Episode 109
Overcoming Career Challenges: Wisdom from Lianne Baker
In this episode of The Career Confidence Podcast, Lianne Baker, Head of People and Culture at Enfuse Group, shares her career journey and how the most significant challenge of her career had a profound and lasting effect on her confidence.
Key highlights, Lianne talks about:
- The importance of knowing our own their worth and advocating for ourselves in the job market.
- The value of establishing a personal brand and how it is essential for career advancement.
- The complexities of maternity leave and managing a career around a young family.
- The power of creating an inclusive workplace culture allowing individuals to bring their authentic selves to work.
- The game changing effect of employers embracing a flexible approach to work.
- Her observations on young professionals today and how their entrepreneurial spirit will help shape the workplace of the future.
Links Mentioned in this episode:
Lianne Baker on Linked In
Download Back Yourself: Your 7 Step Plan to Build Confidence and Achieve Your Career Goals
About Nicola Semple
I help people to build their career confidence and achieve their career goals.
You can book a free no-obligation chat about how I can support you to achieve your career goals: https://nicolasemple.com/chat
You can get my free guide "Back Yourself: Your 7 Step Plan to Build Confidence and Achieve Your Career Goals": https://nicolasemple.com/backyourself
You can buy my book The Career Confidence Toolkit: Take Control of Your Career and Fulfil Your Potential: https://nicolasemple.com/book
Connect with me on Linked In to carry on the conversation: https://linkedin.com/in/iamnicolasemple
A new episode of The Career Confidence Podcast is released every second Friday. Hit the subscribe button and you will be the first to know when a new episode goes live.
Transcript
Foreign hello, and welcome to the Career Confidence Podcast, where we share inspiring stories, practical strategies, hints and tips so that you build your career with confidence in in this ever changing world.
Speaker A:I'm your host, Nicholas Semple, a career and confidence coach and author of the Career Confidence Toolkit.
Speaker A:Today, I am absolutely delighted to share a conversation that I had with Leanne Baker.
Speaker A:Leanne's the head of people and culture at Infuse Group, and we have been trying to have this conversation, I think, for about three months.
Speaker A:The first time we tried to talk, her Internet kept cutting out and we had to abandon.
Speaker A:And then we had a series of scheduling issues and we finally managed to record the conversation, except the tech issues returned.
Speaker A:And for the first five minutes of this recording, for some reason, my external microphone hadn't kicked in.
Speaker A:So from my side, it sounds a bit echoey.
Speaker A:However, I would hate for that to put you off.
Speaker A:Bear with it.
Speaker A:And about five minutes into the audio, my side becomes much clearer.
Speaker A:And Leanne just has so much wisdom about what she's learned throughout her career journey and the power and the importance of building your personal brand.
Speaker A:You are going to absolutely love it.
Speaker A:Leanne Baker.
Speaker A:Hello.
Speaker B:Hi.
Speaker A:It is so brilliant to have you here.
Speaker A:I would love for us just to get started with, let's call it a little trip down memory lane and if you can tell us a little bit about how your career has evolved and how you've ended up as the head of people and culture at Infuse Group.
Speaker B:Okay.
Speaker B:Well, I suppose it depends how far back you want to go.
Speaker B:I left university after studying business studies, went traveling, came back from traveling, got my first HR role, which was working for Alliance Pharmacy, which became Alliance Boots while I was working there.
Speaker B:And it was in their regional office just doing HR admin, which was a good start into kind of the HR career.
Speaker B:But I did go backpacking again afterwards.
Speaker B:I hadn't quite got traveling out of my system, but then I came back and I really wanted to get a job that would be in hr, but exciting, something enough to keep me in this country.
Speaker B:And I was really fortunate to get an HR role working for a TV production company that was called Enderl at the time.
Speaker B:And that was brilliant.
Speaker B:It was such a great introduction to the kind of the career that I knew that I wanted, whilst also working somewhere that was really exciting and different and fun.
Speaker B:And I didn't know much about TV production before then, so I kind of got to learn all of that really, really fast.
Speaker B:And then I went across to Conde Nast, working in publishing so still within media and then due to various circumstances, stayed within HR but moved to different industries.
Speaker B:So worked in hospitality in a fixed term role, worked in recruitment and eventually I've ended up here, which is working for a management consultancy.
Speaker A:Amazing.
Speaker A:Now, I'm curious, you said something quite early on there which is about you got a role in a career you knew you wanted.
