ProGRESS

About ProGRESS

Progress's guests talk about their pathway to a career in a values-led job. We've talked to sustainability consultants and managers, researchers, green and ethical entrepreneurs, environmentalists, ecologists and conservationists plus others working and studying in architecture. They might be campaigners, city planners, comedians (yes really!), philosophers, psychologists, scientists, serious games creators and technologists. What unites them is their desire to improve the planet and offer a hand up to people seeking values-led work and green home lives. Subscribe to Progress wherever you usually listen for inspiring stories and insights. About Podcast host, interviewer and journalist Sandra Fraser set up ProGRESS to provide an inspiring and entertaining listen to make the world a greener, kinder place. Instagram: @progress_green_careers_podcast (https://www.instagram.com/progress_green_careers_podcast?igsh=MXJ6cWdrZXg2cGpkNA==) Original content © Sandra Fraser Original music © Lyze Kessell (https://linktr.ee/lyzetheartist) Email: hello [@] mypro-gress.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy (https://acast.com/privacy) for more information.

Publisher

Host Sandra F

Category

business · education · news

Language

en

Explicit

No

First episode

1 Feb 2024

Latest episode

25 Jan 2026

Latest episodes

56 episodes in the feed.

1. 

   25 Jan 2026

   Em Burnip, founder of Eco Wedding Festivals

   Em Burnip is passionate about nature and the environment and when her daughter Grace was born she matched her business skills with her values to create Eco Wedding Festivals. But taking control of her own career path was less straightforward than simply setting up an eco-business while she was on maternity leave. She had developed a secure, good, if not always satisfying, career as a personal assistant and events executive for a Big 4 consulting firm for 17 years, with a special interest in sustainability. Her efforts to get into a sustainability-led role were always thwarted, however, until she was given a nudge to find her own niche as an eco-entrepreneur. With a small child to consider she paused before making taking a leap and making the necessary sacrifices to move forward. Em advises people who want to secure a green job or to become an eco-entrepreneur to first find out what they are good at, to put in research and start connecting with people in the field they want to work in. From her own viewpoint, while she is passionate about nature and biodiversity, she considered where her skills and training would be best used, knowing that she didn’t want to spend the rest of her working life in a job she didn’t enjoy. As she puts it: “At what point do I go for something that I really believe in and love?” Having her daughter Grace put perspective around that decision, as she considered what she would say to her own child when she was making future career choices. “I’d rather she was happy in a job and loved it than earning lots and not being happy,” says Em, who gives credit to Helen Jennings-Petz and Kerry North for the nudges and support. Grace, now aged 10, currently wants to be a marine biologist. Em talks about the importance of teaching young children about the environment in a way that doesn’t scare them. She believes in helping people discover the green jobs they'll find in every sector and she volunteers at an eco learning charity, Greener Stourport, and completed a course in environmental studies at the Open University. Em explains that as people are becoming more eco-conscious, they are demanding more sustainable choices to spend their own money on. But weddings are notoriously expensive and it is possible to buy cheap unsustainable alternatives online. She delivers the shocking statistic that the average UK wedding has a carbon footprint similar to the annual footprint of a UK family of four – and there are around a quarter of a million weddings in the UK alone. Em encourages couples who want to put the planet on their guest list to come to one of her Eco Wedding Festivals to speak to eco-friendly, ethical businesses as they showcase their offerings. Done right, it makes for a music-filled fun day out with sample food from caterers, displays from florists, and a chance to meet sustainable suppliers in beautiful venues. Links mentioned in this episode: Eco Wedding Festivals (www.ecoweddingfestivals.com) Greener Stourport (https://www.facebook.com/groups/236364512687942/) You might also like to listen to: Dr Jess Tipton, head of the National Education Nature Par (https://shows.acast.com/progress-pro-green-ethical-sustainable-socially-responsible-careers-inspo/episodes/dr-jessica-tipton-head-of-the-national-education-nature-park )k S6 E1 Beccy Dickson, co-founder of Branded Bio and eco entrepreneur (https://shows.acast.com/progress-pro-green-ethical-sustainable-socially-responsible-careers-inspo/episodes/beccy-dickson-co-founder-of-branded-bio-and-eco-entrepreneur) S3 E12 Don Weatherbee, CEO RegenX (https://shows.acast.com/progress-pro-green-ethical-sustainable-socially-responsible-careers-inspo/episodes/don-weatherbee-ceo-regenx) S3 E7 Shaheer Hafeez, Director of sustainability advisory at KPMG (https://shows.acast.com/progress-pro-green-ethical-sustainable-socially-responsible-careers-inspo/episodes/shaheer-hafeez-aca ) S3 E2 Lydia Carrington, sustainability manager at Edgbaston Stadium (https://shows.acast.com/progress-pro-green-ethical-sustainable-socially-responsible-careers-inspo/episodes/lydia-carrington-sustainability-manager-edgbaston-stadium) S2 E1 About ProGRESS: Host Sandra Fraser invites guests to discuss their pro- Green, Ethical, Sustainable and Socially responsible jobs, courses or activities and asks for real-world insights into the pathways and careers that led to them. Instagram: @progress_green_careers_podcast Original content © Sandra Fraser Original music © Lyze Kessell (https://linktr.ee/lyzetheartist) Email: hello@mypro-gress.co.uk Expect revelations, lightbulb moments and an informative listen on ProGRESS, with plenty of insights as guests explain how and why got into their Green, Ethical, Sustainable and Socially Responsible career or course (the GRESS of ProGRESS) with plenty of tips if you want to do the same. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy (https://acast.com/privacy) for more information.

