In this special milestone episode, Tom Emery and Tom Mason celebrate 100 episodes of Beyond Potential by welcoming back their very first guest, Jo Smedley, coach and workplace culture expert.

Jo reflects on what's changed since her original appearance on episode two, and why, despite all the noise around AI, the real shift she's seeing in organisations is around human connection. She explores the risks of remote and hybrid working tipping into isolation, why creativity and problem-solving still depend on people feeling safe enough to speak up, and why younger generations entering the workforce are prioritising learning and development over loyalty.

The conversation also digs into the courage leaders need to challenge outdated habits and unsustainable growth expectations, why so many organisations are "sleepwalking" through unrealistic pressure and back-to-back meetings, and how protecting space to think may be the most overlooked leadership skill of all.

A brilliant full-circle conversation with the guest who started it all, marking 100 episodes of Beyond Potential!

Connect with Jo

Find out more about Zest

More from Beyond Potential:

Website: www.beyond-potential.co.uk

Email: info@beyond-potential.co.uk.

Connect with Tom Mason: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tomas-mason-b9531252/

Connect with Tom Emery: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tom-emery-b8809818/

You can also find out more about HEX and Potentia at www.hex-development.com and www.potentia-leadership.com.

However you’d like to contact us, we’d love to hear from you.

After celebrating 100 episodes, Tom Emery and Tom Mason sit down with George Bettany, who takes over hosting duties to look back at where it all began.

They reflect on how they met, the almost-title "Two Toms, One Mic," and the early days of tripping over questions and recording intros a dozen times. George digs into the highs, the challenges, and the lessons learned along the way, including the stats behind why so few podcasts make it this far, and the guests who marked genuine turning points, like Dave Stachowiak and Tom Henschel.

A warm, honest look back at the journey to 100 episodes of Beyond Potential.

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More from Beyond Potential:

Website: www.beyond-potential.co.uk

Email: info@beyond-potential.co.uk.

Connect with Tom Mason: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tomas-mason-b9531252/

Connect with Tom Emery: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tom-emery-b8809818/

You can also find out more about HEX and Potentia at www.hex-development.com and www.potentia-leadership.com.

However you’d like to contact us, we’d love to hear from you.

For Part 2 of our 100th episode celebration, we handed the questions over to you, or rather, to some of our past guests.

George Bettany puts questions from Dave Stachowiak, Tom Henschel, Emma Lloyd, Andy Poole, and Gary Armstrong to Tom Emery and Tom Mason, covering everything from what they've changed their minds on since episode one, to how their coaching has evolved, to the belief they each had to let go of to unlock more of their own potential.

A brilliant, reflective episode from the guests who helped build Beyond Potential.

More from Beyond Potential:

Website: www.beyond-potential.co.uk

Email: info@beyond-potential.co.uk.

Connect with Tom Mason: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tomas-mason-b9531252/

Connect with Tom Emery: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tom-emery-b8809818/

You can also find out more about HEX and Potentia at www.hex-development.com and www.potentia-leadership.com.

However you’d like to contact us, we’d love to hear from you.

For the final part of our 100th episode celebration, George Bettany looks ahead with Tom Emery and Tom Mason at what's next for Beyond Potential, and for the industry they work in.

They tackle two big questions from past guests: Dr Amanda Potter asks about the greatest risk AI poses to small talent consulting firms, and Zach Mercurio asks which single component of their leadership development model should leaders pay attention to first.

They also share their honest reflections on 100 episodes together, the "band" dynamic that's kept them going, and their dream guest for episode 200.

More from Beyond Potential:

Website: www.beyond-potential.co.uk

Email: info@beyond-potential.co.uk.

Connect with Tom Mason: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tomas-mason-b9531252/

Connect with Tom Emery: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tom-emery-b8809818/

You can also find out more about HEX and Potentia at www.hex-development.com and www.potentia-leadership.com.

However you’d like to contact us, we’d love to hear from you.

In this episode of Beyond Potential, Tom Emery and Tom Mason are joined by Al and Leanne Elliott, co-founders of Oblong HQ and hosts of The Truth, Lies and Work podcast, to explore what's really driving disengagement, burnout and bad hiring decisions in today's workplace.