Speaker A:So when you got your first HR role, was, was that intentional?
Speaker A:Was that something that you knew you wanted to do?
Speaker B:Yeah, so, excuse me.
Speaker B:My mum is actually a retired HR director and so I had grown up in the world of personnel as it was back then, seeing the job that she did, but also just finding it really, really interesting.
Speaker B:So when I was looking at what I would study at university, I looked at business studies.
Speaker B:I was very practical, aged 18.
Speaker B:I kind of am annoyed with myself for being so practical.
Speaker B:I wish I'd done something a bit more interesting, but I studied business with HR and I've just naturally, I don't know, I've always been inclined to go into HR and even when I kind of had moments of, oh, I wonder if I should try something else, it's just always felt so natural to me.
Speaker B:And then being in those positions, learning on the job, I realized, yeah, this is absolutely where I should be.
Speaker B:It definitely ticked all the boxes from what I wanted from a job, but also what best aligns with my personality and my interests.
Speaker A:And that's fantastic that you were able to identify that so early on because so many people can't and don't.
Speaker A:And as you say, there's pros and cons to it because you then might think, well, what if I'd done this?
Speaker A:What if I done that many paths I could have followed.
Speaker A:But there's also something quite, quite comforting, I think, about knowing the path you want to go down and then taking the steps that get you there.
Speaker B:Yeah.
Speaker A:Now, you've clearly had a lot of variety in terms of the organizations that you've worked for and the types of roles that you've been in.
Speaker A:Tell me a little bit about some of the, the key milestones, the learning points where you've really thought, oh, yeah, I've, I've really transformed as a result of that.
Speaker B:Yeah, I think, I mean, there's lots, but I think I'll just kind of pull out the ones that have been like most pivotal.
Speaker B:I suppose the first one was having a baby.
Speaker B:You know, until then I just worked full time within hr, got my head down, you know, worked really, really hard.
Speaker B:But the whole experience of going on maternity Leave.
Speaker B:Having a flexible working request turned down, having to find a new job with a new baby.
Speaker B:It was a real defining moment in my career because I think, and I know I'm not the only person who's been through this.
Speaker B:You know, it's a tale that has been told by many parents that have had the same issue.
Speaker B:But I think I had gone quite naively into it, thinking that I would be returning to the job that I loved.
Speaker B:You know, I'd done all my keeping in touch days.
Speaker B:I'd even helped train up my replacement.
Speaker B:You know, I'd done so much.
Speaker B:And then to just have it turned down is just a black and white.
Speaker B:That's just.
Speaker B:No, I think it really defined my career because I had two choices.
Speaker B:I could kind of accept it, you know, take a step back from the career that I wanted and just become a mum and, you know, maybe have something a bit more local, a bit more sort of admin.
Speaker B:Not really much to think about.
Speaker B:That was kind of the first thing that about 100 people said to me.
Speaker B:Me, oh, why don't you just get a local job, you know, in the local doctor surgery or school?
Speaker B:And, you know, that's absolutely fine for a lot of people.
Speaker B:And yes, that could have been one of my options, but I chose the other option, which was actually, no, I've worked really hard for my career.
Speaker B:You know, I've studied towards this.
Speaker B:I had my cipd.
Speaker B:I.
Speaker B:That wasn't enough for me.
Speaker B:I wanted to go back to the career that I loved.
Speaker B:So I really fought for that and I really talked about it a lot.
Speaker B:I've, you know, spoken about it numerous times and anyone that's seen or.
Speaker B:Or heard anything I've done before will know.
Speaker B:But I did, I.
Speaker B:I had a voice about it, of how unfair it was and also how difficult at the time, because this was before COVID how difficult it was to find flexible roles that were within hr, that were within a more senior position.
Speaker B:And it was a really.
Speaker B:I look back at then and think, yeah, I did have two choices and I, I picked one very firmly.
Speaker A:I.
Speaker A:And I think.
Speaker A:I know Covid was only five years ago, but I think we've forgotten what the working world was like before that.
Speaker B:Yeah.
Speaker A:With all of the negatives that Covid brought, it has also brought a revolution in terms of the volume of flexible roles and just the acceptance that actually we can work that way and we can work really effectively that way.
Speaker B:Yeah.
