charlenegisele (2026)

02/05/2026

Always tired.
Always “on.”
Always pushing through.

For professionals like you, that can start to feel normal.
But what if it’s not?

What if:
• Your brain fog
• Your poor sleep
• Your anxiety
• That constant underlying pressure
…aren’t just part of your busy life?

In this conversation, Caroline Alan, co-founder of BEAM Minerals and an advocate for the power of plant-based humic and fulvic minerals to transform health at a cellular level, shared a different perspective:

These symptoms could be linked to mineral deficiency.
Because stress isn’t only external.

It can come from inside your body,
when it’s running without the resources it needs.

So instead of asking, “How do I push harder?”

Maybe the better question is:
“What am I missing?”

Because the most powerful source of energy…
isn’t synthetic.

It comes from the earth itself:
plant-based minerals.

If this episode resonated with you, check comments below for episode links.

23/04/2026

Work-life balance can sound great in theory.

But when you’re wearing so many hats, it doesn’t always feel realistic in real life.

Because life and work rarely split neatly into two equal halves.

The real goal isn’t perfect balance.

It’s building a rhythm that lets you perform at a high level without losing yourself in the process.
Work can matter deeply.

And so can your health.

Your family.
Your commitments.
Your way of living.

The question is not whether ambition and well-being can coexist.

It’s whether you’re designing your days with enough intention to make both possible.

In my recent conversation with Howard Hymanson, Head of Employment at the prominent London-based law firm, Harbottle & Lewis, a market-leading specialist Entertainment and Media Firm, Howard offered a more nuanced perspective:

Work-life blend.
Not working less.
Not switching ambition off.

But having more autonomy in how your life and work fit together.

Howard described it simply:
‘being able to give your best to the job, while still making space for the things that matter outside of it.’

Sometimes that looks like starting early.

Doing focused work when there are no distractions.

Then stepping away to play tennis, reset, and return with a clearer mind.

In a world that glorifies constant availability, autonomy may be one of the most important forms of well-being we have.

If this perspective resonates, comment EP121 and I’ll send you the full episode.

16/04/2026

Most supplements are marketed far better than they’re made.

The wellness space is crowded.
The marketplaces are crowded.

And when certain ingredients start trending, brands move fast.

Creatine.
Magnesium.
NMN.
Melatonin.

But speed to market doesn’t always mean quality.

In this conversation with Dr. Elena Seranova, PhD in stem cell biology, we explored something that every consumer should be paying more attention to:
What happens when supplement companies can’t provide proper proof of what’s actually in their products?

Because too many brands are optimising for profit, not purity.

For trends, not transparency.
For demand, not quality control.

And that’s where people need to be more careful.

Before buying, Elena shared a simple but powerful approach:
Ask the company directly.
Request third-party certificates for purity.
Ask for the full ingredient composition.
Check for toxicity testing.
Look for transparency, not just marketing.

Sometimes the smartest thing you can do isn’t finding the most popular supplement.
It’s knowing what questions to ask before you buy it.

In a world full of noise, better health decisions often start with better standards.

13/04/2026

One thing I’ve consistently seen in the most accomplished female leaders?

Self-doubt.

You’re at the top of your career, achieving consistent brilliant results, yet it never feels ‘good enough’.

So many talented women hesitate when opportunities come their way.

They question whether they’re qualified enough.

Whether they have the right experience.

Whether they’re truly ready.

We sometimes call it ‘imposter syndrome’.

Others call it ‘lack of confidence’...

But leadership doesn’t start when someone gives you permission.

It starts when you recognize the strengths you already have.

Women are often incredibly collaborative.

They listen.
They support.
They champion.

And those skills are far more powerful than many realize.

You already have incredibly transferable skills from so many parts of your life.

From leadership moments that never made it onto your CV.

From navigating complex situations.
From supporting and uplifting others.

In the world of all things digital, those skills truly matter.

They translate directly into leadership, communication and influence.

In my recent conversation with Martine Croxall, a Senior Presenter with BBC News, she shared something that really stayed with me:
Sometimes the biggest shift isn’t just gaining new capabilities.

It’s recognising and amplifying the ones you already have.

And if this message resonates, Martine’s upcoming event is a brilliant next step:
Lift Your Voice, Power Your Ambition, a presentation skills masterclass for women taking place in London on 6 May.

You can find out more here:
https://www.upstagetraining.com/2026

Check links in the comments below 👇

09/04/2026

If storytelling makes you think of creative teams, brand campaigns, and advertising, you may be underestimating its role in leadership.

Creative teams.
Brand campaigns.
Advertising.
The part of a business that makes ideas look and sound good.
But I think that view is too narrow.

One of the reasons I wanted to have this conversation with Preethi Nair, author, storyteller, and founder of a storytelling consultancy, Kiss the Frog, is because I believe storytelling is one of the most underrated leadership skills you can develop.

