Forging Resilience
Join us as we explore experiences and stories to help gain fresh insights into the art of resilience and the true meaning of success.
Whether you're seeking to overcome personal challenges, enhance your leadership skills, or simply navigate life's twists and turns, "Forging Resilience" offers a unique and inspiring perspective for you to apply in your own life.
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Forging Resilience
S3 Ep 83 Jeannette Linfoot: Unlock Your Brilliant
In this episode of Forging Resilience, Aaron sits down with Jeannette Linfoot CEO, board advisor, entrepreneur, and host of Brave, Bold and Brilliant. From the boardroom to burnout, Jeannette has lived the highs of global leadership and the humbling moments that forced her to stop, listen, and rebuild on stronger foundations. Together they explore what it really means to lead yourself before leading others, and why the toughest work any leader will ever do starts on the inside.
Jeannette shares her journey from chasing success to redefining it how illness became her wake-up call, how belief became her superpower, and why courage often begins with slowing down. This is a grounded conversation about progress, authenticity, and the quiet bravery it takes to show up as yourself not the version you think the world wants to see.
If you’re ready to redefine success on your terms, lead with clarity, and build teams that perform under pressure, this conversation is your reset.
Subscribe, share with a leader who needs it, and leave a quick review to tell us your favourite takeaway.
Connect with Jeannette on LinkedIn, her website or find the Brave Bold Brilliant Podcast here!
Welcome to Fortune Resilience. Real conversations for high performers facing transition. I'm Erin Hill. Join me as I talk with people about challenge change and the adversity they faced in life so we can learn from their experiences, insights, and stories. Today on Fortune Resilience, I'm joined by Jeanette Linfort. Jeanette is a seasoned CEO, board advisor, entrepreneur, and podcaster who's led businesses, built her own companies, and now supports leaders to take their businesses and their careers to the next level. She hosts the brave, bold, and brilliant podcast, inspiring people to push past limits and lead with authenticity. From the boardroom to entrepreneurship, she's known for her resilience, reinvention, and her straight talking wisdom. So, Jeanette, welcome to the show.
SPEAKER_01:I'm delighted to be here. You've made my start of my day. I'm really pleased. Thank you for inviting me on.
SPEAKER_00:No worries. It was a done deal once I met you at the Reset Summit. I thought, yeah, there's something interesting that I that I see in you that I got to see in your presentation. And I thought, yeah, I'll pull you into the podcast to explore that a bit more. Do you know? I think the first question I'm going to ask you is what stops most leaders from taking their businesses and careers to the next level in your experience?
SPEAKER_01:Well, I think it's it's an inside job, Aaron. You know, I think whatever we're doing in life, in sport, in business, whatever, or in a job, you know, I think very often it's the inner game, you know, that that actually prevents people from moving forward. Um, and so I always, when I work with businesses, when I work with teams, I tend to start there because the reality is that every single person has greatness within them, right? But sometimes there are blockers, there are insecurities, doubt, imposter syndrome, a million, a million things that are going on in our head that tells us actually, let's keep ourselves safe, let's not take a risk, let's just keep in our lane, because actually that's where we're kind of comfortable and we know what what we're getting. But then obviously what happens then is unfulfilled dreams, right? So I think it's it's around sort of the mental game involved in pushing forward in whatever you're doing. And of course, there's a lot involved with that, and it includes also having the right people around you, it includes being very self-aware, maybe actually putting historic trauma um, you know, to bed in in the way or finding a way to cope with that so you can move forward. So there's a lot involved in it, but I honestly think it's it's the starting point, is is in our head, um, and trying to get in a really good place in order to, you know, really believe in ourselves that we can push forward. And if it doesn't go right, that's okay as well, because we'll learn something. So there's a piece of our failure and all sorts of stuff, Aaron. But yeah, I think it's the inner game that that stops most people from from taking that next leap.
SPEAKER_00:Yeah. You said something that's always interesting for me, and I love to to to acquire around, and it's believing in ourselves. Um, and I'm I'm curious how how how do you get others to do that, to believe in themselves? And oh good, yeah, very good.
SPEAKER_01:Yes. You've got to live and live and breathe it yourself, haven't you, if you're gonna um give advice to others. But I think I think it's got to start with, I think it starts with having a compelling why as well, and a compelling reason, right? Because if you've got a compelling purpose and as to why you want to do something, and you've got really strong reasons, and then actually, you know, really working on yourself every single day, and that can be a whole bunch of stuff. It can be around, you know, uh tools like meditation or visualization, if you're into that kind of stuff, that can really help kind of calm, calm us down, get us focused on what we want to achieve, and have a really compelling reason that's gonna kind of pull us through, if you like, when the times are tough. So I think there's there's a piece around that. But then I think with the self-belief, you just have to constantly be telling that little gremlin to shut up, you know, that that little voice we I think we all have in our head at certain times, and actually reminding yourself all the time how great you are. And I don't mean that in an arrogant way, but just all those little wins, all that experience that you've got, everyone has got amazing things within them, and often has evidence that they are great and they can achieve fantastic things, but we forget or we brush it to one side. So I think it's just you know that constant really reminding yourself what you've achieved, what's been a win today, you know, rather than going naturally to the negative of the things that you haven't achieved. So you really do have to train your subconscious brain, I think, to a certain degree. And for some people that can feel quite awkward, a bit woo-woo, and a bit, oh, you know, that that sounds a little bit strange. But there's there's a part of that and that. And then of course, if you've got the right people in your corner that are telling you, you know, you can do this, come on, how bad is it gonna be? That also helps with the self-belief. So I don't think it's one thing, Aaron. It's it's kind of a combination of stuff. And in all honesty, I think for most people it it never goes away. You're always having to work on this, you know. And I work with incredibly successful corporate CEOs that are running multi-billion pound businesses, elite sports people, you know, a lot as you do, you know, you work with people that are doing fantastic things, but despite that, people are people, and you still see those moments of doubt and insecurity popping up, even for what seems to be the most successful people in the world. So I think it's a constant reiteration, working on yourself every single day, in whichever way is going to work for you. And when things go wrong, okay, you know, you might want to grieve a little bit, have a cry, whatever it is, but don't stay there too long. Pull yourself up and and just take that next that next move. So I think it's about those little progress, you know, small amount of progress that just can give you the courage to keep going forward, you know, one step at a time.
