Fearless Forward

About Fearless Forward

At some point in our lives we all get scared – of making the wrong decision, of not being a good parent, or that everyone will figure out we’re just making it up as we go. I’ve spent years helping leaders work through fear, stress, and uncertainty. Now I’m making a podcast about how they face their fears and come out stronger. It’s for founders, leaders, and business owners who feel like they’re constantly fighting uphill and not finding the balance they need to be effective at work and present at home.

Publisher

Sally-Anne Airey

Category

business · education

Language

en

Explicit

No

First episode

19 Dec 2024

Latest episode

2 Oct 2026

Latest episodes

43 episodes in the feed.

1. 

   2 Oct 2026

   How Can Embracing Mortality Help Us Live More Fully?

   "Death involves everyone," says Ivor Williams. “Design accordingly.” This line from my conversation with this week’s Fearless Forward guest sums up his life’s work. Many wisdom traditions and indigenous cultures treat awareness of mortality as a way into deeper consciousness. In the West, we tend to do the opposite: often pushing the subject away until it becomes urgent. But by that time it may be too late to do and say things that really matter. Ivor is a death care design consultant offering us a different way of looking at our own mortality. As he sees it, mortality awareness is a uniquely human trait which can sharpen our appreciation of life and help us live with more intention and joy. His own path to this work was far from linear. After art college, he spent ten years on a wide range of design projects and won multiple awards. Then a year-long residency for young creatives at a design research centre in Italy changed the direction of his career. Working on experimental projects about death and dying, he found his vocation. He went on to found one of the first design studios dedicated to rethinking how we experience the end of life. In the twelve years since, his work has included long-term projects with hospices and co-founding Humane Engineering, a tech-for-good mental health start-up. Its app, Cove, was one of the first available on the UK’s National Health Service and has been used worldwide. But our conversation, as you might expect, is less about his achievements and more about the person behind them. We talk about how Ivor’s own life has shaped his work, and what led him to create Mortals, an online community and group programme. Facing mortality alone can feel overwhelming. Mortals offers a safe space to explore it together, as a way of living more fully. If you’re curious to learn more about this enlivening perspective on death, I’d encourage you to listen in. Highlights: [00:00:16] Introduction to Ivor Williams [00:02:14] Mortality Awareness and Joyful Living [00:03:58] The "Mortals" Program [00:06:40] The Vividness of Life Near Death [00:07:50] Ivor's Journey and Upbringing [00:09:58] Early Experiences with Loss [00:12:48] Turning Towards Grief [00:13:57] The Aftermath of a Friend's Death [00:17:41] Following Feelings and Intuition [00:21:25] Designing for Palliative Care [00:25:26] The Power of Group Work [00:27:26] Leaving Nothing on the Table [00:29:14] Intergenerational Trauma and Family History [00:33:20] The Concept of "Living Practice" [00:36:24] Self-Care and Finding Rejuvenation [00:38:45] What "Fearless Forward" Means [00:39:58] Episode Outro and Reflection Links: Mortals Community (https://mortals.community/) Ivor on LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/in/ivorwilliams1/)

2. 

   18 Sept 2026

   How Can Self-Trust Transform Your Leadership Journey?