Speaker B:And I think that was part of the reason why I got so cross about it, because I wasn't asking for an awful lot, but due to the cost of childcare and my salary wasn't particularly high, I had no choice but to work, you know, shorter days or work four days a week instead of five.
Speaker B:But yeah, it was just a.
Speaker B:Absolutely not.
Speaker B:You know, we need a bum on a seat in an office an hour and a half away from.
Speaker B:From my child.
Speaker B:So, yeah, I think you're right.
Speaker B:Covid has changed a lot of things for the better in terms of flexible working.
Speaker B:And I think, you know, the other kind of pivotal moment for me was having my first standalone HR role because I'd previously only been in teams, so I'd kind of learn everything from working with other people.
Speaker B:But I knew that I could do it on my own and I knew that I had some really good ideas and I knew that I wanted lead the function the way that I wanted to do it and in a similar way to my mum's style of hr.
Speaker B:So being able to have my first standalone HR role and see that I could do it and I could do it really, really well and I could really add value.
Speaker B:I think, again, that was another kind of key moment that sort of defined my career and also started to give me the opportunity to look for more senior positions and apply for those roles with confidence.
Speaker A:And also, you know, when children and a family are added into the mix, your whole outlook and the way that you work changes.
Speaker A:What, what reflections do you have on that?
Speaker B:Yeah, I think it made me more ambitious, actually.
Speaker B:You know, it made me want to fight harder for opportunities, to fight for the salary that I knew that I needed but also was worth.
Speaker B:I had to become a lot more efficient because working part time, having very strict deadlines where, no, I can't stay an extra 10 minutes because then I will miss picking up my child, it means that you have to really define your work pattern and stick to it.
Speaker B:And it made me use time better, be a bit more assertive about actually, do I need to be here, I'm going to go.
Speaker B:You know, it's.
Speaker B:I wouldn't say it made me rude, I still have nice conversations with people, but it meant that I was a bit more strict about ending those conversations and, you know, making sure that my diary was really, really up to date.
Speaker B:And I think all of those things I hadn't even considered before having a child.
Speaker B:You know, you just work full time and it's just.
Speaker B:It is what it is.
Speaker B:But when you have such specific hours and maybe you're working reduced week, you've got an awful lot more to fit in and an awful lot more that is kind of riding on it.
Speaker B:So.
Speaker A:What I'm hearing a lot in what you're seeing and behind what you're seeing is that you've got this, I'm going to call it a quiet confidence and an understanding of your worth.
Speaker A:Is that something that you have consciously developed?
Speaker A:I mean, that is a real skill to have.
Speaker A:How have you got to that point?
Speaker B:I think it is something I have developed and I think that came off the back of my first maternity leave and the way that I had been treated and then subsequently trying to find suitable jobs.
Speaker B:And one of the first meetings I had with a recruiter when I was looking for a job and I knew the salary that I needed, I knew the job that I wanted to apply for and they made me feel like I did not deserve that.
Speaker B:And I left in tears.
Speaker B:They said, well, you won't get that.
Speaker B:You know, you're not going to get that opportunity because you haven't done it before.
Speaker B:And I was like, well, how do people ever get promoted then if they can't apply for the job that's one up from the one that they've been doing on the salary that's a bit more than that they're already on.
Speaker B:You can't always compare what my salary was and what my job title was.
Speaker B:And I left in tears.
Speaker B:And then during that drive home, it was literally a life changing drive home of kind of leaving in tears, feeling really sad.
Speaker B:And then I just started feeling really angry and I was like, hang on a minute, I'm a mother, I've just had a baby, I've just been through a life changing thing.
Speaker B:How dare a man that has never met me before define my worth because of my cv, because of a piece of paper?
Speaker B:It's up to me to define my worth.
Speaker B:Is up to me to define what salary I should be earning, the role that I know that I can do, and the flexibility that I need to continue being a mother.
Speaker B:And yeah, on, by the time I got home, I had gone from being really upset to really angry.
Speaker B:And then that anger gave me this real drive to find that opportunity and then run with it when I had it.
Speaker B:And it also gave me more ambition to fight for my family, you know, having an income and having a life.
Speaker B:And it had to be a good enough job that made that took me away from my baby.
Speaker B:Because as much as I'm ambitious, I didn't want to be doing a job that I hated because I was putting my child in childcare.
Speaker B:You Know, did that answer the question?
Speaker A:It did.
Speaker A:And it sounds like you have, you have.
Speaker A:Well, it's not even just making the best.
