Advocacy, Empowerment and Self-Reflection with Seb Randle
Jun 10, 2024Season 17Episode 14
powered by Northern Power Women
Join us as Seb Randle, Founder of The Helpful Space and a UN Women UK Delegate, shares his journey from a 20-year career in media to a fulfilling role in coaching and advocacy.
Discover how a pivotal moment just before the pandemic inspired Seb to empower young professionals in a tech-driven world.
And hear Seb's passionate insights on advocacy, allyship, and creating a positive future through inclusive conversations.
Listen to learn: - Seb's ongoing journey of learning and self-reflection. - The impact of external voices and social media on young people. - Why men's involvement is crucial in addressing gender disparities. - The importance of understanding privilege.
You can now nominate for the 2025 Northern Power Women Awards to be in with a chance of celebrating with changemakers, trailblazers and advocates on 6th March 2025! Nominate now at wearepower.net
Sign up to our Power Platform to check out our events calendar here.
Join us as Seb Randle, Founder of The Helpful Space and a UN Women UK Delegate, shares his journey from a 20-year career in media to a fulfilling role in coaching and advocacy.
Discover how a pivotal moment just before the pandemic inspired Seb to empower young professionals in a tech-driven world.
And hear Seb's passionate insights on advocacy, allyship, and creating a positive future through inclusive conversations.
Listen to learn: - Seb's ongoing journey of learning and self-reflection. - The impact of external voices and social media on young people. - Why men's involvement is crucial in addressing gender disparities. - The importance of understanding privilege.
You can now nominate for the 2025 Northern Power Women Awards to be in with a chance of celebrating with changemakers, trailblazers and advocates on 6th March 2025! Nominate now at wearepower.net
Sign up to our Power Platform to check out our events calendar here.
The Northern Power Women podcast for your career and your life, no matter what business you're in. Well, hello, hello and welcome to the we Are Power podcast. This podcast is all about highlighting the wonderful role models, hearing from their fabulous stories and hopefully pick up some strategies, top tips, guidance, hacks, whatever it is along the way. So, whether you're navigating your career, your life, your personal adventure, we want you to be able to take away some of these insights. And every week I do talk to some brilliant individuals, and this week is no different, where I speak to our. This year we had the inaugural advocacy list at the Northern Power Women Awards, and this week I'm going to be speaking to Seb Randall, who's Development Coach, founder, the Helpful Space, head of Allyship Bloom North and a UN Women UK Delegate. Seb so much to unpack in this week's episode, hi there, simone, how are you?
Speaker 1:
Oh, I'm fabulous. I'm fabulous All the better for speaking to you, seb. You have been such an enthusiastic and welcome addition to our very first and inaugural advocacy list, and we will get into that later. But you started your career adventure, didn't you, in advertising and comms and then you sort of had that whole kind of side swipe transition into something completely different. What was that all about? What sparked it?
Speaker 2:
something you know, completely different. What? What was that all about? What sparked it? Oh god.
Speaker 2:
Well, first off, I have to say that media and marketing for me has been an amazing career, and I know that you might not be able to tell from this lovely complexion of mine, simone, but I have been working in media marketing for over 20 years now and, um, basically, I started my career back in 99, worked for some really big, exciting ad agencies and some big publishers and I learned a lot about sort of how to get the best out of different types of people and how to negotiate and how to communicate and just generally those interpersonal skills that are super important, generally those interpersonal skills that are super important.
Speaker 2:
But then in 2018-2019, I just had a realization after 20 years in media, that my focus had sort of shifted.
Speaker 2:
The thing that really mattered to me more than anything was the people and the relationships that I'd made along the way, and how do I get the best out of others and how do we nurture that sort of next sort of level of talent, really. So that was a moment for me and it was just pre-pandemic, and what I decided to do was I went part-time in media, three days a week and I decided to do a coaching diploma on the side and I just thought thought you know, this will be an extra string to my bow I don't know where it's going to go and really loved it because I met all these other corporate people who'd had a brilliant career, who were then echoing the same things that I felt, which were, you know, it's all about people for me and relationships and how to understand people better. And, um, I was talking about doing this diploma on my LinkedIn and I got a message from Katie Leeson. Now, do you know, katie Leeson, I do.
