Wisepreneurs | Independent Professionals Building Practice on Their Own Terms

Nigel Rawlins | Wisepreneurs
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The Wisepreneurs Podcast features conversations with experienced professionals, authors, academics, and consultants about building sustainable practice on their own terms.  Hosted by Nigel Rawlins, the show explores how experienced independent professionals position accumulated expertise, work with AI tools, and use the cognitive advantages that come with decades of professional experience.  Topics include positioning, professional transitions, cognitive vitality, relational branding, and the changing nature of knowledge work.  New episodes fortnightly. 90+ episodes.Transcripts and more: wisepreneurs.auConnect on LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/nigelrawlinsSubscribe to The Wisepreneur newsletter: wisepreneurs.com.au/newsletterField guides for independent professionals, short workbooks and self-assessments that give you an honest reading of what you are working with: wisepreneurs.com.au/field-guides

  1. Jul 16

    Kay Sargent Space and Cognition: Workspaces for Independent Professionals

    Kay Sargent shows independent professionals how the space around them shapes their thinking, focus and recovery. Kay leads neuroinclusive design at the global firm HOK and wrote Designing Neuroinclusive Workplaces (Wiley), but her deeper argument is embodied cognition, the extended mind made concrete: the room is part of how you think, not a backdrop to it.  She explains her six modalities of work, why each needs a higher-stimulation and a lower-stimulation version, and the pureeing problem that makes open-plan offices fail.  For anyone working alone from home she offers a starting point: know thyself, test different spots, and protect movement and natural light.  Kay and Nigel also get into neuroaesthetics, the hidden energy and water cost of AI, and the verification bottleneck where AI generates cheaply but humans still judge what works. Wisepreneurs explores how experienced independent professionals position accumulated expertise and build sustainable practice. Mentions and references Designing Neuroinclusive Workplaces by Kay Sargent (Wiley) Charles Handy, the Shamrock organisation HOK; KPMG neuroinclusive headquarters; the Microsoft study of 60,000 workers How to connect with Kay LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/kay-sargent-53b2431 HOK and research: hok.com Support the show Connect with Nigel Rawlins Website: https://wisepreneurs.com.au/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nigelrawlins/ Free assessments for independent professionals: https://wisepreneurs.com.au/field-guides/ The Wisepreneur newsletter, practical thinking for experienced independent professionals, every Tuesday: https://wisepreneurs.com.au/newsletter Support the show: https://www.buzzsprout.com/2311675/supporters/new

  2. Jul 2

    Valentine Gatard Career Independence: Human Agency and the Future of Work

    Valentine Gatard built 15 years of career independence in Paris as a speaker, coach and host of the Work Narratives podcast. She has just completed a master's in organisational studies at La Sorbonne and is writing a book on workplace narratives and agency. Valentine explains why French professionals increasingly refuse management roles, how two colleagues fell out because collaboration meant respond immediately to one and think before answering to the other, and why human agency matters more as AI takes over routine work.  She describes building an agency assessment app on Lovable connected to Supabase, research on narrative agency from Finnish researcher Hanna Meretoja, and her work with the nonprofit Les Emergences on the quaternary economy, a model that recognises every form of societal contribution.  After 15 years self-employed, she names community as the most important resource an independent professional has. Wisepreneurs explores how experienced independent professionals position accumulated expertise and build sustainable practice. Mentions and references: Sapiens by Yuval Noah Harari B******t Jobs by David Graeber Hanna Meretoja, Finnish researcher, narrative agency Laetitia Vitaud, future of work author and Valentine's first podcast guest Les Emergences, nonprofit promoting the quaternary economy Connect with Valentine: Website | LinkedIn: Valentine Gitard Support the show Connect with Nigel Rawlins Website: https://wisepreneurs.com.au/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nigelrawlins/ Free assessments for independent professionals: https://wisepreneurs.com.au/field-guides/ The Wisepreneur newsletter, practical thinking for experienced independent professionals, every Tuesday: https://wisepreneurs.com.au/newsletter Support the show: https://www.buzzsprout.com/2311675/supporters/new