SPEAKER_00:Yeah. Yeah, there's there's there's a lot in that, and there's some things that really resonate, and there's some things that don't. And I I think the important thing here though is to recognise what works for us, and like you're alluding to, to try, take the small team uh steps and acknowledge sometimes the wins, the losses and and and the lessons um as part of it. And yeah. Um so what's your way when when when when you've got that gremlin jumping up and down on your shoulder and the doubt and fear creeps in, what's what's your way?
SPEAKER_01:Well, in all honesty, Aaron, I mean, I've had to do quite a bit of soul searching over the years as well on this. Um, and it's changing, it does change over time, I would say. You know, it's quite normal for it to change. So I think my why right now, in all honesty, is to help as many people as possible unlock their brilliant. And I know it sounds a little bit twe because this is the the brand that we have, but but it is by being brave and bold that you're going to unlock that brilliant state. I genuinely feel it in my heart and soul, and I try to live by those values myself. So, you know, we don't have children as an example, Aaron. So when which was out of choice, but I did a huge amount of soul searching because for a lot of people, their legacy is their kids, right? That that that's a very normal thing. When you choose not to have children, that then makes you question, well, why am I here then? Why am I here? Why do I exist? And it took me a long time to kind of figure it out, really, Aaron. But this is where I, everything I do, whether it's mentoring, whether it's advisory work, whether it's, you know, everything that we offer through Brave Ball, Brilliant, whether it's having a conversation with someone on a podcast so that we can help other people. It is all focused on supporting individuals, teams, and businesses to take that next level, to get to that next stage in whichever way possible, you know, um, and and it's always different. It's always a personalised experience because we're human beings, but that's my why. That is honestly my why. I want to leave a legacy that lasts beyond sort of my physical presence in the world, if you like. Um, and if I could, you know, what do you want written on your, on your, you know, your gravestone? Well, you know, Jeanette helped me be brave and bold so I could unlock my brilliant. I would love that, you know, I'd love that for for that what people would say about me. She was a good egg and she helped, she helped me take that that next move. Because otherwise, I just think it's such a shame that people have those dreams and then they go to their deathbed, and being all deep and meaningful now, but they go to their deathbed with a bunch of regrets, saying, What if I could have done, I should have done. But you didn't come on, let's, let's, let's see what we can do together to make sure that you don't have those regrets. So that's my why, in all honesty, Aaron. And of course, you know, I have my family, and you know, I have my husband, Chris, who's who's my absolute, you know, soulmate and best friend, as well as lover and husband, and all of those good things. So, you know, to have a nice life and to to to have experiences from a personal point of view, of course, that's great. But the wider, the wider purpose is is absolutely based around helping other people really, you know, fulfill their potential.
SPEAKER_00:Nice. In in terms of um helping people reach that next level, I I'm curious because I've seen this within myself and a few people that I've worked with as well, but sometimes we make the assumption, and I use we because I'm one of them, that that I'm not where I'm meant to be. And there's a lot of judgment around that, and then it's very easy to tap into a very bright, burning, powerful fuel, but that's very short-lived and often quite damaging. Um it's not sustainable, and there's a price physically, sometimes and emotionally, to pay uh pay for that. Have you seen that within the the people that you work with? And and and and if so, how do you get them to change their fuel source from from a place of need and I have to, I have to, I'm not good enough, to acceptance and and moving on in in their own time, in their own way, rather than from some belief that they've heard when they were nine years of age, for example?
SPEAKER_01:Yeah, it's it's a it's an interesting question, actually, Aaron, because I think you're you're right, you mentioned there some of it comes from our past, doesn't it? You know, the beliefs that we have as a kid, or what people might have said about us at a certain time, or an event that that actually then had maybe a negative impact, and there, therefore, you're carrying that, aren't you? You know, so you're carrying that that sort of baggage, I suppose, very often. So that can be there. And then I think there's also the the perception in your own head that, like you say, you're you're not you're not doing good enough. You're you're not where you should be. And often I think that comes from us comparing ourselves to others and and sort of thinking, well, I should be doing this, I should be. But the reality is we're all exactly where we're meant to be at a point in time, you know, because the decisions that we've taken, the choices we've made, maybe the experiences we've had along the way have all added up to kind of where you are at this point of time. And for some people, actually that's all right. Do you know what I mean? To to to be a good parent, to keep a nice family home, you know, that's that's success for some people. Um it well, not everyone wants to be a decamillionaire and build a business empire, you know. So I think we have to remind ourselves, you know, what does success mean for you? You know, and it doesn't have to be about the financial rewards or the material things. And I think it does change as you get older. So when I work with people, I try to really get them to reconnect with what's genuinely important in your life. You know, we don't know how long we've got, really. We we genuinely don't. And certainly when you get to a certain age, especially, you start losing people. You start losing people around you, you know, that that are passing away or things happen. And it does make you aware of your own mortality. And I think when we're younger, we waste time, we're we're we're less respectful of the time we've got, we think it's endless, and it isn't. So I think, you know, to really not in a morbid way, be aware of that time is precious. We all only have a certain amount of time, but but what does happiness mean? What does success mean for you? You know, put aside all of that. And I think if you can connect with what that is and try to get rid of the noise and the bullshit and the external pressure by comparing ourselves to other people and thinking that's where we should be, actually, you know, you'll you'll really get focused on what's important. And that the irony of that is that you will then be more successful anyway, because you know, you're you're not trying to be something that society expects you to be or you think you should be. But it's really complex, Aaron. And it and it often, I think, you know, people do want to strive for more, but I think it's about progress because the reality is, you know, when you have a goal, that's great. I love a plan, and you know, I love a vision, I love a plan, and you have a goal. The reality is when you get to that that goal, and I've done it myself, how often do you get there and you might be really pleased for a period of time, or you might have bought the car with your dreams or the house, and you, you know, that might last for a day, might last for a week, a month, a year, but at some point that that glow will will sh will go away and you'll be on to the next thing, right? So if you're not enjoying the ride and enjoying the process along the way, that therefore means that you're never going to be content. Because I and I'm not saying you shouldn't strive for more, absolutely, and raise your standards, but it's the progress, isn't it? The the kind of feeling of moving forward that actually is where the joy is. Because when we get to achieve that goal, we will naturally raise our standards as human beings very often, you know. So I think that's that's also the other thing is uh really enjoying the journey. Um, it's not just about the destination, it's who you become on the way. And and that does take quite a bit of self-awareness of people, actually. So I think it is it's complex, Aaron. And I'm not sure if I've answered your question, but don't worry, I can't even remember what I asked.
