In this episode of The Digital Drop Podcast, host Nej Gakenyi sits down with Adrian Goddard, Commercial Director at the Chartered Institute of Payroll Professionals (CIPP), to explore why listening to junior voices isn’t just good leadership — it’s smart business.

From turning a junior marketing idea into one of CIPP’s most successful conference moments, to building a culture of honest feedback and skip-level conversations, Adrian shares practical insights on how bottom-up innovation can transform organisations of any size.

• Why senior leaders must stay close to the frontline
• How skip-level meetings unlock honest feedback
• Creating space for quieter voices to be heard
• Managing culture during scale-up — and spotting misalignment early
• The difference between leadership and management (and why not everyone can do both)
• Why personality traits matter as much as qualifications in leadership success

Whether you lead a team of five or five hundred, this episode offers honest, practical leadership insights for today’s fast-moving workplaces.

00:00 – Introduction
03:12 – Adrian’s role at CIPP & the value of junior insight
06:30 – The story behind CIPP’s ‘Ace Fest’
11:05 – Why many leaders struggle to listen down the ladder
15:20 – Creating space for quieter voices
20:40 – Does your culture invite honesty — or silence?
27:10 – Leading with curiosity and self-awareness
32:15 – Leaders vs managers — what’s the difference?
37:30 – When new hires build (or break) culture
41:00 – The three Cs of Adrian’s leadership style
44:50 – Measuring whether your culture truly listens
50:20 – Final takeaways for modern leaders

Connect with Adrian Goddard on LinkedIn
Learn more about CIPP: https://www.cipp.org.uk/

🔍 In this episode, we explore:🕒 Episode Chapters🔗 Links

In this episode of The Digital Drop Podcast, we’re joined by Katherine Bunting, CPD strategist and expert in professional development across the membership sector.

We unpack why Continuing Professional Development (CPD) is one of the most overlooked levers for member engagement, retention, and revenue growth in 2025—and how to get it right without blowing your budget.

From hybrid delivery models and gamification to sector-specific learning and peer-led content, Katherine shares actionable advice for every size of organisation.

Whether you're launching your first CPD offer or struggling to increase engagement, this episode is your practical guide to building a CPD strategy that actually works.

Timestamps:
00:00 – Why CPD is more relevant than ever
02:17 – Katherine’s journey from drama to development
05:00 – What CPD really is & why it matters
08:40 – The link between CPD, retention & value
12:35 – Why members don’t engage (and how to fix it)
20:15 – Tailoring CPD for early, mid & late-career members
28:50 – Online vs in-person: Hybrid delivery that works
34:20 – Maintaining CPD credibility & quality
39:30 – Gamification, automation & smarter delivery
44:00 – How to launch CPD from scratch
51:10 – Partnering, scaling & staying relevant
54:05 – Katherine’s 3 tips for CPD success
57:45 – Final thoughts & where to connect

🔗 Connect with Katherine: linkedin.com/in/katherine-bunting-cmgr-fcmi-49963b75

In this episode of The Digital Drop Podcast, Sarah Alder joins us to explore how membership organisations can boost engagement without heavy budgets or tech overload. From email open rates to event attendance, Sarah shares practical, low-cost strategies that drive real results.

We cover everything from breaking internal silos and improving onboarding to segmenting by member lifecycle and measuring what truly matters.

If you're heading into the weekend asking, “Why aren’t our engagement efforts working?” — this is your AHA moment.

Timestamps:
00:00 – Intro
03:05 – What makes the membership sector unique
07:45 – Vanity metrics vs. real engagement
14:50 – Breaking silos & improving collaboration
21:10 – Why most orgs don’t know their members
27:40 – Low-tech ways to measure success
34:15 – Segmenting by journey stage
36:00 – Onboarding as your secret weapon
48:20 – Upskilling & unlocking internal value
56:55 – Sarah’s 3 engagement tips for 2025
59:30 – Final thoughts

🔗 Connect with Sarah: linkedin.com/in/sarahalder

In this episode of The Digital Drop Podcast, GRM Digital’s host sits down with Julian Davis, COO of a global membership organisation operating in 180+ countries. With 15+ years of interim leadership across defence, banking, energy, and music, Julian shares hard-earned lessons on what not to do when leading digital change.

From botched budgets to overlooked stakeholders, this conversation is a crash course in how to avoid the most common transformation mistakes—and build a future-ready, people-first tech ecosystem.

What You’ll Learn:
• Why skipping strategy derails transformations
• Balancing budget, scope & timelines
• The “whole bus” method to avoid resistance
• Leadership traits that drive real adoption
• Why one-off investments lead to 5-year resets
• Composable vs. monolithic tech stacks
• How to define and measure success
• AI’s role: tool, not magic wand

Whether you’re scaling digital infrastructure or redefining leadership culture, Julian’s insights will help you avoid the pitfalls and evolve with purpose.

Timestamps:
00:00 – Julian’s story
02:15 – Biggest mistake: no clear strategy
05:40 – Why staff-only projects often fail
08:20 – Leadership trade-offs
14:30 – User adoption: training & testing
17:50 – Continuous vs. one-time investments
20:45 – Choosing the right tech stack
24:10 – KPIs and long-term metrics
29:15 – AI’s real value in member experience

🎙 Subscribe to The Digital Drop for more on digital evolution, AI strategies, and leadership in transformation.

Let us know your biggest takeaway—and how you’re driving change in your organisation.