  3. Jun 18

    Alisha Hook Career Coaching: Networks and Reputation in a Shifting Job Market

    Alisha Hook spent 25 years in talent acquisition and HR before founding Your Career Edge to coach professional reinvention. Her career coaching and fractional talent consultancy is based in Melbourne and works both sides of the hiring desk. Alisha explains three trends reshaping the job market for experienced professionals: job hugging, where people hold onto roles out of fear rather than satisfaction; peek-a-boo jobs, where listings vanish within days under high applicant volumes; and anti-perks, the hidden downsides behind attractive job descriptions.  She covers how AI tools like Microsoft Copilot are changing hiring decisions, with employers pausing recruitment as AI-generated resumes start to look identical, and outlines how she coaches individuals on building professional reputation, mapping career advocates, and understanding what applicant tracking systems actually filter for. She is completing ICF coaching accreditation through Thought Conductor. Wisepreneurs explores how experienced independent professionals position accumulated expertise and build sustainable practice. Mentions and references: Charles Handy, business philosopher, second curve concept Ben Legg, Wisepreneurs Podcast episode 87, portfolio careers International Coaching Federation (ICF) Thought Conductor, coaching accreditation provider Microsoft Copilot, AI workplace tool Connect with Alisha: Website yourcareeredge.com.au LinkedIn Alisha Hook Support the show Connect with Nigel Rawlins Website: https://wisepreneurs.com.au/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nigelrawlins/ Free assessments for independent professionals: https://wisepreneurs.com.au/field-guides/ The Wisepreneur newsletter, practical thinking for experienced independent professionals, every Tuesday: https://wisepreneurs.com.au/newsletter Support the show: https://www.buzzsprout.com/2311675/supporters/new

  4. Jun 4

    Johanna Rothman Independent Consulting: Principles That Outlast Every Trend

    Johanna Rothman has worked as an independent consultant since 1994 and written 21 books on management, consulting, and professional writing, including Successful Independent Consulting. Johanna uses the Consulting Role Grid from Champion, Kiel and McLendon (1990) to draw a distinction that matters for every experienced professional: hands-on experts who take no responsibility for client growth are really contractors, not consultants.  She explains the nine consulting roles from reflective observer to trusted advisor, why retainer agreements serve both consultant and client better than hourly billing, and how continual planning replaces rigid annual plans.  The conversation includes her reader journey mapping technique for nonfiction books, adapted from Jeff Patton's user story mapping, and her approach to time-boxing daily work. For experienced independent professionals, this episode maps the practical mechanics of building consulting practice around deep expertise. Mentions and references: Successful Independent Consulting by Johanna Rothman Free Your Inner Nonfiction Writer by Johanna Rothman Consulting Role Grid — Champion, Kiel & McLendon (1990) Jeff Patton — user story mapping, adapted for reader journey mapping Connect with Johanna: Website: jrothman.com | LinkedIn: Johanna Rothman Wisepreneurs explores how independent professionals turn accumulated expertise into sustainable practice. Support the show Connect with Nigel Rawlins Website: https://wisepreneurs.com.au/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nigelrawlins/ Free assessments for independent professionals: https://wisepreneurs.com.au/field-guides/ The Wisepreneur newsletter, practical thinking for experienced independent professionals, every Tuesday: https://wisepreneurs.com.au/newsletter Support the show: https://www.buzzsprout.com/2311675/supporters/new

  5. May 21

    Bex Thomas Intentional Career Breaks: Sabbaticals That Lead to Real Change

    Bex Thomas spent 20 years in recruitment before an intentional career break became the catalyst for a portfolio career as a career transition coach, sabbatical coach, and podcast host of Sabbatical Stories. Bex explains her five-question framework for planning intentional career breaks: why you are taking the break, when to take it, where to go, who to spend time with, and who you want to become afterwards.  She covers the financial planning behind extended breaks, how to negotiate leave when your company has no sabbatical policy, and why the integration period after a break determines whether it changes your career or fades into memory.  Most mid-career transitions, she argues, turn out to be values realignment rather than seismic change. Wisepreneurs explores how experienced independent professionals position accumulated expertise and build sustainable practice. Mentions and references: Ikigai by Hector Garcia and Francesc Miralles Mo Gawdat, former Chief Business Officer at Google X, author of Solve for Happy BreakSpace, online community for career break planning The Sabbatical Project, not-for-profit promoting sabbaticals Connect with Bex: website: bexthomas.com | LinkedIn: Bex Thomas Support the show Connect with Nigel Rawlins Website: https://wisepreneurs.com.au/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nigelrawlins/ Free assessments for independent professionals: https://wisepreneurs.com.au/field-guides/ The Wisepreneur newsletter, practical thinking for experienced independent professionals, every Tuesday: https://wisepreneurs.com.au/newsletter Support the show: https://www.buzzsprout.com/2311675/supporters/new

  6. May 7

    Margareta Krizova Freelance Advice: Six Questions for Professional Reinvention

    Margareta Křížová offers freelance advice for professional reinvention, sharing six questions that replace the business plan. After co-founding a boutique M&A advisory firm in Prague in 1993, Margareta spent almost 30 years in dealmaking before selling her equity stake at 53 to rebuild as an independent freelancer.  She now combines selective advisory work with entrepreneurship mentoring and runs the NEWTON University Business Accelerator, now in its fifth year with 14 projects in acceleration. Her six questions (what do you sell, who will buy it, why, what is your go-to market, what is your pricing strategy, and do you want to work alone or with partners) cut through the complexity that stops people from starting.  She describes the financial blind spot she calls invisible work, where freelancers fail to count their own hours and underprice as a result. The conversation covers why side hustles work as a low-risk transition from corporate employment and how Margareta uses ChatGPT with Keith Cunningham's The Road Less Stupid as a virtual thinking partner for business decisions. Mentions and references: NEWTON University Business Accelerator, Keith Cunningham, The Road Less Stupid, Third Career (book by Margareta Krizova) Connect with Margareta: website: margaretakrizova.com | LinkedIn Margareta Křížová Wisepreneurs explores how independent professionals turn accumulated expertise into sustainable practice. Support the show Connect with Nigel Rawlins Website: https://wisepreneurs.com.au/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nigelrawlins/ Free assessments for independent professionals: https://wisepreneurs.com.au/field-guides/ The Wisepreneur newsletter, practical thinking for experienced independent professionals, every Tuesday: https://wisepreneurs.com.au/newsletter Support the show: https://www.buzzsprout.com/2311675/supporters/new