Speaker 1:
She's one of our power list actually.
Speaker 2:
Yes. So Katie Leeson is someone that I've worked with in various guises throughout my career, is someone that I've worked with in various guises throughout my career, and she sent me a message and she said oh, seb, I love the fact that you come from the ad agency world and that you understand our challenges, but the fact that you're now doing this coaching is really interesting. So she was obviously the managing director of Social Chain, which is a very visible big social media marketing agency, and she basically said oh, seb, do you want to meet for a coffee? I'd love to know a bit more about this coaching and how you think it can help people. And my idea really around coaching at this point was that we could bring it to young people, because, as you know, coaching really is reserved for senior leaders, isn't it? But for me, I wanted to bring it to a younger generation.
Speaker 2:
And one thing led to another and she said how do you fancy being our in-house coach here over at Social Chain, which was an amazing transition for me and something that I absolutely loved, and I supported the team over there from the pandemic and through out of that. And then, about a year ago, I decided well, hang on, I've got a blueprint here for how coaching can support young businesses and young people. I'm going to take that out on my own now, through my own consultancy, which is the helpful space, and it's really in that sort of world of coaching where my allyship journey began, because I started putting myself into different environments and places and I was listening to new stories that maybe I hadn't been aware of before. Um so, so yeah, that's really where the allyship journey began.
Speaker 1:
I can tell you maybe a bit more about that and it is interesting because we always talk about nobody has that kind of one straight path, and I think it's it's it's amazing and and it kind of totally sings to kind of what we're all about, we are power, is offering that mentorship or support or conversations, uh, to our emerging and future talent. Because, like you say, seb, often it's it's reserved for high flyers, high potential, and so it's. I don't think it's ever too early to have a, a mentor or coach or to invest in yourself. It's you know what? What are you, what? What's your superpowers, your, your uniqueness that you bring into coaching.
Speaker 2:
Well, for me, the reason that I'm so passionate about young people in particular, is that the world that we live in this technological, complex um world that exists, and social media and various different kind of technological platforms that support our lives for me they complicate everything because young people are growing up now being told how to think, how to feel, what to do, and what that means is that they are very much at the mercy of those voices, those external voices, and they're always looking for that sort of validation and that reassurance from those outside sources. And for me, where confidence comes from and where that self-belief comes from is internally. It comes from you sort of knowing yourself, knowing who you are, knowing what you stand for, knowing what your identity is. So that's what I do with people. I basically slow everything down, we shut out that external noise and I start asking them some really important questions about them, their life, their relationships, their experiences, and what you tend to find is that it really their shoulders. Come back, they, they suddenly start to feel like, oh yeah, I've actually got more answers within me than I thought I did.
Speaker 2:
I'm constantly looking for them. I I'm constantly oh, what's that person doing over there? Or what's that person doing over there and getting that comparison culture and that imposter syndrome. Let's quieten that. Let's shut it all out and talk a bit more about you and who you are and what you care about and what you believe in, and let's use that to kind of like strengthen and empower. So that's really what I try and do with my coaching and it's been the most rewarding work. Honestly, I'm actually getting this is going to sound ridiculous, but when I said that then I got goose pimples on my legs because I care about it so much and I think it's so important.
Speaker 1:
And we talked earlier, earlier. I always think I always love the, the pre-chat that we have before we come into the pod, but you always talked about your advocacy. Allyship started with being, if you like, in a room of all women and hearing those problems and and sort of wanting to do something about it.
Speaker 2:
Yeah, that's right. That's right. Well, essentially what happened was I went to an event by a company called Bloom North, which I know you're aware of. So Bloom North is a female-led committee designed to up-level women in our industry, and I went along to this panel event because I knew the women who were running the event and I thought I'm going to go and support my friends who were running this event had no expectations at all. And I went into this auditorium and I was one of three men in a room of about 150 women and I just thought this isn't my time to speak. This is a woman's event, for women predominantly, and the event was about looking for your cheerleaders and the people who really inspire you and encourage you.