And if you are reading this, there is a good chance you are not sitting in a traditionally “creative” role.

You may be in law.
You may be in leadership.
You may be in the C-suite.

You may be operating in an environment that is analytical, fast-moving, and highly structured.

That is exactly why this matters.

Because if you lead, influence decisions, or need others to believe in what you are saying, storytelling is not a nice extra.

It is a leadership skill.

I think one of the biggest mistakes we still see in organizations is treating storytelling as something soft.

Something separate from strategy.
Something that belongs to marketing rather than leadership.

I do not see it that way.

I believe creativity has a place in every part of business.

Creativity helps you connect.
Creativity helps you persuade.

And when you bring those together, that is when your message lands.
That is when your team remembers what you said.
That is when they trust you.
That is when they act.
That is also why this conversation stayed with me.

One point from Preethi really stood out:
creativity does not only belong in creative roles.

I think that is an important shift for you and I to think about.

Because the moment you stop seeing storytelling as performance, and start seeing it as a tool for clarity, influence, and culture, you begin to use it differently.

If this resonates, comment EP119 and I’ll send you the full episode.

02/04/2026

A lot of leaders I’ve been speaking to over the past few weeks are trying their absolute hardest to ‘operate normally’ in a world that doesn’t feel normal anymore.

With so many close connections and clients navigating uncertainty in the Middle East, the conversations were centred around a sense of feeling overwhelmed, unsettled, and unsure how to process what’s unfolding.

It raises a question that feels hard to ignore:
How do we stay steady when the external environment feels so unpredictable, and yet the expectations of work and life continue at pace?

What I keep coming back to is this: steadiness doesn’t come from forcing more control over what’s happening outside. It comes from becoming more intentional about what we do with what’s happening inside.

The nervous system doesn’t always distinguish between “work pressure” and “world pressure.”
It all lands in the same place. Which is why so many people feel like they are functioning, but not fully resourced.

In moments like these, the basics matter more than ever:
Not as optimization tools, but as stabilizers.
Recovery.
Rhythm.

Small resets that interrupt accumulation rather than waiting for exhaustion.

None of this removes what is happening externally. But it does change how much of it we absorb, and how we carry it forward.

This is something I explore in this week’s conversation with Steven MacGregor, CEO of the General Counsel Wellbeing Network, where we talk about sustainable performance in environments that don’t feel stable or predictable.

Because the goal is not to eliminate pressure.

It’s to stop adding unnecessary strain on top of it.

And sometimes the shift is smaller than we think: pausing before responding, resetting before continuing, or simply noticing what is actually within our control in that moment.

Steadiness is not a fixed state. It’s a practice.
And in periods like this, it becomes one worth returning to more often.

🎧 Full episode in the comments / link below

25/03/2026

Is swearing at work really a problem… or just part of the culture?

In high-pressure environments, it can feel completely normal.

Even expected…It’s how we sometimes communicate when under huge pressure and pushed to our max!

You hear it enough…
And you start to pick it up too (I know I did!)

Almost without realizing.

But here’s what’s interesting,
Just because something is common
doesn’t mean it’s helping your reputation.

We spend years building expertise, delivering results, pushing performance…
But very little time thinking about how we’re perceived in the moment.

Leadership isn’t just output.

It’s presence.

I know that can be caught swearing, and often will say, ‘it’s part of the culture’!

Yet we often overlook this:
Composure, tone, and everyday behaviour are constantly communicating something.

In my recent conversation with etiquette expert Alison Cheperdak, one insight really stayed with me:

You can’t always control the room.

You can always control your standard, choice of words, language…

I’m curious to hear from you - honestly- do you swear at work too? Has it become a habit?

What would happen if you chose not to swear,
not to react,
not to follow the tone around you…(even when colleagues do).

18/03/2026

How is your sleep? (or rather, lack of sleep)...

For this year’s World Sleep Day, I’ve been thinking about why so many high performers struggle to sleep.

Sleep isn’t just rest.

It’s the foundation for focus, creativity, and resilience.

Yet so much of the conversation still focuses on “trying harder”:
Get to bed earlier…
Meditate…
Turn off screens…

But what if that’s not the real issue?

In my recent conversation with sleep physician Dr. Joshua Kovoor, one insight really stayed with me: sleep doesn’t respond to effort.

High achievers often force it. But the harder we push, the more elusive it becomes.

Small, consistent changes, protecting the bedroom, creating a calming pre-bed routine, respecting your natural body clock, make the real difference.

Because ultimately, sleep is something your body already knows how to do. It just needs the right conditions.

A powerful reminder this World Sleep Day.

If this resonates with you, comment EP116 and I’ll send you the full episode.