Speaker A:It was a really awful situation for you, but you have navigated it in such a way that it's had a massively positive impact.
Speaker B:Yeah, well, I would hope so.
Speaker B:You know, I think so many people can be in those situations and it can go the other way.
Speaker B:And I've seen that happen to a lot of other, you know, parents that reached out to me sort of, because I was quite vocal about all of this on LinkedIn, you know, @ the time.
Speaker B:So many other people went the other way.
Speaker B:It knocked their confidence so much that they just, you know, left their jobs or changed careers or, you know, did something different.
Speaker B:So I, I had, I had to take something positive from it.
Speaker B:For me, you know, that's, that's how I deal with things.
Speaker B:I'm like, no, sorry, I'm not gonna let that get me down.
Speaker B:I'm going to.
Speaker B:It was hard, though.
Speaker B:You know, I'm making it sound like I just sort of switched a button.
Speaker B:That's not the case.
Speaker B:There's been a lot of kind of internal processing.
Speaker B:But, yeah, I always try to find a positive in any situation.
Speaker A:And one of the things you said there was about being very vocal on LinkedIn throughout the whole process.
Speaker A:One of the things that clients often say to me is, I just don't have time for LinkedIn.
Speaker A:But I know that you find the time, and I'm curious about that.
Speaker A:First of all, how do you find the time?
Speaker A:Do you have a process that you use to make sure that you are keeping yourself visible on LinkedIn?
Speaker A:But secondly, what's so important about it for you?
Speaker B:So, I mean, there's a few kind of parts to that answer, actually.
Speaker B:I mean, LinkedIn, I think I've always enjoyed being on LinkedIn.
Speaker B:I like social media anyway, so I've always enjoyed LinkedIn because I like my making connections on there.
Speaker B:I like reading what's going on in the world.
Speaker B:I like seeing different people's perspectives, particularly in HR.
Speaker B:That's really, really useful.
Speaker B:I found LinkedIn was kind of the place that I started talking about this thing, these things, because I actually needed a job, you know, I actually needed people to see me on there and, and it, and it worked.
Speaker B:I got a job, you know, on the basis of, of posting about this, looking for flexibility.
Speaker B:So I think it, it is a great network for finding connections.
Speaker B:My current job I found on LinkedIn too.
Speaker B:I think it's so useful to be putting Yourself out there, you know, particularly if you want a slightly more senior career or in a particular area that you want to become a specialist in, it's so valuable that people kind of recognize you and see you in that place.
Speaker B:So you get invited to things, you get asked for your opinion on things.
Speaker B:You know, it can really help your career massively.
Speaker B:In terms of time, I mean, because I enjoy it.
Speaker B:I, you know, when I'm eating lunch, I Scroll through LinkedIn.
Speaker B:You know, in the evenings when I sit down and everyone's in bed, I go on LinkedIn.
Speaker B:I just enjoy reading what's on there.
Speaker B:But I think it is important, particularly if you're one of those people that doesn't have loads of time but you want to be visible on there.
Speaker B:You just have to put some time aside, you know, maybe once a week or, you know, think about the sorts of things you want to post.
Speaker B:And you don't even have to post, but even commenting and, you know, just being part of the conversation can really make a difference.
Speaker A:Yeah, and, and what I always remind people about is the why.
Speaker A:Why are you doing it?
Speaker A:Well, you're, you're, you're doing depends.
Speaker A:For some people at the stage they're at, it's about looking for another role or it could be about building in the anticipation that at some point they are going to be looking for another role.
Speaker A:And therefore the more groundwork they can do early on, the better.
Speaker B:Yeah, and that's exactly it.
Speaker B:It's that developing your own personal brand and owning it and being true to it, which is what I always try to do with mine.
Speaker A:Now, you are in a position now where you're responsible for the career development of quite a number of individuals.
Speaker A:And I would love to know a little bit more about the support you give within infuse around helping others to build their career confidence.
Speaker B:Yeah.
Speaker B:So I think one of the things that we have created at Infuse is a really great culture.
Speaker B:It's a very inclusive environment and we try really hard to, before we even recruit people know, to make sure that they understand our values, to make sure they understand our culture.
Speaker B:Because one of the things that we talk about is wanting people to come to work and be their authentic selves, you know, because I think often, and I've worked in these environments, you pop on a mask in the morning to go to work, you do your job as you, that's your job title, that's you.