2. 

   17 Jan 2026

   Holly Westgarth-Graham, Masters student at Edinburgh Futures Institute

   Holly Westgarth-Graham has returned to her studies after a spell working as an intern for sustainable travel company Byway, the flight-free holiday platform. She talks about how she is carving out her own future, bringing ethical and eco-storytelling together with ethical innovation and strategic foresight, which she is specialising in, along with AI implementation, at Edinburgh Futures Institute. Influenced by Byway Travel colleagues such as Kurt Henderson, a polymath designer, musician and eco-traveller, and business founder and CEO Cat Jones, and COO Holly Clarke (as well as many others), Holly talks about learning calling on interdisciplinary skills, artistic and scientific as well as optimism, when she started work. She talks about expanding her knowledge with a Masters and her expectations of future employers. She talks about having her eyes opened by a trip to Tanzania as a 16-year-old and the benefits of travel, plus finding her core values as she has studied and grown. Influenced by wisdom from her dad, who says there's no such thing as time wasted seeking knowledge, she teaches music, and finds that, plus art and connecting with nature help her retain her optimism and energy. Holly's progress will definitely be one to watch as her career unfolds. Mentioned in this podcast University of York literature (https://www.york.ac.uk/english/) University of Edinburgh MSc Narrative futures, art, data and society (https://efi.ed.ac.uk/programmes/narrative-futures-art-data-society/) Byway Travel (https://www.byway.travel/) Visit Aarhus (about:blank) Aarhus University (https://international.au.dk/ Aarhus University) You might also like to listen to: Johnathon Miller-McCall, science communicator and conservationist (https://shows.acast.com/progress-pro-green-ethical-sustainable-socially-responsible-careers-inspo/episodes/johnathon-miller-mccall-science-communicator-conservationist) S5 E6 Kurt Henderson, senior product designer, Byway Travel ( https://shows.acast.com/progress-pro-green-ethical-sustainable-socially-responsible-careers-inspo/episodes/kurt-henderson-senior-product-designer-byway-travel) S2 E4 Connor Cashell, campaigns officer Cycling UK (https://shows.acast.com/progress-pro-green-ethical-sustainable-socially-responsible-careers-inspo/episodes/connor-cashell-campaigns-officer-cycling-uk) S5 E5 Stuart Mabbutt, nature, learning campaigner and teacher (https://shows.acast.com/progress-pro-green-ethical-sustainable-socially-responsible-careers-inspo/episodes/stuart-mabbutt-aka-the-wildman-part-1) Part 1 S3 E3 About ProGRESS: Host Sandra Fraser discusses pro- Green, Ethical, Sustainable and Socially responsible jobs, courses or activities with her guests and asks for their real-world insights into the pathways and careers that led to their purposeful life. Instagram: @progress_green_careers_podcast (https://www.instagram.com/progress_green_careers_podcast/) LinkedIn: ProGRESS, the green, values-led careers podcast (https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-progress-green-ethical-sustainable-socially-responsible-careers-podcast/?viewAsMember=true) Original content © Sandra Fraser Original music © Lyze Kessell (https://linktr.ee/lyzetheartist) Email: hello [@] mypro-gress.com Expect revelations, lightbulb moments and an informative listen on ProGRESS, with plenty of insights as guests explain how and why got into their Green, Ethical, Sustainable and Socially Responsible career or course (the GRESS of ProGRESS) with plenty of tips if you want to do the same. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy (https://acast.com/privacy) for more information.

3. 

