Life Beyond The Numbers

Susan Ni Chriodain
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What really makes work-life fulfilling? Life Beyond the Numbers is conversations with people about how to create a more fulfilling work-life. Episodes feature people who’ve thought seriously about how they work and live — what they thought they wanted, what they actually want, what got in the way, and the questions that still remain. These are open and honest conversations that sometimes go somewhere surprising. Hosted by award-winning author Susan Ní Chríodáin, Life Beyond the Numbers is for anyone curious about how other people think about work, life and what makes it all worthwhile.

  1. Oct 21

    An Extra Piece of Toast - James Kilgarriff

    “Imagine putting on [social media], ‘I wanted an extra piece of toast this morning, so here it is.’” James Kilgarriff   James Kilgarriff and I talk about what it means to live your life your way, including the difference between wanting something cleanly and wanting it with a whole story of shoulds and justifications attached. We also discuss uncertainty as the water we swim in, the thing that seems to bug us most even though we live with it all the time, and the power of noticing when we’re caught up in our thinking. And James shares the list he wrote one January of things that seemed impossible, including moving to Spain within three months. Four months later he was living in Valencia. James Kilgarriff is a business coach who works with team leaders, sales and business development leaders in large firms, and with CEOs going through transitions in their personal and business lives. He has coached more than 1,000 clients across 14 countries, and is a certified team coach with the Global Team Coaching Institute. Before coaching, James spent over 15 years in IT and telecoms sales, and he founded a real estate business in Valencia. With family roots in the west of Ireland, he now lives in Spain. Connect with James: On LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jameskilgarriff/  Resources Mentioned The Inside-Out Revolution by Michael Neill Creating the Impossible and Your Life, Your Way - Michael Neill courses https://www.michaelneill.org/  Sydney Banks Think and Grow Rich by Napoleon Hill How to Win Friends and Influence People by Dale Carnegie Tony Robbins The Power of Now by Eckhart Tolle Groundhog Day (movie)

    An Extra Piece of Toast - James Kilgarriff

  2. Oct 7

    What is Mine to Say? Live Well in Turbulent Times with Lisa Moldau

    "What is the writing that is mine to do? What is mine to say?" Susan Ní Chríodáin   Lisa Moldau and I explore what it means to navigate turbulent times not just in the world, but in ourselves. I was a guest a podcast, where she has been collaborating with Martin Farrell on his Substack, Live Well in Turbulent Times. Lisa invited me to share what had struck me in their writing. We talk about the future of work, emotions as data, and the question that stayed with me most from Martin's writing: what am I for? We get into numbers as a tool of exclusion, why human connection is as old as civilisation, and what a poem, a book or a conversation can do that nothing else quite can. Resources Mentioned Leading Beyond the Numbers by Susan Ní Chríodáin  Making Numbers Count by Chip Heath and Karla Starr Big Magic by Elizabeth Gilbert  David Whyte  Martin Farrell is co-author of the Live Well in Turbulent Times on Substack