Speaker B:And then you go home at the end of the day and it's exhausting because you're Having to hide the fact that you are really stressed or have financial problems or you're, you've got children and you've got a dog, or you've got caring responsibilities or you're going through a house move like I am now, or whatever it is, if you're having to hide all of that in order to do your job and to fit in at work, it's exhausting.
Speaker B:And I think that can knock your confidence and it can just make work not an enjoyable place.
Speaker B:So what we encourage everyone to do in an inclusive environment is to say, bring your whole self to work.
Speaker B:You know, if you've got stuff going on, tell us.
Speaker B:You know, we want to hear about your life.
Speaker B:We understand you have a life outside of work.
Speaker B:Just be you and be comfortable with who you are.
Speaker B:And I think that's the best advice that I always give people, you know, at enfuse, but just in life generally, you know, and if the company that you work for doesn't accept you as your authentic self, you're in the wrong place.
Speaker B:You know, you need to find that place that you can be yourself.
Speaker B:And I think the other thing that I always say to people is to know when to ask for help.
Speaker B:Because so many of us, we pretend we know what we're doing, you know, we come to work, we put on a confident face, you know, we get on with the work.
Speaker B:But actually, it's more valuable and more important to know when to say, actually, I don't know what I'm doing, you know, or I need help, or can you explain that again?
Speaker B:Or, you know, can you just support me on this?
Speaker B:It's, I think that's one of the most valuable things.
Speaker B:Rather than just pretending you're fine, actually just say no.
Speaker B:Can you help me with this?
Speaker B:And since I've realized that myself, I think it's helped my career enormously.
Speaker B:So I do encourage other people to do that too.
Speaker A:And there's a huge amount of value in role modeling that.
Speaker A:So if you can be demonstrating that to your team and to the people working with you, they can appreciate that it's okay for them to do it as well.
Speaker B:Yeah, yeah, exactly.
Speaker B:Try to do that.
Speaker A:And so with your people development, hat on, what are the hot topics at the moment in your industry?
Speaker A:What are people really looking to focus in on and, and to develop?
Speaker B:I, I, well, I don't think these are kind of industry specific, but I think some of the things we've already talked about it, it's now more important than ever to build your personal brand.
Speaker B:Yeah, you know, which goes beyond just your cv, your, your piece of paper.
Speaker B:It's something that is, you know, it should be living and breathing.
Speaker B:And I think it's very important to consultants because we are selling our people.
Speaker B:You know, companies are paying a lot of money for our very talented consultants to go in, but they want to know who they're getting.
Speaker B:You know, why should I pay you so much money?
Speaker B:What is your knowledge area?
Speaker B:You know, what do you think about these things?
Speaker B:So being able to build a brand, I think is something that a lot of people know they need to do but don't necessarily know how to do that.
Speaker B:So it's definitely something that I think even five years ago I'd not even heard the kind of the term personal brand.
Speaker B:And it's something that I hear all the time now.
Speaker B:And I think the other thing that I'm noticing, and again, this isn't specific to my company, but that more and more people are leaving university and starting the workforce with a real sort of entrepreneurial mindset and kind of a leadership mindset and wanting to come in to a job, but they want to be running the company within three to five years.
Speaker B:You know, whereas previously people had a longer sort of end goal of, you know, 20 to 30 years.
Speaker B:And so there's definitely a bit of kind of managing expectations on that, but also harnessing that amazing ambition and spirit so that people can, yes, they might not be running the company in five years, but can they be owning something?
Speaker B:Can they be shaping a part of the company and at enfuse because we are a fast growing company, that's what we love being able to do for people, you know, say, well, yeah, own this thing, run with it, make it what you want to do.
Speaker B:So definitely seeing, you know, that is definitely is different to kind of when I joined the workforce, which I won't say how many years ago, that one.
Speaker A:Brilliant.
Speaker A:I have so much to say on all of that.
Speaker A:So the whole piece about building a brand, I think you're absolutely right.
Speaker A:This is becoming more and more of a hot topic.
Speaker A:So when I was writing the Career Confidence Toolkit, I was wondering whether personal branding had a space in there.
Speaker A:And actually I got to the point where I thought it was pretty fundamental.
Speaker A:And so there's a whole chapter on building your career brand because I think some people, there's a temptation to think that they do that piece of work once and they write the CV and they write the LinkedIn profile and that's it.
