On this week’s Mums on Cloud Nine podcast, we’re tackling a challenge that shows up in almost every area of life: getting people to truly listen. Whether it’s your kids tuning you out, your partner missing the point, or colleagues distracted by a never-ending to-do list, the frustration is universal.

Joining Heather for this conversation is Ruth Kudzi, CEO and founder of Optimus Coach Academy, who has spent years teaching coaching skills to leaders, managers, and aspiring coaches. Ruth shares why listening is at the heart of strong relationships, why we sometimes fail to hear each other, and how we can create an environment where people want to engage.

They explore the subtle cues that make us feel valued, the role of trust and safety in communication, and how distractions, both external and internal, derail conversations before they have even begun. Ruth also explains how coaching skills, even at a basic level, can improve listening, build stronger connections, and encourage more productive exchanges.

The discussion moves from the personal to the professional, with examples of how to approach tricky moments at home, including with children who have boundless energy or short attention spans, and strategies for workplace conversations where timing, tone, and empathy make all the difference.

Ruth also offers insight into the training options at Optimus Coach Academy, from short online courses for everyday communication to accredited diplomas for leaders and professional coaches. Whatever your role, she believes coaching skills can help you become more present, more curious, and ultimately more effective in every conversation you have.

Mums on Cloud Nine is your go-to destination for inspiring content that empowers women to build a life and career they love.

Each week, we share expert advice, personal stories, and practical tips across a range of topics from health and mindset to money and career growth.

Episode Highlights

• Why people sometimes fail to listen and how trust, safety, and feeling valued influence communication.

• The role of distractions, both external and internal, in breaking focus during conversations.

• How coaching skills can help improve listening, presence, and curiosity in everyday interactions.

• Practical tips for getting children to engage, including choosing the right time and environment for conversations.

• Approaches for ensuring colleagues listen in the workplace, such as timing discussions and understanding communication preferences.

• The different training options offered by Optimus Coach Academy, from short skills-based courses to accredited coaching diplomas.

Mums on Cloud Nine is your go-to destination for inspiring content that empowers women to build a life and career they love.
Each week, we share expert advice, personal stories, and practical tips across a range of topics, from health and mindset to money and career growth.

Check out our website at www.mumsoncloudnine.co.uk and subscribe for weekly tips to elevate your mindset.

When you're the one everyone turns to, who supports you?

In this episode, I’m joined by the brilliant Rebecca Daniel and Sarah Bramall, co-founders of The Coaching Catalysts, to talk about something that doesn’t get nearly enough airtime—coaching supervision.

We explore how leaders can create space for themselves in a world that constantly demands they show up strong. Sarah and Rebecca unpack the emotional load of leadership, explain what supervision really is (hint: it’s not therapy or coaching), and share why it’s essential for anyone managing people, especially those blending leadership with a coaching mindset.

We talk messy minds, blurred boundaries, and the power of having a protected space to process, reflect, and recharge. If you've ever felt like you're holding it all together for everyone else while quietly falling apart inside, this episode is for you.

You’ll learn:

• What coaching supervision is and how it differs from coaching or therapy

• Why leaders need a space to offload without judgement or agenda

• How the emotional labour of leadership shows up (and what happens if it goes unchecked)

• The benefits of slowing down, even if your brain is already in 2026

• How organisations can build safer, more supportive coaching cultures

Whether you're a qualified coach, a team leader, or simply the go-to person in your circle, this conversation will make you think differently about how you care for yourself, so you can keep showing up for others.

Mums on Cloud Nine is your go-to destination for inspiring content that empowers women to build a life and career they love.
Each week, we share expert advice, personal stories, and practical tips across a range of topics, from health and mindset to money and career growth.

Check out our website at www.mumsoncloudnine.co.uk and subscribe for weekly tips to elevate your mindset.

This week, we’re talking all about productivity, and there’s no better guest to guide us than Lucy Watkins, Head of Productivity at Salesforce and proud mum of two. Lucy doesn’t just talk about getting more done. She lives and breathes it. She leads a global sales team while being a visible advocate for working parents. She also sponsors Salesforce’s Parents and Families Equality Group, helping to shape how major companies support parents in the workplace.

In this honest and energising conversation, Lucy shares the three pillars that help her balance high-impact leadership with real-life parenting. She talks about the mindset shift that helped her leave burnout behind, how she uses a weekly “family playbook” to create alignment at home, and why being a parent is actually the best leadership training you’ll ever have.

We explore time blocking, boundary-setting, relationship dynamics, how to ask for help, and why career ambition does not have to mean constant hustle. Lucy opens up about her own challenges, including how she and her partner rebuilt their home life from survival mode into something intentional, joyful, and sustainable.

Whether you’re knee-deep in nappies or navigating a promotion while managing school runs, this episode is packed with real talk and practical wisdom to help you feel more in control and less alone.

Mums on Cloud Nine is your go-to destination for inspiring content that empowers women to build a life and career they love.
Each week, we share expert advice, personal stories, and practical tips across a range of topics, from health and mindset to money and career growth.

Check out our website at www.mumsoncloudnine.co.uk and subscribe for weekly tips to elevate your mindset.