Anyway: On being different, and doing it anyway

Neurotypical leaders need to understand how to better support neurodivergent talent to build a more effective, inclusive team.
Many professionals adapt to rigid office norms at a significant personal cost, often hiding unique strengths to fit a standard mold. This discussion highlights why behaviors like silence or fidgeting are frequently misunderstood as lack of attention when they are actually tools for deeper focus. By shifting our perspective on these habits, we can foster environments where different minds thrive rather than just survive.
True success comes from implementing better workplace accommodations that respect diverse communication styles. When we...

Burnout from work identity often stems from the gap between your true self and your professional persona. Let's fix that.
Most organizations focus on workload capacity when assessing stress, but this ignores a deeper issue: the exhaustion that comes from pretending to be someone you are not. When your daily tasks require you to suppress your authentic personality, you experience a unique kind of career burnout that cannot be solved by simply reducing your hours or taking a vacation.
Understanding this identity problem is the first step toward reclaiming your energy. We talk about how to stop...

Effective coaching is not about giving advice. It is about creating the necessary space for individuals to think clearly.
Many high performers find that traditional leadership advice fails to address their unique way of processing information. If you do not fit the standard mold of a leader, you might be looking for a different approach to your professional development. This session clarifies how true support functions by moving away from directive guidance and toward open inquiry.
By focusing on leadership development through this lens, you can gain better clarity on your own decisions. It is not about...

I choose to do keynote speaking because ideas are understood better when they are felt, not just heard.
Many people assume I take these speaking engagements to drive business, but that is rarely the case. Most organizations do not actually have an information problem. Instead, they struggle with a gap in language and permission. My goal when I take the stage is to provide the words for knowledge that already exists within the room, helping teams articulate what they have known but could not express.
Focusing on this approach to keynote speaking allows me to bridge that...

Leaving a 15-year corporate career to become a fractional CMO requires a new strategy for selling your professional experience.
After stepping away from a VP role, I am building a career as a fractional CMO to support multiple businesses. This transition is about more than just leaving a job; it is about packaging specific services like writing, speaking, and community building so you can provide value to clients on your own terms. If you are curious about the business model behind this shift, this breakdown covers exactly what the role entails.
This video outlines the financial realities...

Struggling with the fear of failure? Here are 10 practical strategies to help you stop avoiding risk and start embracing growth.
Many people let the potential for mistakes dictate their next move, but shifting your perspective is key to long-term success. Whether you are navigating a new role or managing a project, learning to separate your identity from your output is essential. This approach allows you to focus on effort rather than perfection, which is a fundamental part of developing a growth mindset.
I am sharing these 10 tips to help you handle the pressure of high-stakes environments, as...

Need better conflict resolution skills? Here are 10 phrases to help you navigate disagreements with respect and calm.
Navigating tension in the office or in your personal life can be incredibly draining. Whether you are dealing with a misunderstanding or a full-blown disagreement, having the right language at your disposal makes a significant difference. These strategies focus on actionable workplace communication techniques that allow you to maintain your composure while ensuring your voice is heard.
We look at methods like active listening and acknowledging other perspectives to help de-escalate tension. You will find 10 specific phrases designed to help...

Many people hide being an introvert in business to get ahead. Here is why that strategy is outdated and how things are changing.For years, I felt the pressure to act like an extrovert to secure career advancement. I worried that my natural temperament was a liability, so I mirrored the behaviors I thought were expected in corporate environments. It felt like a constant performance, but I convinced myself it was the only way to move up the ladder.The reality is that the business world is finally shifting to recognize the unique strengths that introverts bring to the...

Managing a career transition away from a traditional role can feel daunting. Here is why having multiple projects beats one job.After 15 years in a corporate career, I made the switch to a portfolio of work. I now balance running a software company, positioning various businesses, and writing a book. While I initially worried that losing the structure of a single, full-time position would leave me feeling adrift, I discovered that I actually thrive when I have multiple projects running simultaneously. It turns out that variety provides more stability and satisfaction than I ever found in a single office...