SPEAKER_00:Um but this is yeah, I said it's it's the conversation. So what I what I like to do is draw out what resonates for me, for the people that I speak to, and also things that challenge me, um, and to try and capture it. So yeah, I love it. It's so what I'm hearing in that answer is whatever it was I asked, um that's what we can listen back to this for, um, is is the zoom in and zoom in the capacity to zoom in, zoom out, um, so we can look where we want to get to, but then come back to. So often something that will that that that I find within myself is that I get stuck so far zoomed out. Imagine a drone zooming right out. I can't see the next step because I can see so much. I know I can see where I want to get to. Um zooming back down into the it's right where I am and taking the next step. So yeah, what what I'm hearing as well is that yes, for something that me with that I would add for myself is that the there's a massive piece of acceptance there. So to move always forward doesn't always look like action or a result, but it does mean learning to deal with what is coming up and like you said right at the beginning, in terms of the inner game, and then still taking the action uh and and being able to live into what it is we want now rather than waiting.
SPEAKER_01:Yeah, because progress meant for you maybe or for for someone listening might just be, you know, hey, I I'm I I've been really poorly and I managed to get out of bed this morning. That's a good day. You you know, progress may be around what's going on inside you, that you're becoming a more, you know, um self-assured or a more confident person, or you're feeling at peace with maybe some things that you've had to struggle with in the past emotionally. That's progress.
SPEAKER_00:Massively.
SPEAKER_01:No, but uh so it's not all about the big things, and and I think you're absolutely right. You know, we tend to also over we tend to underachieve what we'll achieve in the in the short term and underestimate what we achieve in a long term, right? So I think it's really important to celebrate those little wins along the way, because if you're not doing that, moment's gone. You know, it's perished, it's gone, it's in the past. So the power of of being in the here and now, yes, have your goals, have your, you know, take your actions every day, absolutely. But also don't miss the moment and the joy in the small things, because if you're only ever satisfied with the big wins, they're rare, you know, they're less frequent. So, how do you find the joy of just sitting outside with a cup of tea and a ginger nut and set staring into space for 10 minutes? That's beautiful, you know. But sometimes I think, and I've been guilty this through my career, you know, I'm so busy, I'm so on to the next thing, I'm on to the next thing. Great, tick, done, move on. What's next? You know, and and actually you miss you miss your life sometimes if you if you do that. And and I've been guilty, hands up, you know, in the past. So I think that that that that trying to really just sit sit in the moment, um, no matter how small that may be, and and just acknowledge I've done a good job today, or that was nice, that was a good feeling, that was a nice conversation, or or maybe I didn't quite achieve everything I wanted to, but I still move forward. That's cool, you know, we'll pick it up tomorrow. So I think you know, that sort of acceptance and being comfortable in your own shoes and is a big part of this, isn't it? And having that that confidence to do that.
SPEAKER_00:Yeah, so I remember what I asked it was about the high burning but sometimes costly fuel. Um, yeah. So it's understanding that. Yeah, and and for me, uh if we can't learn to acknowledge the small moments and wins, then we'll probably miss or not value uh the the big ones. Jeanette, when you when you spoke on stage at the research summit, um, shout out to Rick Moylan, legend. I call him the sheriff, I'll say that again just to wind him up because he doesn't like that. He loves to hate it. Um but I like I said, like I said, I always give nicknames to people that I know, love and trust. So there we go. Um yeah, you talked about your own burnout um and and and challenge with that. Can you talk to us a little bit about that?