Speaker 2:
And I was sitting there in this auditorium hearing some of the stories that these women on the panel were sharing and they ended up talking about. You know, personal life experiences, from maybe having children, the impact of that on coming back into work and how that you know how they'd maybe been treated, or the the challenges in everyday meetings, from feeling that their voices weren't necessarily listened to micro aggressions all these different types of things and I was thinking to myself as I was listening. You've not actually digested this before. It was almost like prior to that I'd been in my own little sub world doing my thing. Yes, I'm a considerate person, yes, I care about the people around me, but I hadn't actually listened, I hadn't actually digested the specific problems and what was happening in this auditorium because it wasn't my time to speak. I was just. I was really actively listening. I was doing what a coach does and I was actively listening and properly taking on board what was being said. And I was sitting there thinking hang on, this is about finding your cheerleaders. I haven't actually been there properly for these women.
Speaker 2:
In my career I've not listened to these challenges properly and I actually said I'm a big fan of a voice note these challenges properly. And I actually said I'm a big fan of a voice note, simone. I don't know about you, but I sent the president a voice note and I said I've just been to this event and it's really opened my eyes to a few things. It's made me properly consider some of these issues. And I said I can't help but feel that more men should be hearing this, because men have been part of the problem, that men have created a lot of the frameworks that have created some of these situations and therefore we kind of need to be part of the solution as well.
Speaker 2:
Right, and I said, you know, I and I just kind of you know, spoke for two minutes on this voice note and then I got a reply saying seb, it's so funny that you should say this, because we've thought for this next year of bloom, it would be great to have a man on the board that can bring more men into the conversation, because we don't want to be speaking into an echo chamber. And that was just, you know, such an important conversation and we met for a coffee and then the next thing, you know, they were saying Seb, how do you fancy being our head of our line of ship? Let's get our heads together about some ideas of what we can do. And that was two years ago now. So yeah, about two years ago, and we had such a fantastic year and we did so many great things.
Speaker 1:
And you know it's brilliant that you took action, and I really believe that allyship and advocacy is about doing. We can all want to be an ally and wear a lanyard and pin badges and all that kind of stuff, but actually for me it's always about the deeds, not words. What did you have to have a word with yourself and think, what, how do I do this? Can I do this because I speak with so many great good guys? But sometimes it's about, like Simone, I don't know what to say, or I don't know what to do, and is it okay for me to do that? Did you have to get out of your way or did you find it very natural to sort of lean in and going I'm going to do this, I'm going to be that, that ally?
Speaker 2:
I think that's a really good and important question because and it's something that I learned from a guy who, again, I know you will know very well, but Lee Chambers, who I've done some work with and Lee Lee said, allyship is a verb, it's a you know, it's action. But you're right that even if you consider yourself to be, like I said before, empathetic or considerate, or to have other people's interests at heart, there's a lot to unpick with allyship. So it was really important for me to do, first of all, some training actually, and there's a brilliant organization called the other box, which I don't know whether you've come across them, um, and I actually did some allyship training with them alongside about six other people from the committee, and that was really really sort of empowering for me to learn, learn some things about privilege. Obviously I understand that I'm a white, uh, male, come from a pretty privileged background, was able to go to university, etc. The learning and a bit of the work to understand the different aspects of privilege and the fact that there's 14 barriers to privilege, for example, that you start to see where you are on a spectrum versus other people. So I think that's really important because it really communicates that I do have a platform, in the sense of my good fortune, to be able to support and help other people, so that was important.
Speaker 2:
The other thing, I think, is that you do a bit of inner work, you do a bit of self-reflection when you start thinking about what allyship means. And that, for me, was also quite difficult because, again, I realized that historically I've done some things that haven't necessarily been the best in certain situations. You know, when I had a disagreement with someone a few years ago, I can remember standing up and raising my voice and not communicating in the best way. I have done things like betrayed a trust of someone's, um, because I didn't necessarily think it was that important when in actual fact it was. There's all of these, like little things, that when you start doing the work, the allyship work, you are forced to reflect on your own behavior and your own approach to certain things.