Speaker A:I've put my stake in the ground this is who I am.
Speaker A:And they put that out into the world.
Speaker A:But actually your personal brand or your career brand as I call it, is constantly evolving.
Speaker A:And I had a session with somebody last week where it was all about her personal brand.
Speaker A:And she was shifting from, from employee modes and thinking about how she built her personal brand internally to the realization that in two to three years time she did not want to be in the same organization.
Speaker A:And so we mapped out a plan of what does she need to start doing now to set her up for success.
Speaker A:So all of the work that she'd done so far was about building her brand within her company.
Speaker A:And that's great, but actually with that longer term viewpoint in mind, then she needed to be thinking about how she built her brand out in the marketplace.
Speaker A:And I guess as an employer, it's a tricky balance to strike because you do want your consultants to be sought after.
Speaker A:But do you want them to be so sought after that the whole of the market's looking at them going, oh, wait a minute, we'd love to recruit them.
Speaker B:Yeah, yeah.
Speaker B:I mean, that is the balance.
Speaker B:But I think we understand that, you know, people don't join a company and stay for their whole career now, you know, we understand, you know, particular younger people, you know, they're looking to kind of stay for two to three years and then think about moving on.
Speaker B:So we kind of fully support people's career, career development.
Speaker B:You know, we've also created a great environment that generally people don't like to leave, actually, but it's just helping them to kind of take those next steps that we hope that will be within our company or, you know, certainly within consulting still.
Speaker B:But yeah, I think, I personally think it's just so important that people have that brand.
Speaker B:And it's, I don't look at.
Speaker B:Oh, but that's a risk to ask.
Speaker B:I just see it as a benefit, you know, because if we have 60 people in our company putting themselves out there, being sought after, being, you know, real gurus and the subjects that they know about, that just makes us look great.
Speaker B:And yes, some of them may go in the future, but we wish them well if they do.
Speaker B:But then we attract loads more people to work for us.
Speaker B:You think?
Speaker B:Oh, actually, yeah, that looks great.
Speaker B:So I think.
Speaker B:But you're absolutely right, you know, creating your personal brand internally.
Speaker B:But you should always be thinking of the next steps of kind of, well, where do I want to be, how do I want to be seen and who do I want to see?
Speaker B:Me.
Speaker A:Yeah, yeah.
Speaker A:And the, the other point that you brought up in terms of particularly those at the earlier stages of their career, being super hungry for more.
Speaker A:And I, well, I know that this isn't something new.
Speaker A: So in: Speaker A:In my complete naivety, I think there's been a mistake.
Speaker A:I, I was hired to work on human performance and the work that I'm not doing currently, that I'm doing currently isn't human performance work.
Speaker A:So I think I really need to be allocated to that human performance work.
Speaker A:And I can remember my career counselor who must have been having a good old laughter herself and she was just like, Nicola, if there was human performance work available, I can tell you right now, I would be doing it and you would be at the back of the queue.
Speaker A:So you're going to have to deal with the fact that we haven't actually sold any of that type of work at the moment, or not enough of that work at the moment to satisfy all the people that want to do it.
Speaker A:So for now you just need to get your head down, get some good experience and get on with it.
Speaker A:And that was a real pivotal moment for me because I came away from that, been kind of like, oh, wow, it's not just about what I want, it's about the needs of the organization.
Speaker A:That's about what's available in the market.
Speaker A:It's about this understanding that there are other people around who have more experience than me.
Speaker A:But I suspect what we're seeing now is an even more heightened version of the way that I was 20 odd years ago.
Speaker B:Yeah, I think it.
Speaker B:Because I started work at a similar time and I think that's it.
Speaker B:It's just, it's evolved a lot since then.
Speaker B:And I think also external influence and social media has, you know, massively impacted the stuff that people are seeing and the kind of lifestyle goals that people have, you know, have adjusted and I completely get it.
Speaker B:But you're right, there is that kind of, that's why I talked about managing expectations.
Speaker B:It's great that people have that and we love that, you know, we employ these people because we think they're brilliant, but it is about managing expectations, but then coming up with this great pathway for them so that all of this enthusiasm and energy, you know, is going somewhere great for our company, but is also giving them what they need, you know, to satisfy them.
Speaker A:Yeah, yeah.
Speaker A:Now that's the guidance and the advice that you're giving to young people coming into the workforce today.
Speaker A:I'd love to know, what advice would you give to 21 year old Leanne?