SPEAKER_01:Yeah, absolutely. So that was earlier this year, um, and I was I was running a million miles an hour, you know, growing the businesses, travelling all over the world, you know, got clients in Australia, Asia, Middle East, you know, and and actually enjoying enjoying what I was doing. So it wasn't that I I wasn't enjoying everything that I I was doing and and building the businesses and what have you. But it clearly what sometimes what is in your head is not actually what's going on with your body. And and sometimes your body actually will will show you that things aren't right, even if in your head you feel you're okay, right? And I don't know if that will resonate with with some of your your kind of listeners, Aaron, but certainly that was the way it was for me. So I was going, going, going, busy, busy, busy, you know, less focused. And I'm pretty good at uh uh exercise and sleep and diet, you know, I'm pretty good with that, because I've had to be over the years. But nonetheless, I got to a point where I got really sick. I got really sick. Um, and it wasn't anything, you know, drastically um life-threatening, thankfully, in the end. But essentially I started having really excruciating stomach and back pain. I thought I'd had a bit of food poisoning, something like that. Got misdiagnosed at the doctors would come back from America, some maybe pick something up on the flight. Anyway, this persisted uh for like about a month, so I was in agony. So I ended up being rushed into AB and my liver wasn't functioning properly. I had a blocked um bile duct, so I had a stone that was really preventing um the liver from working, so I was massively jaunded. So it was quite, it needed dealing with. It needed dealing with. Um, but the doctors said it's it's often stress-related because it can be diet, of course it can, but your diet's really good, you know, it can be all those other things, hydration, etc. But I'm I'm always really, really careful with all of that. So he said it's most likely stress-related. So I ended up being in hospital. Thank God it wasn't cancer, because that's what you immediately think of, and I was just incredibly grateful, but it made me stop. It made me stop so I had the everything, you know, gallbladder whipped out and everything's fine. Couple of weeks after lying on the sofa, you know, recovering and what have you. But it it really forced me to stop and reassess what's important, and it made me also think about some people in my life that maybe the relationships are not so positive as they should be, um, and what's the role I play in that? How do I need to deal with some of this stuff? So, one, it allowed me to get rid of the non-important stuff and to really focus on what's important in my life and my relationships and in the businesses as well. So I cleared the decks, essentially, and I had that forced stop. I couldn't, I couldn't work, I couldn't drive, I couldn't do all these things. So it really gave me, and I've never in my entire life had that forced stop ever. So when you're lying there, you know, looking up at the ceiling, not feeling great, um, things pop into your head. But it really did um, it shocked me. But I was really glad that I got sick. I was really glad because I could have been on a hide into you know something far more serious, but my body was going, no, you're taking the piss now. Stop, enough. Right? Um, and so so it's helped me actually, Aaron. Um, but yeah, that the the burnout can happen even when in your head you don't think you're in you're in a a difficult position. And I think that that is often the warning, isn't it, when physically it comes out in your body in some shape or form.
SPEAKER_00:Yeah, yeah. And and I wonder what it would be like if we were slightly more in tune with our body to listen to that beforehand. Not not not not there's no judgment there, but I yeah, but like we just touched on before we came along uh on the call, the the I believe like the head's almost a limiter sometimes because it can bullshit and filter our reality when our body is a lot wiser, but nobody teaches us really to listen to that. I I'm Yeah, I'd love to know some of the the things or the voices when you were led on the sofa looking up at the ceiling, having never done that in your life before. I can imagine the gremlin being fairly active. What what what what what sort of things is he saying to you?
SPEAKER_01:Yeah, I mean, some of it was going back to childhood, even Aaron. You know, and I had a very, very happy childhood growing up in Manchester, very much a sort of a working class, you know, dad was a plumber, mum was a secretary and a market trader, you know, I'm the youngest of three daughters as well. So I've got two older sisters. But I think, you know, some of my drive to push on and achieve and do well, and and I'm really proud of what I've achieved in my career and my life. I think some of that comes from childhood, and it comes from, uh and this is some of the revelation, right? It comes from actually probably wanting the attention. Look at me, look at me, I'm the little one. I'm here, I'm here. Well done, well done, Jeanette. You know, and not because I wasn't loved, I was, but I always had this feeling, and rightly or wrongly, that you know, my middle sister was my dad's favourite, my elder sister was my mum's favourite, and therefore I was no one's favourite, right? And and it sounds a bit pathetic as a 53-year-old woman sitting in the middle of the city.
SPEAKER_00:Not to me, it doesn't, not to me it doesn't, honestly.
SPEAKER_01:Um, and and whether that was I don't think it was necessarily real, but it was certainly perceived in my head. So I, you know, I was thinking about all of this, and of course, the the positive of that is that it has propelled me forward to achieve and do more. And I've always had you know great support for my family. So, you know, mum and dad were amazing, amazing parents, but nonetheless, this is the power of the gremlin in the head. I'm still here in in my mind as a as a child. Attention, attention, attention, show me love. And I had loads of love. So even me, I didn't come from a bad, a bad childhood. I came from an amazing family with who were loved and supported me through my entire life. So it made me sort of think about that a little bit and actually thinking about well, I need to own this as well. You know, you can't play the victim here because this wasn't done to you, you know, this is how I've perceived it over these years. So, what do I therefore need to do? What's it mean for me? Um, and that that did make me think quite deeply about certain things. Um, and yeah, and and it's helped me since because then I have gone through a whole, you know, process of discovery, if you like, since then. Um, and and that I am good enough. I am bloody good at what I do, you know. I put good out in the world, I'm I can't I think I'm a nice person. I try to do the right thing. I don't always get it right, but I try my hardest. Um, and then it leads back into the purpose, doesn't it? You know, and just really making that stronger that this actually isn't about me, this is about how I can help other people be the best versions of themselves and help them with maybe some of this stuff. I'm not a psychologist, but you know, I think we get to know people quite well. And if you've done a bit of work on yourself over the years, that allows you to then maybe share that perspective with other people, even though their their journey will be different. But yeah, that that was one thing, and then um certain relationships, you know, um where over the years maybe it became quite imbalanced, you know. It was always me kind of putting the effort in. I think, hmm, okay, well, that's interesting. That's interesting. And who's really there for you when the chips are down? Who's standing up and is supporting you in this difficult moment, and maybe who less so? And what does that mean for those relationships? You know, so there are certain probably I haven't say, I wouldn't say I've cut people out of my life, but I have certainly be balanced and got my head around. And there's a great book actually by um Mel Robbins called Let Them, which I would recommend, you know, which is all about, you know, you can't control other people, you can't make them love you, you can't like you know, force them to behave in a certain way. You have to let them be then, they have their reasons, but then take your own power back and let you decide what you do with that. So it definitely helped me reassess some relationships as well. And who do I want in my life? How much effort am I gonna put in to certain things as well? So, and then of course, with the business, it was really around okay, I'm trying to do too much, let's laser, let's laser focus in and see what we can stop doing or pause for a while and then pick back up later, and let's get really super clear on delivering what we want to really deliver that's gonna have the biggest impact and help most people. So, yeah, quite a lot really business, relationships and personal. So, yeah, that sofa was powerful, Aaron.
SPEAKER_00:And the ceiling.
SPEAKER_01:And the ceiling.