  7. Apr 23

    Janine Garner Expertise Monetisation: How Women Build Independent Consulting Practices

    Janine Garner helps women entrepreneurs over 50 turn accumulated expertise into independent consulting practices that charge what professional judgment is worth. After 20 years in corporate marketing, finishing as group marketing director for the Oroton Group overseeing Oroton and Ralph Lauren brands across Australia and Asia, Janine built a seven-figure mentoring business focused on expertise monetisation for experienced women leaving corporate careers. In this conversation, Janine explains why experienced women consistently underprice themselves when starting independent practices, often earning less per hour than a fast-food worker despite decades of professional knowledge. She shares her days-down-dollars-up business strategy for restructuring consulting offers around value rather than time. Janine breaks down the four-role network model from her book It's Who You Know: promoters who champion you, teachers who stretch your thinking, pit crew who keep you on track, and butt kickers who drive action. She explains why true collaboration requires curiosity rather than transaction, and how to codify implicit professional knowledge into saleable intellectual property. The conversation also draws on Professor Ron Heifetz's work at Harvard Kennedy School on the professional, familial, and ancestral voices that shape career decisions. Janine describes building a business for a client in her sixties who wanted to work exclusively with CEOs from her caravan. Mentions and references: It's Who You Know, Be Brilliant, and From Me to We by Janine Garner. Professor Ron Heifetz, Harvard Kennedy School. Melissa Liberman, executive coach. Connect with Janine: janinegarner.com.au| LinkedIn: Janine Garner Wisepreneurs explores how independent professionals turn accumulated expertise into sustainable practice. Subscribe for new episodes. Support the show Connect with Nigel Rawlins Website: https://wisepreneurs.com.au/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nigelrawlins/ Free assessments for independent professionals: https://wisepreneurs.com.au/field-guides/ The Wisepreneur newsletter, practical thinking for experienced independent professionals, every Tuesday: https://wisepreneurs.com.au/newsletter Support the show: https://www.buzzsprout.com/2311675/supporters/new

  8. Apr 9

    Ella Zhang Expertise Building: Micro Habits for Experienced Consultants

    Ella Zhang helps experienced professionals monetise hard-won expertise through inner operating systems that rebuild leadership capability from the inside out.  From her Sydney consulting practice, she draws on neuroscience and Chinese medicine to design micro habits that make capability stick where one-off training programs fail. Ella explains how four inner operating systems, mental, emotional, spiritual, and physical, shape sustainable performance for independent consultants. She covers diagnosing organisational issues by root cause rather than surface symptom, why micro habits outlast workshops, and how values alignment prevents burnout. The conversation includes her own burnout recovery in 2007, her book Upgrade: How to Outperform Your Default Self to Gain Your Super Powers, her annual Vipassana meditation practice in the Blue Mountains, and why she has sacked only one client in ten years. Mentions and references: Upgrade by Ella Zhang. Luc P Beaudoin, productive practice research. Vipassana meditation. Neuroscience research on burnout and recovery. Connect with Ella: ellazhang.com.au | LinkedIn: Ella Zhang Wisepreneurs explores how independent professionals turn accumulated expertise into sustainable practice. Support the show Connect with Nigel Rawlins Website: https://wisepreneurs.com.au/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nigelrawlins/ Free assessments for independent professionals: https://wisepreneurs.com.au/field-guides/ The Wisepreneur newsletter, practical thinking for experienced independent professionals, every Tuesday: https://wisepreneurs.com.au/newsletter Support the show: https://www.buzzsprout.com/2311675/supporters/new

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The Wisepreneurs Podcast features conversations with experienced professionals, authors, academics, and consultants about building sustainable practice on their own terms.  Hosted by Nigel Rawlins, the show explores how experienced independent professionals position accumulated expertise, work with AI tools, and use the cognitive advantages that come with decades of professional experience.  Topics include positioning, professional transitions, cognitive vitality, relational branding, and the changing nature of knowledge work.  New episodes fortnightly. 90+ episodes.Transcripts and more: wisepreneurs.auConnect on LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/nigelrawlinsSubscribe to The Wisepreneur newsletter: wisepreneurs.com.au/newsletterField guides for independent professionals, short workbooks and self-assessments that give you an honest reading of what you are working with: wisepreneurs.com.au/field-guides

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