07/03/2026

For years, I used fertility charting to prevent pregnancy: tracking temperature, cervical fluid, ovulation, and the subtle patterns my body showed me each month.

And what surprised me most is this: once you actually know your cycle, the conversation shifts.

Charting isn’t just about “timing sex” or “trying not to get pregnant”… it becomes body literacy, a practical way to understand what your hormones, stress levels, metabolism, and energy are doing in real time.

That’s exactly what I unpacked with Lisa Hendrickson-Jack (fertility awareness educator + author of Real Food for Fertility). We talked about what fertility awareness really means, why apps often miss the mark, and how cycle knowledge can help you approach conception (or prevention) with a lot more clarity, and a lot less confusion.

When you understand your cycle, you’re not at the mercy of it anymore.

You can make informed choices, advocate for yourself, and feel confident in your timeline, whatever that looks like.

🎧 Listen to this week’s episode with Lisa Hendrickson-Jack to learn how fertility charting can change the way you think about conception, prevention, and everything in between.

04/03/2026

You only have a few seconds to get your audience’s attention.

We don’t get a warm-up anymore.

Not on LinkedIn.
Not on a panel.
Not on a Keynote stage.

Definitely NOT during a client’s pitch.

You and I get 2 seconds… maybe 10, to hook people before they mentally check out.

And if I’m honest, I’ve been guilty of this too before I learned otherwise.

Starting with context.
Softening the entry.
“Setting the scene.”

Taking 45 seconds to say what could have been said in 5.

But here’s what I’ve learned:
If you and I don’t lead with the point, we lose the room.

It’s not that people aren’t intelligent.

It’s that attention is fragile.

This was something we discussed in depth when I sat down with communication skills Expert, Martine Croxall (BBC Presenter and Anchor) and Media Trainer Neil Midgley (former Linklaters Litigator and Daily Telegraph Journalist), founders of UpStage Training.

One of the key lessons from media training is simple but powerful:
Start with the point you’re trying to make.

Not the preamble.

Not the waffle.

Because if your audience has to wait a minute to understand where you’re going, you’ve probably already lost them.

So now, before I answer a question or step onto a stage, I ask myself:
What’s the headline?
What’s the one sentence that matters most?

And I start there.
Not with the background.
Not with the disclaimer.
With the point.

Because in today’s attention economy, clarity isn’t aggressive.
It’s respectful.

11/02/2026

Have you ever wondered if your creative side actually makes you better at work… or if it’s completely separate?

Because I’ll be honest, I used to think creativity was something I had to “earn” after productivity.

Like… first build the business, hit the goals, get the results… then you can paint, write, play music, create.

But the truth is, most of us never get to the “then.”

And that’s exactly why this conversation hit me.

In this episode, James Nepaulsingh, former Magic Circle Lawyer and Artist at the RCA, said something that genuinely reframed the way I think about performance and burnout:
Even though his creative identity and professional identity don’t blend emotionally…

The way his brain builds things is the same.
A contract is a structure.
A song is a structure.
A painting is a structure.
Different tools, same mental process.

Because if you’re someone who’s ambitious, driven, and constantly building… chances are you’re not burned out because you’re weak.

You’re burned out because you’re always producing, and rarely creating.

And those are not the same thing.

Producing constantly and chasing constant productivity can drain you.

Creating can restore you.

So maybe the question isn’t:
“Do I have time to be creative?”

Maybe the real question is:
“Can I afford not to be, to stay productive?”

28/01/2026

One of the questions I hear most from senior leaders is:
“How do I even begin to understand generative AI without getting lost in the technical detail?”

And honestly, I get it.

You don’t need to understand how a car engine works to drive it.

You just need to know what the car can do, when to use it, and when not to.

That’s what really matters with Gen AI too.

What stayed with me from this conversation is a simple but grounding reframing:
Gen AI is a tool, not a replacement for judgment. Its role is to help humans deliver more value, not remove them from the equation.

There’s one distinction that really matters.

Unlike older models that simply mapped inputs to outputs, generative AI introduces an element of randomness. It doesn’t retrieve facts, it generates something new, probabilistically.

Which means it can be powerful.
Useful.
And limited.

When you understand that, the conversation shifts.
From fear → responsibility
From hype → judgment
From “Will this replace us?” → “How do we use this well?”

I explored this perspective in depth with Sam Dixon, Chief Innovation Officer (CINO) at International Law Firm Womble Bond Dickinson, whose way of explaining AI brings clarity without oversimplifying.

If you think this conversation would help you (or someone on your team) make better decisions about AI adoption and leadership…

charlenegisele

02/05/2026

23/04/2026

16/04/2026

13/04/2026

09/04/2026

02/04/2026

25/03/2026

18/03/2026

07/03/2026

04/03/2026

11/02/2026

28/01/2026

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