SPEAKER_00:But I I yeah, and so I'm I'm I'm hearing then is that if yeah, the importance of showing up for yourself and controlling what you can, which goes right back to the the beginning of uh with our conversation. And um how do you create the space then to make sure and and the awareness now to to prevent yourself slipping back into that given that that it is yeah, a really powerful fuel that has got you incredible results, but that that isn't always sustainable, even though you've done that that that inventory internally and externally.
SPEAKER_01:Yeah, I mean I will always be that person that's always wanting to do more, be more, and give more. You know, that's in me. That is in me and has been for all these years. But what I now am able to do is is kind of keep it in check as well and realise when I'm pushing the boundaries. So, I mean, what I do personally, I pre fiercely, fiercely protect my first two hours of the day. I don't uh and and I I have that purely for me, like purely for me. Um, and I happen to be, it's it's quite good because I happen to be an early kind of, you know, I'm good in the morning. I like being up early, so it's not too much of a struggle. For other people, it might be their time is in the evening, maybe they're better, their energy is better then. But for me personally, it's my morning routine, you know, and I I get up, I light my candles, I make my cup of tea, I do all my, you know, my affirmations, I practice gratitude. I say, what are the three things I'm really grateful for? And they could be small things or big things. I do my affirmations, my manifestation, my meditation, my exercise. I was trained in the morning, you know, whether it's a run, whether it's a walk, whether it's a bit of a gym, and I read 10 pages of a book. So that's what I do in the morning, and I fiercely protect that time because it just helps me keep calm, it sets me up for the day, it means that I can get things into perspective as well. And, you know, gratitude is an amazing, amazing thing to be able to practice because it's very hard to be pissed off and grateful at the same time. You know, it really is. It's it's almost impossible to be angry and grateful at the same time, you know. So it kind of, even though it might feel a bit weird and awkward to kind of in your own head or out loud, say, what am I really grateful for today? What are the three things I'm really grateful for? And just focus on them just for you know a few minutes each, it kind of sets you up and it sets the context, actually, because everyone has got something to. To be grateful for, no matter how small, no matter how difficult, no matter how dark the times are, I woke up today. Some people didn't. You know, and I'm not being melodramatic, but even the small things, you know, I'm able to, you know, go and take myself to the toilet. A lot of people can't, you know. So it there's always gratitude in something. And sometimes it can be, you know, the big things as well. You're grateful for your husband, grateful for your wife, partner, whatever, or grateful that you've left a bad relationship and you're free, you know, whatever it is. Um, but that helps me, Aaron. It helps keep me centered.
SPEAKER_00:Nice, yeah. And and I guess that with with that time and space, there's more potential for you to listen to your own body or insights. Or listen to the warning signs a bit earlier, potentially, for for others. Which probably leads nicely into the one of the pillars of of that you talk about as well, about leading yourself before leading your teams and your business. Do you want to talk roughly about those those three pillars, Jeanette, and how yeah, how you apply that for yourself and then also the people that you you work with?
SPEAKER_01:Yeah, yeah, sure. So, you know, I think sometimes we overcomplicate things, don't we? We overcomplicate business and life or whatever. But you know, in a business context or in a work career context, doesn't you don't have to be a business owner for this to be relevant. You know, when you actually boil it down, there are only ever three things that are going on. It's leading yourself, first and foremost, as we've spoken about, leading your teams and leading the business. So, regardless of the type of business, the sector, the size, where it is in the world, you know, there's always those three elements. So the work that I do with either individuals or with teams or with businesses, you know, it could be from a you know a huge corporate organization through to, you know, an entrepreneurial startup that's maybe scaling at a stage, you know, we always look at those three elements, you know, because to scale up or to go to the next level, you know, you have to be mentally prepared. You know, when it comes to your team, have you got the best team or do you need to make some changes? And then of course that, you know, leading the business side, that's all around the strategy, the investment, you know, making sure that you you know your why. You know, what is your why do you exist? How do you stand out in the market? What's different and unique about you? So we do this through um four ways, really. One, we do our executive edge programme where we will literally be in the boardroom for normally outside, somewhere different than the actual boardroom, but with the board, with the executive team for three days. I bring in psychometric profile in as well. We use a tool called Luminous Spark. So again, we get the awareness, we look at the team dynamics, the profile of the team and those different personalities, how they sit together and what happens when we're under stress, how does it shift around? What does that mean for us? Where are our gaps? All that kind of good stuff. And then we'll we'll focus on you know the real nitty-gritty around the strategy, the growth, investment, all those kind of good things. So that's our executive edge programme. We then do that with teams with leadership masterminds where we work together for six months, and that's really every month we get together either virtually or or in person, we have a deep dive topic, we have a group kind of business mentoring, we make sure the accountability is there so you implement everything. And then we've just launched our Rise Academy, which is really for junior to middle leaders, uh, which is an online leadership and business development tool. But it all aspects of that, from the CEO and the board right the way down to junior leaders is a curated experience that always covers those three aspects: leading yourself, leading your teams, leading the business. Because what you tend to find, or what I've seen in the big very large organisations that I've run, you know, and they I've been CEO in FTSE 100, FTSE 250 businesses, you tend to get a lot of focus at the senior leadership level in terms of development and business discussions, and then you get a bunch of courses normally down here, and that serves a purpose, but very rarely do we connect the CEO all the way right the way down through an organisation to the junior leaders that are actually, you know, impacting at the front line, shall we say? So that's what we try to do, and that's what we do with our Brave Bob Brilliant ecosystem. Um, but it's always those three elements uh that comes in at different levels, obviously, you know, different levels of content, different levels of complexity, because we want to be where people need to be, where they are, but then what the next step for then is. So, yeah, so that's how we work, and then we do one-to-one business mentoring as well with individuals and as needed, which is normally for 12 months. But those three elements come in consistently, Aaron.
