The Soap Box Podcast

Today’s guest, Ettie Bailey-King, is an inclusive and accessible communication educator who’s on a mission to change the way we think about language. And you know me, I love a good ramble down a rabbit hole into the words we use every day. Ettie teaches people to understand and use inclusive language (how to talk more accurately and inclusively about age, class, disability, gender, race, sexuality and more) and to communicate accessibly in ways that work better for everybody, whether they’re ...

You know that moment when someone stands up to speak and you can feel the disconnect? Their words are polished, their slides are tidy, their branding is on point, but something’s off. It’s like they’re performing at you, not speaking with you. They’ve planned every word, they’re sticking to their script, and they’d deliver it the same way no matter who was in the room. This week’s guest, Stacia Keogh, has no time for that kind of stagecraft. She’s an embodied speaking coach, a traditional sto...

Let’s be honest, for a lot of people in my world, AI feels like a bit of a villain right now. It’s been decimating creative industries, disrupting business models, and flooding the internet with content that’s at best soulless, and at worst, dangerous. I’m recording this just as the whole Grok-goes-anti-woke mess is playing out, so feelings are certainly mixed. I’ve got plenty of thoughts about AI, and I’m happy to talk your ear off about them (do send me a DM). But today’s guest offers a dif...

If you finally work out how to time block, then you’ll get everything done on that giant to-do list of yours, right? And once Amazon delivers that tomato-shaped Pomodoro timer, you’ll finally reach those big goals. You’ll get that offer written, create the thing, write the book. Well… not necessarily, according to this week’s guest. Vikki Yaffe says we’ve created systems and norms that don’t work for 95% of the population. And instead of desperately trying to find the right tool to squeeze ou...

Sustainability is on all of our minds right now. Whether it’s arguments about bin collections, fast fashion waste, or what the hell AI is doing to the planet, it’s everywhere. And let’s be honest, sustainability has also become big business. If people care about it in their daily lives, they’re definitely thinking about it when they make decisions about who to buy from and work with. Which is all well and good if you’re a product-based business with compostable packaging and tree-planting per...

What if the way you’ve been told to run your business isn’t working for you—not because you’re doing it wrong, but because it was never designed for you in the first place? In this episode, we sit down with Pippa Parfait, co-founder of the Disobedient Business® Co., to unpack why traditional business rules often fail us and how to build a business that truly works for you. We dive into the patriarchal origins of business norms, the pressure to follow so-called "best practices," and the guilt ...

What does it mean to belong, and why is it so important to us? In this episode, we dive deep into the profound concept of belonging with Amena, a Belonging & Emotional Resilience Strategist and Coach, who helps high-impact, high-integrity leaders master the skills to foster cultures of belonging. Together, we explore why belonging is so vital to our survival and well-being, the shifts in DEI language, and the challenges and complexities of creating inclusive environments. Amena shares h...

What comes to mind when you picture a leader? For many, it’s the same old stereotype: a white man in a suit, speaking and acting in a particular, "traditional" way. This narrow vision of leadership shapes how we see ourselves, particularly if we're women, and whether we even see ourselves as leaders at all. But what if there’s a different way? In this episode, I’m joined by Sarae Pratt, a coach and trainer for women in traditional male or male-dominated roles and industries. She helps them t...