Speaker A:So the Leanne just coming out of university and having this whole path in front of her, what would you say to her?
Speaker B:Well, 21 old Leanne was backpacking, so I'd, you know, if it was literally age 21, I'd say just enjoy that.
Speaker B:You know, make the most of it, because this is going to be the best time of your life.
Speaker B:So really make the most of that, you know, not having any responsibility.
Speaker B:But I think, you know, when I did come back from, from backpacking the second time, I felt really behind all my friends.
Speaker B:You know, I came home and, you know, some of my friends were engaged, some had mortgages, had quite good jobs already, nice cars, nice salaries.
Speaker B:And I came back and sort of panicked a little bit that I was far behind, you know, all the people I just left university with a few years before.
Speaker B:And I think this advice that I would give that person, I would give to anyone at any stage.
Speaker B:Don't look around at what everyone else is doing, just look at you.
Speaker B:You know, concentrate on your career journey and where you want to be in your own time frame.
Speaker B:Because when you listen to external influences or you look at, you know, the nice house your friend's got, or the nice car they're driving or the job title they have, it can make you make decisions that actually aren't right for you.
Speaker B:It might make you take the job that makes you miserable just because you earn a decent salary.
Speaker B:You know, it might mean that you stay in a job because there's more prospects in that job, but actually, you should have moved on a few years before.
Speaker A:Yeah, yeah.
Speaker B:You know, there's so many decisions that could be influenced if you look at what everyone else is doing.
Speaker B:Whereas if you just look at yourself and you think, where do I want to be?
Speaker B:Where am I most happy?
Speaker B:What's best for me and my career and my family?
Speaker B:It just takes some of that pressure off.
Speaker B:And I say this to people now, and I would say it, if I could go back in time and say it to myself.
Speaker B:Put blinkers on, don't look at anyone else, just look at you and do what makes you happy and makes your life better.
Speaker A:That is such brilliant advice.
Speaker A:And as you say, not just for 21 year old Leanne, but for all of us at all stages, all of our ages and stages throughout our career.
Speaker B:Yeah, definitely.
Speaker B:I, you know, I think it's so, you know, especially when you get older and you get into more senior positions and you know, people that are coming in that are younger that maybe have more senior positions to you or are managing you, you know, as you get older, you're going to face that more and more and more.
Speaker B:And so yeah, you've got to remember, just focus on you and your career.
Speaker A:Fantastic.
Speaker A:Leanne, if people want to stay in touch and find out a bit more about you, what is the best way of doing that?
Speaker B:I'm always on LinkedIn.
Speaker B:You can always get a hold of me on there.
Speaker B:You know, that's the best way to stay in touch.
Speaker B:And I do post from time to time about things that I'm doing within my role at Enfuse and, you know, just about life more generally as well.
Speaker A:Amazing.
Speaker A:Thank you so much for your time today.
Speaker B:Thank you.
Speaker A:A huge thank you to Leanne for sharing her story and giving us an insight into life at Infuse Group.
Speaker A:I absolutely loved what she shared about how they're building a culture based on true authenticity.
Speaker A:She said, if you feel like you're putting a mask on when you go to work every day, then you really need to question whether you are working in the right environment for you.
Speaker A:When you get to truly be yourself and to bring your knowledge, your skills and your personality to work, that is where the magic happens.
Speaker A:As I was listening back to Leanne, it reminded me of some of the insights that Patrick McCann shared in his episode a few months ago.
Speaker A:I'll be sure to include a link in the show notes so that if you haven't already, you can listen to Patrick's story of bringing his whole self to work.
Speaker A:I've got more fantastic guests lined up over the next few months, so be sure to hit subscribe on your podcast app of choice so that the episodes are delivered straight to your device when they become available.
Speaker A:That's all from me for today.
Speaker A:Remember, you can buy my book, the Career Confidence Toolkit on Amazon, where it's available in paperback, Kindle and Audible formats.
Speaker A:And if you'd like to keep in contact, be sure to download my free guide Back yourself, your seven step plan to build confidence and achieve your career goals.
Speaker A:You can get hold of that by going to nicholasimple.com backyourself as well as getting instant access to the guide.
Speaker A:I'll send you my fortnightly newsletter with Career confidence hints and tips.
Speaker A:Thank you as ever for listening and I'll talk to you again very soon.
Speaker A:Bye for now.
