me, it's about working where you are most productive. So is it the fact that you need energy from other people? You need to be in a room or a building with others that you're counting off ideas and you're actually feeling that physical energy from one another. Is it the fact that, you know,
00:27:30
Speaker
Microsoft Teams or Zooms is a really great way to collaborate or being on your own and having that real quiet time for reflection is the best productive way for that piece of work for today. Again, I think it is about operating in an adult way that serves everybody in that mix.
00:27:55
Speaker
so that you get the best outcome that you possibly can. 100% and I'm morning, so I'm up at my best days. I've done by 9am. If I'm working well, I've done everything I need to do by 9am that day and then the rest of the days are bonus. And some of our team are parents, so some days they go, can I start work at 6.37 in the morning? Absolutely. Do what you need to do to
00:28:22
Speaker
make your life easier and with the view to getting the output done as well, so Yeah, and you want to sell out conversations. I think the theme of this podcast Right now, but this is my favorite. This is my favorite question because I just love I love hearing advice and there are so many wise people out there so and I love to borrow I love borrowing lots of things from different lots of different people and
00:28:48
Speaker
So, okay, the best advice you've ever been given and if you want to share, who is it from?
00:28:56
Speaker
Yeah okay so this was an interesting question I was thinking yeah I've had loads of really good advice over the years but I do have a quote that I do like and it's probably my quote that I always kind of go back to and it's an Oscar Wilde quote and it is quite simply be yourself everyone else is taken.
00:29:18
Speaker
That's amazing. I do like that quote because that for me is about, you know, authenticity, being you, you know, putting on a mask or putting on an act takes a lot of energy. And I think, you know, it kind of goes back to the previous part of the conversation about being an individual and, you know, and being yourself, you know, we're not cookie cutter people, are we? You know, we're human beings with
00:29:45
Speaker
you know, lots of, you know, lots of complexity and nuances. So I think that I think the more that we can be ourselves, the more that we understand and appreciate each other and what we each bring, you know, the better the better a world we will, you know, kind of all live in, really, whether that's at work or outside of work or, or wherever. Fantastic. That is, I love that.
00:30:10
Speaker
I'm absolutely speechless. Oscar Wilde, he's good for stuff like that, isn't he? What a genius. Be yourself, everyone else has taken it. It's true, it is exhausting not being yourself.
00:30:23
Speaker
I wasn't myself, probably for a good decade, I think, probably putting on some sort of work persona that I thought was necessary. It's just liberating when you just finally be who you are and find the workplace that can allow you to be that. You give so much more as well, I think, and that's the study show.
00:30:44
Speaker
thank you Oscar Wilde. I'm just going to say you know it's about other people appreciating you as well isn't it and you're appreciating them you know empathy is a big one for me it's a big quality that I really hold dear and you know and really value as well as authenticity and I think you know the more that we can understand and appreciate other people you know the more that it reduces those barriers and
00:31:09
Speaker
you know misunderstandings and helps our communication and helps us to be to be to be better people really. Well it's interesting you said we just published a book on from our top 101 influencers and we asked them two traits of an inspiring leader or one two traits an inspiring leader must possess and authenticity and empathy two words you just mentioned then were probably the most
00:31:35
Speaker
common traits that came back and are in the book. So, you know, and strongly agree with them. So it's interesting that you said that. So I also go check out the book if you're listening, because it is a really good book to digest about what makes up an inspiring leader. Well, there you go, actually. That's one of our questions. What would you say are the two key traits?
00:32:01
Speaker
Yeah, they would absolutely be mine. And when I kind of think back to doing the equine guided leadership development and thinking about working in that arena with horses, I mean, obviously, 93% of horses communication is non-verbal and they read your bio rhythms and it's all about being authentic.
00:32:29
Speaker
in that arena and I think that, you know,
00:32:32
Speaker
others recognize when you're not being authentic and other people recognize when there's a lack of empathy. And I think the more that we can understand and step into somebody else's shoes and from their perspective, the more that we can understand them and actually create an environment for them, whether that is an inspiring workplace, whether that is a place for them to grow and develop, whether that's a place for them to heal, it's about understanding that really.
00:33:02
Speaker
Brilliant, so let's go over some of the fun questions that we sometimes ask. Just to finish off our conversation, chat for hours. We touched on this throughout the chat. Early bird or night owl? Yeah, it's a good one because it's kind of situationally based for me, but probably early bird, I would say. Probably more early bird than night owl.