   10 Jan 2026

   Elspeth Yates, career coach at Happier Humans and head of people at Change Agents

   This episode drops in January, traditionally the month when people quit their jobs or evaluate whether what they are doing is the right thing for them. As an independent career coach alongside working as head of Change Agents UK's People and Placements team, Elspeth Yates helps people find their purpose in green careers. She encourages them to look at their existing skills and examine how they might use them in a company more in line with their values, or enables them to bring their values to the workplace they're already in. In this episode, Elspeth talks about the importance of not ignoring those values, because we spend so much of our time working and deserve to be happy there. She remembers how a chance meeting at a careers fair boosted her own start in working life when she was fresh out of university and her surprising path to a role that now does so much for sustainability professionals. Elspeth reveals how her own happy nature and positive outlook were labelled a negative because it made her look less professional and why she’s an optimist. Find out how Elspeth came to recognise the new opportunities she could bring to other people by delivering talks, and combining working at Change Agents with one-to-one coaching and business workshops. Passionate about the environment and sustainability, Elspeth shares how she maintains her own energy when she's juggling all her different roles and whizzing around the country and internationally. Listen out for key tips for finding your way if you're looking for a change of direction and job. Even if you’re not seeking change, there’s plenty in Elspeth’s experience to leave you feeling uplifted and positive about making a difference, however small. Mentioned in this podcast Elspeth Yates Coaching Happy Humans (https://www.elspethcoaching.com/) Change Agents UK (https://www.changeagents.org.uk/) University of Leicester Geology (University of Leicester https://le.ac.uk/geology) Time Team (https://www.timeteamdigital.com/) Simon Sinek – Start with Why (https://simonsinek.com/books/start-with-why/) Group GTI graduate careers hub (https://www.groupgti.com) You might also like to listen to: Shaheer Hafeez, ACA, Director of ESG and Climate Risk, KPMG (https://shows.acast.com/progress-pro-green-ethical-sustainable-socially-responsible-careers-inspo/episodes/shaheer-hafeez-aca) S3 E2 Sarah Flynn, psychologist, author and human sustainability coach (https://shows.acast.com/progress-pro-green-ethical-sustainable-socially-responsible-careers-inspo/episodes/sarah-flynn-psychologist-author-and-human-sustainability-coa) S5 E8 Matteo Menapace, serious ethical games designer (https://shows.acast.com/progress-pro-green-ethical-sustainable-socially-responsible-careers-inspo/episodes/matteo-menapace-serious-cooperative-games-designer) S5 E7 Glen Burrows, photographer, disrupter, regenerative food entrepreneur (https://shows.acast.com/progress-pro-green-ethical-sustainable-socially-responsible-careers-inspo/episodes/glen-burrows-photographer-and-videographer-copywriter-disrup)S2 E5 Duncan Goose, founder of Global Ethics and One Water (https://shows.acast.com/progress-pro-green-ethical-sustainable-socially-responsible-careers-inspo/episodes/duncan-goose-founder-of-global-ethics-and-the-one-water-bran) S1 E10 About ProGRESS: Host Sandra Fraser discusses pro- Green, Ethical, Sustainable and Socially responsible jobs, courses or activities with her guests and asks for their real-world insights into the pathways and careers that led to their purposeful life. Instagram: @progress_green_careers_podcast (https://www.instagram.com/progress_green_careers_podcast/) LinkedIn: ProGRESS, the green, values-led careers podcast (https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-progress-green-ethical-sustainable-socially-responsible-careers-podcast/?viewAsMember=true) Original content © Sandra Fraser Original music © Lyze Kessell (https://linktr.ee/lyzetheartist) Email: hello [@] mypro-gress.com Expect revelations, lightbulb moments and an informative listen on ProGRESS, with plenty of insights as guests explain how and why got into their Green, Ethical, Sustainable and Socially Responsible career or course (the GRESS of ProGRESS) with plenty of tips if you want to do the same. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy (https://acast.com/privacy) for more information.

Who has been a guest on ProGRESS

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

• Connor Cashell
• Dr Fernanda da Silva Tatley
• Matthew Payne
• Stuart Goldsmith
• Katie Goldsbrough

Reach and audience

Public platform figures. Ratings count people who left a rating, not total listeners.

YouTube views

9,232

Score snapshot 15 Sept 2025

Podcast Authority Score: 61 / 100

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

Quality

75

Social presence

94

YouTube

74

Engagement

0

Contact ProGRESS

Guest appearances

Books guests

Based on episode analysis; this does not confirm that the show is currently accepting guests.