SPEAKER_00:I can imagine working with the board that sometimes these things are really well received, and sometimes there can be a bit of resistance. Nobody likes to see. If I imagine myself there, even though I've done a lot of work on myself, it's still oh jazz, sometimes when you get shown the mirror, and it's not quite exactly the picture that we anticipated or that we thought that we were putting out into the world. H how how do you help navigate and and encourage those individuals that are slightly resistant to change or or are failing to see their impact and the bigger picture that they have within their organization?
SPEAKER_01:Yeah, well, my role is to create the right environment, to create an environment of psychological safety, right? Which you do with any team, uh regardless of level, but in particular where you've got that pressure and you've got that level, you know, let's face it, you end up with a lot of big egos in that room. There's a lot of competition. There can be politics, you can have, I have I sometimes work with dysfunctional teams, dysfunctional boards that really are broken, right? They're really broken, and they're never going to be able to lead the business properly. They're never going to be able to have that cascade because it's not working here, right? And that again leads back to sometimes those individuals. So the way that the way that we approach it, and I approach it if I when I'm working with a team like that, I always do um a one-to-one with every single person that's going to be in that room ahead of time, right? So I get to know them personally, they get to know me, we build the trust, the rapport, I understand about their role, what are some of the things that are working well, what are the areas where they think need some attention, either personally, with their team, or with the business. So we do a lot of prep work. So we're not just walking in cold. And then we bring in the loop, what the Luminous Spark, which is a psycho psychometric profiling tool that we use. So we do all this ahead of time. So everyone will have done their psychometrics, they'll have had a 45-page really detailed report. And I love Luminous Spark, it's loads of psychometrics, but Luminous Spark is, in my opinion, the best because what it does, it looks at your every your sort of underlying personality, so how you are at home relaxed, your everyday personality, so how you're showing up really to the world. And then it looks at your overextended, which is when we're under pressure, when we're under stress. So you've got this really rich kind of concept around personality profiles, and there's no right or wrong, we are who we are, right? And then they have a 45, sorry, no, a 90-minute coaching session with a trained Lumina Spark coach. I'm not a trained Luminous Spark coach, so I I partner with an excellent um business that I've worked with for 20 years. I bought them into Tui into Saga, etc. So amazing credentials. So before they even get in the room, they've had a lot of attention and prep. They've had time to digest, they've had all of that. And then, of course, it's how we set the tone. Yeah, how we set the tone. And obviously, there's a clear agenda as to what we're going to go through. In some cases, we might have done a little bit of a pre-read on some of the business stuff. Some teams want to actually send something out in advance for people to have digested parts. We never do that with the with the team stuff or the individual stuff. That's very much live in the room. Um, and yeah, and then we have a whole range of different exercises, tools that we use. I have to be very emotionally aware. And my role is to make sure that every single person is heard and seen. And and you very often, you know, you'll have very um strong personalities, very extrovert type people, and then you'll have more introverted type people, and often those are the ones that get overlooked. So it's really important that I don't let one person or a couple of people dominate the conversation. So I need to have the skills and the ability to move it on, to bring people in, to create the right environment. Because if we don't have the right environment of psychological safety and trust, people will be guarded and they'll keep things back. So it's also very important when I work with the CEO that they also understand the process, they are fully bought into it, and that they lead by example as well. They show their own vulnerability, they talk about the stuff very, very real and personal to them, because that then sets the tone as well as me doing my job. It also gives permission to everyone else to do the same, right? Even though they don't need permission as such, but you know what I mean? It sets the right tone. So it's complex, it is very complex, and and we've had tears, you know, and at the most senior level in in huge listed businesses, because as I said to you, people are people. You know, just because you've got the job title and the fancy, the, you know, the fancy car and everything that comes with it, and the pressure, the pressure at this level is absolutely phenomenal. But because I've sat in that seat, Aaron, I get it. You know, I always say to people, we're not HR, we're not training and development, we're people that have been there and ran businesses and know the reality of what it's like and what it takes to build high-performing teams and dealing with the politics and navigating through the pressure from you know the city or whatever it might be, or in a smaller business, it might be around raising finance or dealing with an investor or establishing your brand. You know, so we've been there, we've been there and we understand. And that's really how we bring the best out and ultimately allow that team, allow that leader and that business to get to that next level because that's what we want. Progress, right? We want to be moving forward, but in the right way, without creating any damage to people's relationships. We want the relationships to be stronger as a result, not destroyed. So it's a big responsibility, but I love it. I absolutely love it.
SPEAKER_00:Yeah, I get that impression. Um so where did the the brave, bold, and brilliant ecosystem um podcast idea come from?
SPEAKER_01:Well, it's interesting actually, because um, yeah, so what's what started as my what is now the name of the business, the proud brand of our business, Brave Bald Brilliant, started as the name of our podcast. And it was back in uh 2020, so during lockdown, many years ago, uh, and I had a great mentor, Rob Moore, who said to me, You really should start a podcast, you know, because you're doing a bit more on social media now. And I used to think that social media was for a bunch of losers that should get a real life, and having been in corporate, you're so restricted, you know, because what you say can affect the share price, right? So you've got to be very careful, and it was different type. So, anyway, I started the podcast, but the name for the podcast came, and again, it comes back to the inner game here. So, my husband Chris, he used to always say to me, Go on, Jeanette, you can do this, believe in yourself, you know. Honestly, you're you're you're fabulous. My biggest fan and also my biggest critic, may I say, because he doesn't take my bullshit either. He calls me out when I'm getting a bit too, you know, kind of carried away with myself, which you need as well, right? Um, but Chris bought me a mug to have my tea out of every morning. I'm a I'm a real teapot, I can't survive without my tea. I never drink coffee, but tea by the garland in the morning. Um, and on that mug, it had be bold, be brave, be amazing. Right? So I was thinking about the podcast, I was thinking, wow, you know what? I don't want it to be too niche because it's but it is about progress, it's about pushing out of our comfort zone, and you've got to be brave and bold. Oh, I like that, but I think you could be brave first before you're bold, right? And then amazing. Well, we need a different bee, don't we? So then that's where the brilliant came. So that's how it got created, and then all of our colour palette and our logo, so that the in our logo you'll see as a pair of feet, little little footprints. So obviously, my surname is Lynn Foot, so that's a little tip of the hat to my surname, but also let's let's leave a mark in the world. So, whenever Chris and I go on holiday, if we go on a beach holiday, for example, we always used to do this silly thing where we'd we'd sit, we'd stand with our make our footprints in the sand and we'd take a picture of our footprints. So the whole thing really around leaving a mark, you know, coming back to your the why, my why. So so the logo came from that, and then our colour scheme was because I had a pair of um a pair, a pair of um, what do you call them, leggings that I was wearing for the gym, and they were like purple and pink and white, and I thought, oh, that's a nice colour combination. Oh, we'll use that for well, that'll be the colours of our brand. So there you go. That was the inspiration. So it really started with with Chris saying to me, believe in yourself, come on, girl, you can do this.