00:33:30
Speaker
Or maybe neither, maybe Mid-Daybird. Which you should probably put in there, but does it have the same rings to it? Favourite album or a song if you need to just get yourself fired up? What would you put on your iPhone or whatever player you might have?
00:33:54
Speaker
Okay, so I can answer both of those. So at the minute, what I've got playing in the car, and I have got an old car, so it's a CD player, is the latest Arctic Monkeys album, The Car.
00:34:09
Speaker
And my daughter bought it because it meant that if she bought the album, she got a pre-code for the Arctic Monkeys tickets last year. So she'd obviously, that generation does not play CDs. They've got Spotify, they've got Apple Music or whatever.
00:34:26
Speaker
ended up with this random album CD and so that is in my car so that's playing at the moment and I love to drive to that because it just is just such a such a great album to kind of travel to work in or you know to listen to and the which is kind of a funny song but it always really makes me laugh when I hear it is Mr Blue Sky by ELO
00:34:50
Speaker
So I love that song. Not that I'm an ELO fan at all, but when I hear that, I really find it very uplifting. I don't know any ELO fans, but I don't know anybody that doesn't like Mr. Blue Sky. There you go. So I'll throw that one into the mix.
00:35:09
Speaker
Yeah, that's great. That'll get added to our playlist. We actually have a Spotify playlist that we take all the guest songs and all the choices and we put it into the playlist. It's a very eclectic, as you can imagine, and we'll be adding that today. But RC Monkey is a great band. I actually...
00:35:28
Speaker
like your daughter went to see them so this year at the Emirates and they were they are just fantastic. It's my wife's favourite band so yeah really really good. Well it so happened that
00:35:43
Speaker
We went to see him at Old Trafford Cricket Ground and it happened to be my daughter's but she was 22 this year so she was very excited to manage to actually get tickets on a birthday for the cricket grounds. Amazing. Very good.
00:35:59
Speaker
Amazing. Well, I'm probably oversharing now, but again, it's about being yourself. I got a tattoo recently. Another one. I have a few now. And I never thought I'd ever get married, and I did, because I met the woman of my dreams. And then I never thought I'd ever get something
00:36:20
Speaker
that would represent my wife inked on me. And I have done a little Ivy leaf. But when the needle was about to touch my arm, and her favorite artist song played on the radio, and it freaked me out. But at the same time, I'm going, if that's not a sign that I'm doing the right thing, I don't know what is. So it was a good
00:36:43
Speaker
good omen, I think, for that happen. So yeah, if you ever see me in person or my sleeves rolled up, you'll get to see the Ivy Leaf. Anybody that's listening to this. But anyway, last few quick questions. Best place in the world you've ever visited and if you could be anywhere right now, where would it be?
00:37:04
Speaker
Oh okay, so we've got friends that live in Portugal and we've visited them quite a few times over the past few years and they live in this little area which has got a beautiful sandy cove and a beautiful beach bar that overlooks the sea and that's probably one of my favourite places.
00:37:27
Speaker
in the world of just sitting there with a little cocktail and just, you know, watching the surf and listening to the, listening to the sea lap on the shore. So that's probably where, and I would love to be there right now. Yeah. Well, I was going to say, I don't think I need to ask the second part of that question because I want to be there. That sounds like heaven. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. It's my favorite sound. The sound of the sea lapping up against the shore is just the best, isn't it? Yeah.
00:37:57
Speaker
And if you don't have an answer, it's absolutely fine. But is there anybody we should go and invite to be on podcast to recommend as a guest?
00:38:06
Speaker
I would, I would certainly recommend the people that I've talked about that inspire me. So David and Sharon Harris, absolutely. And Dr. John Russell and Dr. Graham Dexter. So you would, they are, all of them are very, very inspiring and, you know, experts in the in their field and wonderful human beings. So yeah, I would strongly advise those.
00:38:33
Speaker
Fantastic. Thank you so much. And thank you for your time today. I had an absolutely great chat with you. I'd love to learn about who's inspired you and your thoughts and everything world of work. And is there anything else you'd like to say before we sign off? No, it's gone really quickly. So thank you so much. I've really enjoyed it.
00:38:57
Speaker
My absolute pleasure. And to those listening, this podcast gives us great joy from being able to produce it and put it out into the world and to have guests like Kay who share people who've inspired them and what inspires them during their working life. And we'll have another one for you soon. So take care and goodbye.