Why has personal branding become such a dominant conversation?

I don’t think it’s simply because LinkedIn grew or everyone wants to become an influencer. I think it reflects a deeper change in where we place our trust.

In this episode, I explore why the strongest personal brands aren’t built through logos, taglines or perfectly optimised content. They’re built by making your thinking visible, expressing a real point of view and giving people the chance to understand your judgment over time.

Working for yourself can be going well and still feel uncertain. In this episode, I talk about signing clients, sending proposals, doing financial calculations on holiday, and why being happier at work has not stopped me worrying about what comes next.

Every leadership book describes the same person. Commands the room, projects authority through their voice, takes up space without thinking about it. And the message underneath is that this person is a great leader and everyone else isn't.

In this short episode I talk about why introverted and neurodivergent leaders have capabilities that stay invisible in cultures where confidence gets measured by volume, and why the companies fixing this aren't being kind, they're solving a talent problem their competitors haven't noticed yet.

Learn how to maintain creativity in a conformist corporate culture that prioritizes efficiency over innovation. Stop letting fear of mistakes hold back your professional growth.
Corporate structures often demand consistency, which can stifle creativity and prevent teams from taking necessary risks. This video explores why professional settings frequently punish standing out and how this culture of compliance acts as a barrier to innovation. Whether you are an individual contributor or a leader, understanding these dynamics is the first step toward building a more adaptable environment.
By actively encouraging diverse perspectives, you can help shift the internal narrative...

Managing people older than you can be a challenge for new managers. Learn how to build respect and foster collaboration effectively.
Stepping into a leadership role where you supervise team members with more life and career experience requires a shift in perspective. This video explores practical strategies to help you navigate this dynamic, ensuring you create a positive work environment where everyone feels valued. Whether you are leading a seasoned veteran or a peer, the goal is to bridge the experience gap.
We focus on the importance of active listening to gain valuable lessons from your team...

Learn the essentials of leading with ambiguity to maintain clarity and direction for your team during times of crisis.
Effective leaders know that uncertainty is an inevitable part of the professional landscape. This video breaks down actionable strategies for navigating organizational change by shifting your perspective when challenges feel overwhelming. Instead of reacting to every shift, you will learn how to step back, assess the situation objectively, and focus on concrete solutions that move your team forward.
Developing strong leadership skills requires the ability to remain composed when the path ahead is unclear. By embracing uncertainty rather...

Improving your managing upwards skills might be the only way to fix your stagnant career trajectory.
You might be working hard, but your career trajectory often depends more on how you interact with leadership than on your output alone. Many employees assume that excellent performance speaks for itself, ignoring the reality that their superiors need active support and clarity to advocate for them. Without intentional workplace communication, even your best efforts can go unnoticed by those making promotion decisions.
Managing upwards is about becoming a partner to your manager rather than just a task-executor. This involves being...

I love working for myself, but I massively underestimated one thing: how much structure corporate life gives you without you having to create it.

Now I decide what to work on, what matters most, who to follow up with and what happens next.

Freedom is great. Constant decision making is a lot.

Before leaving corporate, I assumed finding clients would be one of the parts of working independently that I would hate.

Cold outreach. Following up. Talking about myself. Selling what I can do.

Except that isn't really what it has felt like.

In this short reflection, I talk about one of the most unexpected things I have discovered since leaving a 15 year corporate career: I genuinely enjoy the commercial side of working for myself.

Maybe selling feels very different when what you are really doing is meeting interesting people, asking questions and...

Almost three months ago, I left a corporate career that had shaped most of my working life. Since then, quite a few people have asked me some version of the same question: what do you actually do now?

The answer is a bit less simple than the old one. Now, I work with different companies, I write, I speak, I’m building PAQ Anyway, and I’m still figuring out what this new working life looks like as I go.

So I made a short video explaining it properly. It is also the start of a li...