SPEAKER_00:Nice. What's what's what do you think the boldest thing or step taken that you've taken in in your business or your career?
SPEAKER_01:Oh, it's a good one. I've done lots of crazy things. I think, I think in my corporate, can I give you two? Because in my corporate life, I'll give I'll give you two, but very quickly. In my corporate life, when I was the managing director of the emerging markets for TUI, Tui made a decision to go into all these crazy parts of the world, right? In terms of holiday. So Tui is a holiday company. Uh and I was at the time, I was product director for one of the brands first choice. So I was very much a bit in the UK, etc. And anyway, Tui had decided they wanted to go into Russia and Ukraine, um, which obviously now, you know, you think about what's going on there, you know, people think of Russia and Ukraine in in that context. So it's hugely um, yeah, just just painful for me to see what's happened. But nonetheless, I got tapped on the shoulder and said, Do you want to fancy going to Russia, Jeanette? Because we want to, we're doing it, we're going to enter that market. We want you to buy three businesses under a JV partner and be in Russia. And I was like, My God, I can't do that. I don't speak Russian. I hadn't done any mergers and acquisitions at the time, I hadn't done corporate finance. Where do I start? So, but I said yes. I've put my big girl pants on and I thought, well, how bad can it be? If I mess it up, I'll learn something and it'll be an experience. And that really was the catalyst for my my career in terms of the big jump up, you know, in terms of full PL and a globe, a truly global team. And that led me into China and into managing the businesses in India and South America. So that professionally was probably the biggest leap and the biggest, steepest learning go. Yeah, so that was a bit crazy. Um, and I was quite, I suppose I was quite young at the time, I was in my early 30s, but you you know, I probably didn't think about all the risk. Oh, ignorance is ignorance was bliss, I think how I wasn't paying too much attention to the people getting shot around me in Moscow and all of the crazy things that used to go on and all the black money that we got laundered through the businesses that I had to whiten because we were a FTSE 100, so all this kind of crazy stuff. But then I think probably the big, the, the big, the next big move was bold move was me deciding to come out of corporate because I loved my career. I had 25 years in the travel industry, you know, and I'd got from the bottom, I'd worked my way up from the bottom being a you know a graduate to becoming a CEO. Um, and I was and loved my jobs, I loved the careers that I'd had and the teams I'd been privileged enough to lead. But I was at a point of life where I just thought, you know what, actually, I want, I really want more freedom, choice, flexibility. I want to set my own businesses up and I want to help a broader range of people. So it was that jump from being corporate CEO to entrepreneur, uh, which is not necessarily a um a natural order, you know, for a lot of people to do that. Um, and it was and it was hard because then COVID hit, I was working on three deals that all disappeared. So you can imagine you've gone from having, you know, a big salary and everything, steady income in those big corporate jobs, to all of a sudden zero. Zero. Um, you know, and then we built our property business. Uh anyway, so the rest is history. But yeah, probably two of those, those were two of the biggest, boldest moves that I've made, I would say.
SPEAKER_00:Is there a difference for you between being bold and being courageous?
SPEAKER_01:Yes. Yes. So for me, and and and you can interpret however you want, because those those words can be a bit interchangeable for some people as well. For me, bravery is about is about making a decision or making a move and digging deep down, even if you're fearful. That's what I meant to say.
SPEAKER_00:That's what I meant to say. Bravery, sorry, yeah.
SPEAKER_01:Yeah, bravery to to make to make the to make the move in the first place, right? To to quieten the inner voice and and do it anyway, even though you might feel sick in your stomach, giving it a go, whatever it is. For me, the boldness is about the impact, you know, the a bold, a bold impact. So bravery gets you going. The boldness is around absolutely having the biggest impact you can. And again, it's all context contextual, right? So that for some people that might be, you know, a very different scale, but in their world, it's still the best you can possibly achieve in terms of the impact and the broader impact that you might. It's like dropping a pebble in a pond, isn't it? Sometimes it has that ripple effect. So how far can you how far can you get those ripples to go? For me, that's the boldness, the impact. The bravery is dropping a pebble in the pond in the first place.
SPEAKER_00:You've been you're quite open and honest with with some of those mistakes and lessons that you've that you've accumulated in your fascinating career, Jeanette. And I'm curious, what's the what's the biggest lesson from a mistake that you've made?
