If you grew up far from the big-city career bubble or you are returning to work after a break, building a network can feel mysterious. In this conversation, Amy Blanthorn-Hazell shares how she went from an intern who knew almost no one in tech to a senior sales leader at Salesforce. Her story starts in a small village in the north of England and evolves into a career shaped by curiosity, initiative, and the right advocates.

Amy explains the difference between short-term transactions and real relationships. She talks about giving value first, creating communities when none exist, and asking for advice in ways that make people want to say yes. You will hear how she used simple moves like thoughtful follow-ups, tailored compliments after talks, and one-to-one coffees to turn chance meetings into long-term sponsors.

The episode leans into honest moments too. Amy shares what felt awkward early on, how she learned to balance I and we when talking about results, and why the best mentors sometimes start with a single session before committing to more. It is practical, kind, and refreshingly doable.

Promotions are not made in the room. They are made in the conversations that happen when you are not there. Amy breaks down how to build advocates who will speak up for you when it counts, why timing matters, and how to prepare a clear, business-focused case that leaders can support.

We get into the nuts and bolts of promotion readiness. Amy shows how to map your current skills against the next level, gather feedback from managers and peers, and use stretch projects to prove you can operate at a higher band without losing sight of your core results. She also calls out common red flags, like moving too fast before you have shown enough impact.

There is guidance on interviews and panels too. From reaching out to interviewers ahead of time to sending an agenda and following up, Amy lays out the basics that so many people skip. The result is a calm, confident approach that helps decision makers see you in the role before the title changes.

If you are new to networking, start with a clear goal. Amy shows how to target conversations based on what you want to learn, the teams you want to join, or the skills you want to grow. Then she models simple language that shares wins without bragging, invites collaboration, and highlights the people who helped you get there.

If your workplace lacks community, create one. Amy describes how she launched a women’s foundation group early in her career and why that decision still pays off years later. Small acts like hosting a learning session, sharing a playbook in Slack, or forwarding kind client feedback to your manager can quietly build your reputation.

If you are planning to ask for a promotion, give yourself time. Build a short business case, link outcomes to company priorities, and gather examples that show consistent performance in your role plus stretch impact beyond it. Then book the meeting, share your thinking, and ask for clear guidance on what to demonstrate next.

Salesforce RVP Lauren McGuire has lived the full arc of modern sales leadership. She started as an SDR in California, helped build high-performing BDR teams through hypergrowth and an IPO, jumped into AE management at multiple startups, then relocated to London with two young children to scale regional teams. In this conversation, Lauren opens up about what those chapters really felt like and how she kept her family at the center while growing her career.

We talk through the early return to work after maternity leave in the US, the adrenaline of standing up outbound engines from scratch, and the reality of being close to the pulse of a startup when you also have small humans who need dinner at six. Lauren shares how a move to the UK reshaped family logistics, school choices, and the friendships that make a new city feel like home.

Lauren breaks down the difference between leading inside a large, established company and the all-hands-on-deck energy of startups, including where exposure to decision making is plentiful and where it is limited. She explains her leadership style, why empathy is a performance tool, and how she aligns coaching moments to each person’s long-term goals so the tough days still make sense.

We also get practical. Lauren walks us through the weekly rhythm that keeps her household running, the role of an after-school nanny, and the simple agreements that reduce friction at home. There is gym time at 6 a.m., shared calendars, planned meals, and just enough spontaneity on weekends to keep it fun. Her final takeaways are clear. Build a structure that fits your life, protect time for your health, and remember that family wellbeing is the foundation everything else sits on.

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

On this week’s Mums on Cloud Nine podcast, we’re tackling one of the biggest challenges many women face after having children or entering perimenopause: maintaining a healthy weight while balancing everything else in life.

Heather is joined by Charlotte Norton, Chief Medical Officer at The Slimming Clinic, who brings both her medical expertise and lived experience as a mum to the conversation. Together, they explore why weight can be so hard to manage, the role of hormones at different life stages, and the emotional connection many of us have with food.

Charlotte also explains the health benefits of reaching and sustaining a healthy weight, how to find an approach that fits your lifestyle, and why kindness to yourself is just as important as the strategies you choose. From lifestyle changes and mindset shifts to medical support options, this episode offers a real-world look at the many routes women can take to feel better in their bodies and boost their confidence.

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 on Mums on Cloud Nine, we’re joined once again by Rachel Vecht, founder of Educating Matters, for a rich and practical conversation about supporting parents in the workplace.

Whether you’re an employer designing family-friendly policies, a line manager juggling team needs, or a parent navigating work and home life, this episode offers grounded advice for building a more inclusive and supportive work culture.

We explore why parenting brings a unique set of challenges—from emotional load and childcare logistics to identity shifts and persistent guilt and how these experiences can affect performance, confidence, and retention at work. Rachel draws on over two decades of experience supporting global organisations, and shares what actually works when it comes to policy, culture, and peer support.

We also discuss the role of flexibility, the importance of modelling healthy boundaries, how to advocate for better support (even during job interviews), and why workplace culture often matters more than what's written in the policy handbook.

Plus, we reflect on the emotional impact of good managers, how to avoid assumptions, and why parenting is one of the best training grounds for time management, resilience, and empathy.

Rachel shares how any employee—parent or not—can be an advocate for change, and why making space for real conversations is one of the simplest but most powerful things any company can do.

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.

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.

Debbie Franklin, CEO of Peplows Accountancy, joins the podcast to unpack the practical steps behind building a portfolio income and starting your own business. From side hustles and freelance work to property investment and pension planning, this episode explores how women can create long-term financial resilience, especially when life doesn't follow a straight path.

Heather, Kelly, and Lynn share personal stories and honest questions about income gaps, late starts, business structures, and navigating financial responsibilities after career breaks or divorce. Debbie offers down-to-earth advice on topics like choosing between sole trader or limited company status, managing tax implications, and protecting your business from legal risks.

There’s also an eye-opening discussion on the pension gap for women, and how combining employment with business or investment income can be part of the solution. From planning for retirement to thinking through your business exit strategy, this episode encourages listeners to take control of their future with confidence and clarity.

Whether you're already running a freelance consultancy, thinking about buying your first rental property, or just want to better understand your pension options, this episode offers clear, supportive guidance to help you make smart financial decisions.

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.