They discuss the change from work as a means to financial security to work as a source of meaning, and why "job hugging" doesn't necessarily mean your people are engaged. Al and Leanne share why culture fit is one of the most persistent hiring myths in business, why it predicts almost nothing about future performance.

The conversation also explores the pushback against "AI slop" to the limits of AI coaching, and how leaders can use AI to support, rather than replace, good judgement and human relationships.

A brilliant, funny and refreshingly honest conversation for any leader who wants to build a positive workplace.

Connect with Al Elliott Connect with Leanne Elliott Visit Oblong HQ Listen to Truth, Lies and Work podcast

More from Beyond Potential:

Website: www.beyond-potential.co.uk

Email: info@beyond-potential.co.uk.

Connect with Tom Mason: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tomas-mason-b9531252/

Connect with Tom Emery: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tom-emery-b8809818/

You can also find out more about HEX and Potentia at www.hex-development.com and www.potentia-leadership.com.

However you’d like to contact us, we’d love to hear from you.

In this episode of Beyond Potential, Tom Emery and Tom Mason are joined by Grace Marshall, productivity expert, speaker, and author, to explore what it really means to be productive.

Grace explains the difference between feeling productive and actually being productive, why attention and emotion management matter as much as time management, and why chasing "efficiency" can quietly stop us from innovating or growing.

She shares the concept of "high functioning fear," and how fight, flight, freeze and fawn responses show up disguised as busyness, ambition or hard work.

The conversation also covers identity and busyness, the "Tigger boss" dynamic and its impact on teams, and why time you enjoy wasting is never really wasted.

Connect with Grace

Visit: www.gracemarshall.com

Grace's books

More from Beyond Potential:

Website: www.beyond-potential.co.uk

Email: info@beyond-potential.co.uk.

Connect with Tom Mason: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tomas-mason-b9531252/

Connect with Tom Emery: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tom-emery-b8809818/

You can also find out more about HEX and Potentia at www.hex-development.com and www.potentia-leadership.com.

However you’d like to contact us, we’d love to hear from you.

In this episode of Beyond Potential, Tom Mason flies solo and is joined by Stephen Baxter, executive coach, mentor, and founder of Nine Dots Coaching and host of the peer-to-peer leadership group LeadersLab, to explore what it really takes to be a great mentor.

Stephen shares his journey from co-founding and exiting a financial planning business to building a coaching practice from scratch, including giving his services away for free in the early days to build credibility.

The conversation also covers the power of peer-to-peer support for senior leaders, the loneliness that comes with responsibility, and why proper "contracting" at the start of any coaching or mentoring relationship can save you from almost every difficult conversation down the line.

Connect with Stephen

Visit Nine Dots Coaching

Explore LeadersLab

More from Beyond Potential:

Website: www.beyond-potential.co.uk

Email: info@beyond-potential.co.uk.

Connect with Tom Mason: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tomas-mason-b9531252/

Connect with Tom Emery: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tom-emery-b8809818/

You can also find out more about HEX and Potentia at www.hex-development.com and www.potentia-leadership.com.

However you’d like to contact us, we’d love to hear from you.

In this episode of Beyond Potential, Tom Emery and Tomas Mason are joined by executive coach, author, and speaker Dina Smith to explore the emotional realities of leadership.

Drawing on the ideas from her book Emotionally Charged, Dina explains why the emotional demands placed on leaders have grown significantly in recent years and why managing emotions has become an essential leadership skill.

Together, they discuss emotionally charged conversations, emotional labour, compassionate leadership and practical strategies for handling difficult situations with confidence and empathy. From navigating redundancies to preparing for high-pressure meetings, Dina shares approaches that help leaders regulate their own emotions while supporting others.

This episode is for anyone looking to build emotional resilience, lead with greater compassion and create healthier, more human workplaces.

Connect with Dina on LinkedIn

Explore more from Dina

Dina's book: Emotionally Charged

More from Beyond Potential:

Website: www.beyond-potential.co.uk

Email: info@beyond-potential.co.uk.

Connect with Tom Mason: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tomas-mason-b9531252/

Connect with Tom Emery: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tom-emery-b8809818/

You can also find out more about HEX and Potentia at www.hex-development.com and www.potentia-leadership.com.

However you’d like to contact us, we’d love to hear from you.