SPEAKER_01:Yeah, I would say worry less about what people think about you. I would say, especially in my earlier career, you know, you're building a career in and as it's probably partly gender-related as well, because I was always the only woman in the boardroom back back in the day, you know, with a profit and loss account. I'm not talking because our colleagues in HR are often female, and that's great. Uh, I'd like to see more male HRDs actually, and um and chief people officers, but yeah, I so I was I was I was sometimes guilty of pretending to be something that I wasn't because I thought that's well, probably how I was showing up, so being quite alpha female, you know, and I'm a quite a confident person, but you know, I used to dress in a certain way, used to dress in the power trouser suits, and whereas I wasn't really like that at home, you know, I'd be very like quite flamboyant in a lot of colours and much more feminine, and I like my heels and my makeup and my clothes, you know, whereas actually how I was showing up at work was very androgynous because I was up against a bunch of, you know, white, grey men, essentially. And and and of course, back then it was different, but I think I should have believed in myself and stuck more to me and my authentic self rather than try to be something or portray something that actually wasn't quite me. Because I was worried. I was worried about what people thought, I was worried about being judged, and of course, as I got a little bit older, I I kind of left all of that behind. And I was and I did dress very differently. I still I was still very professional, but you know, I'd wear a bright pink jacket and I'd wear a lot more dresses and not so much in the there's a there's a place to wear in a beautiful trouser suit, let me tell you. But if you're if that's not you know what you need to be doing, it it can also be quite off-putting for people. It can make you seem um unapproachable, and of course, you know, I'm quite I'm tough. Don't get me wrong, I'm I'm quite I I expect a lot from people because they expect a lot from me, but I'm also a bit of a pussy cat as well, and I'll be the first one to say, get yourself home, you know, don't miss that, don't miss that play with little Johnny tonight, get get yourself home. Or you know what I mean? I'll always try and be very understanding of people's personal lives and what's going on and be very caring around that as well. Um, but yeah, I would say I listen I had an expectation and I therefore wasn't always as true to myself as I could have been.
SPEAKER_00:Did that show up in interactions as well then, and not just I'm guessing, rather than just in approaches rather than wearing.
SPEAKER_01:I think so. I think so because because you you know you you kind of got your game face and you're ready to go into battle sometimes, Aaron. And and the and sometimes you have to do, I'm sorry, I shouldn't really update that that for you because obviously that's very different for you. Um but in the business world, you you you're ready to go in for the fight, right? Uh whatever that might be. And of course, in a normal working day, not everything's a fight, is it? You know, that the and and so I think I was probably maybe with my teams a little bit more scary to them, and a little bit, you know, less soft at times when actually I could have been softer, you know, because everything was like, right, come on, big day today. Got to get that investment case over the line. Come on, big day today, you're presenting to the CEO today. And it and it was a lot, a lot of pressure. Um, and I say I don't I don't regret it. I don't, I don't, but I I don't I do learn from that and I did adapt. And actually, I would say I got more out of my team and the my peers and my colleagues by being more me. And that's the thing, isn't it? And my advice to anyone is you know, no one is better at being you than you, and have the courage, have the bravery to be yourself, show up, do what you say you're gonna do, never let people down, but ultimately, yeah, just just trust in your own authenticity because that's actually that's what people want to see from you.
SPEAKER_00:Yeah, yeah, it's something that I still really wrestle with. I understand what that means, be authentic, but then how? I thought I was, I thought I am. So yeah, it's still something that I wrestle, dance, play, experiment with. Um, yeah, like you said, it's all it's all a learning game.
SPEAKER_01:Yeah, and it's not it's not that you um we have to adapt. We have to tailor our communication style to people that are in the room. That isn't being inauthentic, that's actually being empathetic and having emotional intelligence to know how you can reach people. Um, so we do have to adapt. We can't just say, well, that's who I am, I'm a pain in the ass and I'm an aggressive person, so that's how I'm going to be, because for every action, there will be a reaction, right? So if you want to bring people with you on the journey, you have to adapt and change. But trying to really keep true to your values through that, uh, I think is the important thing. But it doesn't mean to say that there's only one version and that's it, you stick to it rigidly. I mean, you can do some people do, and then they need to work in a d in a certain environment that's good for them, right? Where they're where that works. Um, so we do have to be sensitive and adapt our style. But I think if you're doing that to if you're pushing that too far away from really who you truly are, that's then one, it's exhausting. Two, you're probably going to get found out anyway. And three, you're not, you're not bringing out those true relationships that you're looking to achieve.
SPEAKER_00:Yeah, yeah, definitely. Jenna, is there is there anything as we start to close out that you feel like you'd want to mention or or talk about before we go?
SPEAKER_01:I think the main thing I can say is for anyone listening, belief is your superpower. It really is. You know, if you can believe in yourself, then anything else is possible. And we only have one life. Don't waste it. You know, if you have a dream or you want to achieve something, don't let anything hold you back. Give it a go. Because you never know, unless you try, you're not gonna know what could have been. And so you don't want to have a life of regret, whether it's in business, whether it's in relationships, whether it's personal stuff, or whatever. And and just really, you know, enjoy the ride. So I it's a bit of a recap, probably, from some of the important things, Aaron, but those are some of the mistakes that I've made. Um, and I, you know, I I like to think I'm a bit older and wiser now. I'm not perfect, that's for sure. I still made stacks of mistakes. But um, yeah, I think that self-belief, it it starts, it starts there, and that's where the magic happens.
SPEAKER_00:Yeah, yeah, I love it. I love that. The the challenge is is the how, isn't it? That that is the journey. So yeah. Where might people find you online, Jeanette, if they're interested in reaching out?
SPEAKER_01:Oh god, well, I'm everywhere. So social media, Jeanette Linfutt, uh, two N's and two T's in Jeanette. I know it's a pain in the ass, but I blame my mother reading a French novel, I think, when she uh spelt my name. Um, and then of course, Brave Bold Brilliant, you know, we have our website www.brave dash bold dash brilliant.com. And if you're a business owner or in your career, there's loads of free resources on there. You know, we're here to help um in whichever way, you know, is possible. But there's loads of free stuff on there. So please take advantage of that. And then, of course, we have our podcast, Brave Bold Brilliant, you know, which is on Spotify, iTunes, all the usual platforms. So yeah, you can track us down wherever you wherever you choose to. We are here for you.
SPEAKER_00:Awesome. Jeanette, listen, thank you so much for for taking the time to talk with me and and our guests today. I really uh really appreciate it. Um, yeah, I'm glad that we had this conversation. It means a lot, and there's some some interesting things for me and and people to reflect on. So thank you.
SPEAKER_01:No, thank you for having me on, Aaron. It's been a joy.