Connect with Julian https://www.linkedin.com/in/juliandavis/ and Nej https://www.linkedin.com/in/nejgakenyi/ on LinkedIn

#TheDigitalDropPodcast #JulianDavis #DigitalLeadership #TransformationStrategy #ComposableArchitecture #AIinBusiness #GRMDigital #MemberExperience #DigitalEvolution #LeadershipPodcast #AgileTransformation

In this episode of the Digital Drop Podcast, host Nej Gakenyi is joined by Beau Ormrod, executive coach and transformation leader who helped reshape one of the UK’s largest organisations with over 33,000 employees.

Together, they unpack what it really takes to drive large-scale business transformation—beyond the buzzwords. From building the right processes to shifting culture, aligning teams, and coaching authentic leaders, Beau shares candid insights from decades of frontline experience.

Whether you're scaling a startup or restructuring a global enterprise, this episode is packed with actionable strategies and mindset shifts to help you lead with purpose.

What you’ll learn:

• Why most transformations fail before they begin

• How to build scalable processes from scratch

• The link between culture, structure, and results

• Coaching leaders through uncertainty and change

• Practical use cases for AI in transformation

If you’re navigating complexity, change, or growth—this conversation is your playbook.

In this episode of the Digital Drop Podcast, GRM Digital’s CEO Nej Gakenyi chats with Brad Burton — bestselling author and motivational speaker — about leading remote and hybrid teams in today’s fast-changing work culture.

Brad shares how he built a multi-million-pound business from scratch, the mindset needed to energise teams, and why honesty and consistency matter more than ever. If you're managing a team, building company culture, or trying to stay resilient during challenging times — this episode is packed with real talk and practical strategies.

• How to motivate hybrid and remote teams

• Leadership lessons from Brad’s personal journey

• Using discomfort as a tool for growth

• Building trust, resilience, and team energy

• The 24-second decision-making rule

• Why communication is the new leadership superpower

00:00 – Welcome
07:30 – The “comfort trap” businesses fall into
15:20 – Keeping remote teams connected
28:40 – Leading by example: energy matters
42:10 – Honest conversations that drive change
47:00 – Brad’s 3 leadership tips you can use today

Whether you lead 2 people or 200, this episode gives you the mindset, energy, and tools to show up as a better leader — especially when your team is spread across time zones.

Perfect for:

• Remote team leads

• HR & People Ops

• Entrepreneurs

• Digital managers

• Anyone growing a team post-pandemic

🎧 Tune in now and walk into Monday with fresh clarity and confidence.

Watch the episode on YouTube: https://youtu.be/BDqMzkQ4AEk

#DigitalDropPodcast #LeadershipMindset #RemoteWork #HybridLeadership #BradBurton #TeamMotivation #BusinessGrowth #Entrepreneurship

In this episode of the Digital Drop Podcast, our host Nej Gakenyi sits down with Richard Gott, Chair of the MemberWise Network, to explore how membership organisations can unlock deeper member engagement and drive sustainable growth. 🚀Richard shares key insights from decades in the membership sector, revealing the biggest challenges organisations face today, how to enhance engagement strategies, and why digital transformation is no longer optional.🔹 Key Topics Covered:✅ The unique characteristics of membership organisations✅ Shifting priorities: From new member acquisition to engagement & retention✅ Why digital transformation is critical for sustainable growth✅ Overcoming legacy processes and integration challenges✅ The importance of continuous investment in digital solutions✅ Richard’s top strategies for boosting member engagement📌 Episode Breakdown & Timestamps:⏱ 0:00 – Introduction & overview of MemberWise⏱ 2:30 – Richard’s journey into the membership sector⏱ 6:45 – What makes membership organisations unique?⏱ 10:15 – Biggest challenges facing the sector today⏱ 16:40 – The evolution of member engagement post-COVID⏱ 22:55 – How digital transformation is reshaping the membership experience⏱ 30:10 – Common digital transformation mistakes & how to avoid them⏱ 35:25 – The future of membership organisations: Trends & predictions⏱ 42:00 – Richard’s top tips for membership leaders⏱ 48:20 – Closing thoughts & how to access MemberWise research Watch to the full episode on Youtube: Join the conversation! Tag a membership leader who needs to hear this!💬 What are your biggest challenges with member engagement? Let us know in the comments!

#DigitalDropPodcast #MemberEngagement #DigitalTransformation #MembershipGrowth #leadership #digitalevolution #digitalmarketingagency #digitalmarketingtips

• n this episode of the Digital Drop Podcast, our host Nej sits down with Professor Adam Madison OBE, a leading expert in the membership sector, to discuss how he doubled membership revenue in just two years. Together, they explore the strategies, challenges, and opportunities that come with scaling a membership organisation while balancing commercial growth and member engagement.Key Topics Covered:
• The challenges of membership-based organisations
• Why commercial thinking is essential for sustainability
• How to diversify revenue streams beyond membership fees
• The role of digital transformation in driving growth
• Optimising member engagement for long-term retention
• Adam’s top leadership tips for growing a membership organisation

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  Why You Should ListenAdam brings real-world experience from leading two major membership organisations and shares practical insights on how to scale, innovate, and future-proof membership-based businesses. Whether you’re an association leader, non-profit executive, or digital strategist, this episode is packed with valuable takeaways.🔔 Like, comment, and subscribe for more episodes on digital transformation, marketing, and leadership!Watch to the full episode on Youtube: #MembershipGrowth #DigitalTransformation #Leadership #BusinessStrategy #DigitalDropPodcast