Speaker 2:
So I think, going back to your question, which was were you able to go straight into it and sort of be an ally? No is the answer. First off, I had to do some learning about, you know, understanding fully kind of what it is and how it plays out. Then I had to do some self-reflection, which meant being quite vulnerable, and it was only once I'd done a little bit of that and started to get a few answers through that that I was then able to start thinking. Right now I can be a bit more outward facing and start communicating some of the things that I've learned to other people.
Speaker 1:
And what does being a great ally mean to you?
Speaker 2:
I think it means for me sort of standing shoulder to shoulder with people who might not necessarily be the same as you and just offering that sort of solidarity and that support. It's not about people up here who are privileged teaching anything to other groups of people. It's about standing shoulder to shoulder, listening, sharing stories, thinking about ways that you can support one another. And you know I'm also an advocate for reciprocal allyship. That is a really important term for me because we all know, simone, that men are having some really big challenges in the world too.
Speaker 2:
Unfortunately, uh, I'm aware of quite a few men who have taken their own lives.
Speaker 2:
There's actually six from my school in my year, six men in my year at school who I know of who've taken their own lives, and and also men in through my industry as well, two or three men through the comms industry. And you know, we know, that there's a, there's a problem there and you know men haven't had a movement like the feminist movement to really drive change and allow them to be free and to be, you know, more empathetic and compassionate and softer and maybe a bit more gentle in some ways, and softer and maybe a bit more gentle in some ways. So essentially what I'm saying is that you know we've all come from different places and we all have different challenges and therefore I think inclusion and allyship is really about kind of slowing down, like I was talking about before in coaching slowing down, listening, really truly trying to understand the challenges of people who might be very different from you and and seeing if there's any way that you can support them through whatever channel that might might be.
Speaker 1:
I'm looking ahead. You know I looked we talked at the start of it about this kind of career arc, if you like, in the story arc of of the, the path that you've been on. But what is? What are your aspirations for the future, both in terms of your coaching, but equally the the advocacy work, as well, obviously, of being a great advocate for NPW Awards and the advocacy list.
Speaker 2:
Yeah, I think it's to continue to continue on this journey to help other men see that. Not only so I run a. I actually run a sort of training module called learning through allyship, because I believe that allyship allows you to support others, to extend that arm and support others who might not necessarily have that opportunity that you might potentially be able to give to them in some way. But it also allows benefits you too. There are benefits to you being an ally because you learn things about yourself. There's there's a process of self-discovery. There's um, there's learning to be more compassionate. There's being more aware in certain situations so that you can ask better questions.
Speaker 2:
There's all of these different things that I think if more men knew these things and if they knew that it would be a learning journey for them and that they would get so much out of it personally, I think more men might go on the journey. You know there's a real if you speak to anybody who works in this space around gender equity and allyship. It's a real if you speak to anybody who works in this space around gender equity and allyship. It's how can we engage more men? What is the key to engaging more men? And I think it's really around their own learning and their own arc that they will go on through the process of doing it. It's not just about you know, trying to find extra time in your schedule to go and help all of these people. It's about that process of self-discovery that allows you to do those things.
Speaker 1:
It's such a great way. I love the way that we always want to have those top tips that people can take away and do something with. So you've talked about self-discovery, we've talked about that inner work. We talked about slowing down. We've talked about listening, digesting, understanding and and the and the benefits of that reciprocity. Um, in that whole relationship said, so much guidance in here, so much knowledge exchange. Thank you so much for joining us on the podcast and thank you for being one of our fantastic, fantastic advocates and keep doing what you're doing and keep creating those Goosebump moments as well.
Speaker 2:
Oh, thanks, simone, it's been an absolute pleasure talking to you. Thank you.
Speaker 1:
And thank all you for listening. We always want you to go away. I think there's something that you can do. It is about action. It is about you know sort of seeing what part you have to play. So thank you, seb, for all your knowledge, and please do stay connected with everything that we're doing here on our socials on Facebook and LinkedIn, we are Power TikTok. Instagram. Twitter, we are Power underscore net. Thank you so much for joining us on the podcast. Next week, I'll be joined by another amazing role model. My name is Simone. This is the we Are Power podcast. A walk goes on media production.