What a Fractional CMO actually is — and who needs one

Fractional is not a polite word for freelance. It's not junior support. It's not "a little bit of marketing help."

In this episode I explain what fractional leadership actually means, who needs it, and why more experienced executives are choosing portfolio careers over the traditional model.

Two minutes. No slides. Just a point of view.

Office politics has a bad reputation, mostly because people confuse it with manipulation. So a lot of people pretend they don’t participate in it at all. But the truth is, everyone navigates power, influence, relationships, and perception at work to some extent. The real question is whether we do it unconsciously, or honestly and with integrity. This video is about the latter.

Being wrong in public is one thing. The hours and days after are another. Most leadership advice tells you to own it quickly and move on, which skips the part where your nervous system still thinks you're in danger. In this episode, Laurence talks about why recovering from a public stumble is slower than anyone admits, and why nobody tells you that the uncomfortable part is actually normal.

Even at VP level, the meetings that make your heart race don't go away. The ones where you're there to challenge something, defend your team, or push back on a decision in a room full of senior people. In this episode, Laurence talks about the invisible internal work that happens before those meetings — and why it doesn't disappear with seniority, especially when you've never quite fit the standard leadership mold.

We keep saying “bring your whole self to work.” But that’s not really what’s expected, is it?

In this episode, I talk about the gap between what companies say and what they actually reward. Why energy and performance are welcome, but grief, anxiety, and exhaustion are not. And what that does to our mental health over time.

This isn’t just about burnout or work life balance. It’s about the constant pressure to edit yourself to fit a version of “professional” that leaves very little room for being human...

Most people think leadership is about having the right answers.

I think it is often about asking the right questions.

In this episode I talk about why questions open conversations, create trust inside teams, and lead to ideas you would never get if the leader was doing all the talking.

If you lead a team, coach people, or simply want better conversations at work, learning how to ask better questions might be one of the most powerful skills you can develop.

Always saying yes at work can look like commitment, but over time it can dilute your focus and drain your confidence. In this episode, I reflect on how people pleasing shows up in professional environments and share practical ways to build healthier boundaries, communicate more clearly, and prioritise what actually matters without becoming less collaborative.

I used to overthink everything, turning even small decisions into something heavy and exhausting, as if every choice was a test I was afraid of failing.

In this episode, I talk about what helped me move out of analysis paralysis and start making decisions with more clarity, less fear, and more self trust, without becoming reckless or careless.

I share the simple questions I now ask myself when I feel stuck, how I tell the difference between fear and misalignment, why not every decision needs to be permanent, and...

Building meaningful connections has always mattered, but in a digital world where many of our relationships live entirely online, it can feel harder to do well.

In this episode, I talk about practical ways to build meaningful connections through a screen, from being more intentional in how we engage, to personalising outreach, prioritising quality over quantity, and remembering there is a real human on the other side.

Nothing here is revolutionary, just small and deliberate actions that make online interactions feel more human.

Twenty years ago, I moved abroad and built my life in a country that was not the one I was born in.

In this episode, I reflect on what living abroad actually teaches you over time, beyond the logistics and the clichés. How identity changes as you grow, how exposure to different cultures and norms shapes who you become, and how the idea of home shifts from something familiar to something you actively choose.

This is not a story about wanting to go back, but about growth, adaptation, a...

Unproductive meetings are one of the biggest energy drains in corporate life. They waste time, reduce focus, and quietly damage morale and culture.

In this episode, I share practical and respectful ways to end meetings that have lost their purpose. Without confrontation. Without awkwardness. And without needing authority.

You will learn how to recognize when a meeting is no longer useful, how to redirect conversations with clarity, and how to close meetings gracefully while still being seen as focused and respectful.

This episode is...

Ever had your mind go silent in a meeting or important conversation? You know what you want to say, but the words refuse to show up. It happens to many of us, especially when the moment feels emotional or high stakes.