   Imagine a nine-year old girl writing and directing her first play. Even at this young age, she has a natural inclination to lead. An extravert, she’s also highly sensitive. And this trait, while often misunderstood by others, becomes a cornerstone of her self-awareness. Over time, her hypersensitivity becomes a guide to what feels right for her. The little girl grows into a remarkable woman whose career journey crosses continents and industries, and takes her from her native Nigeria to a new home in Scotland - via a series of bold reinventions: entrepreneur, strategic marketing consultant, author, certified coach, inspirational speaker, and now Chancellor of the University of the West of Scotland and CEO of Somebody Cares Scotland. This is the brief history of the amazing Dr Yekemi Otaru - my guest on this week’s Fearless Forward podcast. How she came to be the CEO of Somebody Cares Scotland — an award-winning charity that alleviates hardship by providing free food, furniture and essential household items to people moving into empty homes — is itself an extraordinary story. Serendipity brought her to the role. Self-trust propels her forward. “Self-trust is not about always getting it right, but about believing you’ll handle whatever comes.” For Yekemi, self-trust is built through experience, reflection, and the courage to recognise fear — without letting it stop you from doing what you really want to. “It’s about trusting that you can adapt, learn, and find your way — even when the path is unclear.” She listens to others carefully and asks for input; but may still make a decision not everyone likes. Because in leadership and in life, self-trust is about ceasing to defer to other people’s opinions, and instead paying attention to what feels true to you and what drains you; to where you’re just performing and where you’re actually in flow. To be the leader, parent, partner, friend you want to be, self-trust is essential. As you step into your day, take a moment to ask yourself: Where might I be allowing my choices to be shaped by other people’s wishes? Am I giving myself permission to explore the paths that align with what I truly want and need? Highlights: [00:00:19] Introduction to Dr. Yekemi Otaru [00:02:30] Who Are You? [00:07:04] The Journey of Self-Understanding [00:11:29] Self-Trust in Leadership [00:17:20] A Leader's Evolving Approach [00:22:45] A New Chapter in the Third Sector [00:28:15] The Work of Somebody Cares [00:34:27] Expanding the Charity's Impact [00:37:15] A Key Career Lesson: Overcoming Fear [00:41:02] What Fearless Forward Means [00:42:42] Episode Wrap-up Links Somebody Cares Scotland (https://www.somebodycaresscotland.org/) Dr. Yekemi Otaru on Wikipedia (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yekemi_Otaru) Dr. Yekemi Otaru on LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/in/yekemiotaru/)

3. 

   4 Sept 2026

   When fear hides in plain sight

   Fear fascinates me. It’s ever-present, but rarely obvious. It’s behind every knee-jerk reaction to a stressful event. And, ultimately, it’s what makes us human. So I particularly enjoyed recording this week’s episode of the Fearless Forward podcast with author and productivity expert Grace Marshall. Our conversation centres on the hidden force she calls high functioning fear. We explore how fear often masquerades as relentless busyness, overstretching, or people-pleasing - especially among high achievers. Grace shares practical ways to notice and name these patterns. Here are two: 1. Curiosity is key. Pausing, noticing what you’re feeling and asking “What’s really going on?” What is this feeling (of frustration, disappointment, anxiety etc.) telling me? You can’t make the feeling go away. But by consciously recognising what’s really going on, you open your mind to possibility and connection, especially in stressful moments. 2. Not all struggle needs fixing. Instead of looking for the “light at the end of the tunnel”, better to be more present in the tunnel and shine a light on the hidden treasure it may hold. In other words, the very struggle you’re experiencing might be concealing helpful clues to what you really need. At the end of the episode I asked Grace the question I put to all my podcast guests: “What does Fearless Forward mean to you?” Here’s her reply: “The more that we can notice fear, the less it will drive us. And the more choice we’ll have... less held back by fear, more able to show up fully, to connect, to dream and achieve what’s possible.” If fear can hide inside apparent competence, then a lot of what we reward in working life may not always be as healthy as it looks. Performance and visible results matter, but so does genuine wellbeing. Without the latter, the former is not sustainable. Where might fear be showing up in your work or life? And how could you reframe your relationship with it? Listen to this episode for some powerful insights. Highlights: [00:00:21] Explaining high-functioning fear [00:05:51] Flight and freeze responses explained [00:08:06] Finding power in stillness [00:12:04] Understanding the role of fear [00:15:59] Recognising and managing fear response [00:17:51] Discovering high-functioning fear [00:20:55] Handling adult tantrums with care [00:23:51] Naming emotions for presence [00:28:24] Quick, handy time management tips [00:33:38] Rethinking Struggles as Growth [00:34:47] Finding growth in struggle [00:41:26] Understanding fear and alternative stories [00:44:03] Seeing struggle as a catalyst [00:48:44] Setting up a live demonstration [00:49:36] Event mix-up with client [00:55:04] Embracing ongoing growth mindset [00:57:05] Recognising hidden fear at work Links: Grace Marshall's website (https://gracemarshall.com/) Grace Marshall on LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/in/gracemarshall/)

Who has been a guest on Fearless Forward

Names identified in recent episode analyses. Showing up to five guests.

• Ronel Hentschel
• Stephen Burt
• John Blakey
• Lauren Currie OBE
• Linda Hubbard

Podcast Authority Score: 13 / 100

A composite of feed quality, social presence, YouTube performance and engagement. Read the methodology.

Quality

26

Social presence

0

YouTube

0

Engagement

0

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