For years, I thought freezing meant I was not confident enough or fast enough. Now I understand it for what it is. A nervous system response. A pause that protects more than it limits.

In this episode, I share the scripts I use when my brain stops mid conversation. These short, intentional phrases help...

We don’t all experience meetings the same way.

Some people focus on what’s being said. I focus on everything happening beneath it—the tone, the pauses, the energy in the room. Over time, I’ve learned that this kind of awareness isn’t overthinking. It’s one of my greatest strengths as a leader.

In this episode, I share how I process meetings differently, why noticing what’s left unsaid matters, and how quiet observation can make teams stronger and more human.

#Leadership #Wo...

We often think change starts with action. “I’ll start running,” “I’ll start eating better,” “I’ll try to be more confident.” But real change begins with identity.

If you want to build a new habit, stop telling yourself you want to do it and start telling yourself you are the kind of person who does it.

Want to run? You are a runner from day one.

Want to write? You are a writer the moment you sit down.

Want to lead with empathy? You are already th...

Sometimes, all it takes is five seconds to change your entire day. In this episode, I share 10 simple tricks you can use to break negative thought loops, reduce stress, and reset your mindset. From flipping “I have to” into “I get to” to asking “What’s one thing I can control right now?”, these quick resets help you feel more focused, confident, and in control.

✨ Small shifts. Big impact.

Which trick will you try today?

Most workplaces run on one idea of “normal”: fast talkers, extroverts, people who thrive in back-to-back meetings. But for many of us who are autistic, ADHD, or highly sensitive, that version of “professional” takes an enormous toll.

In this episode, I share what I wish more neurotypical leaders understood about working with neurodivergent colleagues:

Silence does not mean a lack of ideas

Not making eye contact is not disrespect

Fidgeting or stimming is not distraction

We are not asking for special treatment. We are asking for flexibility, clarity, and psycholo...

Most people think you have to be loud to own the room. But introverts bring something powerful to leadership: quiet confidence, presence, and clarity.

In this episode, I share how I’ve learned to:

Lead without faking extroversion

Listen first and speak with intention

Prepare so I’m ready when it matters

Step away to recharge without apologizing

Introverts don’t need to change their personality to fit the room. You can own it exactly as you are — quiet, p...

Ever been stuck at a business dinner where the food is tiny, the talk is dull, and you wonder why you even said yes? I have. My solution is simple: drop Taylor Swift into the conversation. Not as a pop star, but as one of the smartest business minds of our time. In this episode, I share how talking about Taylor Swift with strangers in suits turns a boring dinner into something actually worth remembering.

Most people think sensory overload at work is obvious—someone covering their ears or walking out of a meeting.

The truth? It’s usually invisible. Subtle. And exhausting.

In this episode, I share what sensory overload actually looks like in the workplace, how it affects focus and performance, and why leaders can’t afford to ignore it.

If you’ve ever felt drained by constant noise, flickering lights, endless notifications, or chaotic environments—you’re not alone.

✨ What you’ll hear:

<...

Self-doubt can be paralyzing—but it doesn’t have to control your story.

In this episode, I share 10 powerful strategies to move through self-doubt and build genuine, lasting confidence. From reframing your inner critic to taking small, courageous steps, this is a practical guide for anyone who’s ever felt “not good enough.”

Whether you’re a neurodivergent professional, an emerging leader, or just tired of second-guessing yourself—this one’s for you.

💬 Tune in to learn:– Why acknowledging self-doubt is the first step to overcoming it– How to stop comparing and start celebrating your own pa...

Why do the loudest people in the room get promoted—while the quiet high performers get overlooked?

In this episode, I talk about the frustrating reality of office politics and how visibility is often mistaken for value. If you’re introverted, neurodivergent, or just not into self-promotion, this dynamic can feel impossible to navigate.

But here’s the good news: you can be seen—without pretending to be someone else.

We’ll cover:

Why performative confidence gets rewarded

How to make your work visible without bragging

Building quiet infl...