    What is Mine to Say? Live Well in Turbulent Times with Lisa Moldau

  3. Sep 21

    I've Got Me - Gitanjali Trevorrow-Seymour

    "Whatever happens, I am whole, I am complete. I do not need fixing. I am not broken. So whatever happens, I've got me."  Gitanjali Trevorrow-Seymour   Gitanjali Trevorrow-Seymour and I talk about trust in yourself. She's a Possiblist: her word for how we're designed. The glass isn't half empty or half full, she says - it is full. The invisible part is where possibility lives. We talk about what gets in the way: BMW thinking (bitching, moaning, whinging and the optional extras: blaming, making up reasons and worrying), holding a plan like a promise and why changing your mind might be a superpower rather than a character flaw. Courage and curiosity come in as the things that move you forward. She tells me she is out to ban the word confident. And a story about trapeze artists prompted one of her clients to say: "I've just realised I'm my own safety net."   An Australian native, Gitanjali Trevorrow-Seymour studied psychology and worked as a professional actress before ‘accidentally’ becoming a leader in the banking industry where she ran a 50Million Pound account, weathered the Global Financial Crisis and led highly engaged teams. Recognised as one of the Top 100 Female Entrepreneurs in the UK, she holds certifications in Neuroscience accredited with the British Psychological Society and has parlayed her eclectic background and fascination with ‘What makes humans special’ into an award-winning consulting and coaching business. As CEO of people development company High Definition You, she and her team have had the privilege of working across the globe with organisations such as AIG, Wise and HSBC, transforming the way their leaders and teams perform and drive change -not with positive thinking, with Possiblist™ Thinking.   Connect with Gitanjali Website: https://highdefinitionyou.com/  LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/linkinwithgitanjali/   Instagram: gitanjali.possiblist   Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/   Resources Mentioned: Gitanjali's TEDx Talk -The Confidence Con: What if nothing's missing?: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ai2Y-7i9AT0&t=5s  The Art of Possibility, Benjamin Zander and Rosamund Stone Zander Benjamin Zander TED talk https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r9LCwI5iErE&t=3s

    I've Got Me - Gitanjali Trevorrow-Seymour

  4. Sep 7

    My Assumptions Is That ... Archana Mohan

    "And what I've noticed is by using the words, 'My assumption is that,' leading with that, what I find is a lot more openness and a lot more dialogue amongst teammates about what they disagree with, or indeed what they agree with."  Archana Mohan   Archana Mohan and I talk about some of what is intangible or invisible in a room with a team like the assumptions we make about others and the ones we make about ourselves. Archana is an experienced leader and author of The Through Line, and someone who has spent a long time thinking about identity, character and what it actually means to lead. We talk about labels and boxes, about the difference between fitting in and belonging, about character as the imprint we leave on the world. And she tells a lovely story about her daughter who pointed out to her the difference between a compliment and a comparison. We touch on what that reveals about how we've all been trained to measure ourselves. Archana Mohan is an executive leader, writer, and podcast host exploring the connection between who we are and how we lead. She serves as Chief Operations and Technology Officer at Navera Investment Management, where she works with boards and leadership teams to strengthen organisational resilience, governance, and long-term strategy. Her path has moved from classrooms to boardrooms. She began her career in education in New York City, advocating for neurodiverse students, before spending more than two decades in financial services helping organisations navigate complexity and change. Alongside her executive work, Archana writes and speaks about leadership, identity, and judgment in uncertain times. She is the author of The Through Line and host of the podcast Where We Place Ourselves. Connect with Archana: Through her website: www.archanamohan.net Read her book: The Through Line Listen to her Podcast: Where We Place Ourselves    Resources Mentioned: Alison Jones, Practical Inspiration Publishing David Whyte and Consolations Michael Neill Tasha Eurich Stanislavski (origin of the through line concept)

    My Assumptions Is That ... Archana Mohan

  5. Jun 28

    We Create Magic - Dr Susanne Evans, David Lee & Me

    "When our best selves show up, we create magic in ourselves, for ourselves, for others, with others." Susan Ní Chríodáin   Dr Susanne Evans, David Lee and I explore what it really takes to show up as our best selves. David opens with a story from the morning of 9/11 that reframed what "making a difference" actually means. Susanne shares her participation in a resilience panel where her story felt too small - but it turned out to be exactly what many people needed. And I talk about walking the Camino and how that trip is often a metaphor for other things in life. We talk about things we've had to unlearn: the need to scale, the drive to prove, the habit of being available when what we need is to rest. And we talk about what we've learned to protect like curiosity, hope and the small daily moments where genuine connection actually happens. We talk about impact not being linear, that feeling of aloneness when in crisis being universal.  Dr Susanne Evans is an organisation change consultant, trainer, coach and researcher on a mission to change the way that transformations are managed in organisations. She founded Feldspar Consulting in 2007 to help her clients lead change in a more human, effective way. As well as writing and speaking about organisation change, Susanne hosts open storytelling workshops, supporting organisations and individuals in writing a compelling story for themselves. She is the author of ChangeStories and the host of the popular ChangeStories podcast.   David Lee is a coach, consultant, workshop facilitator, keynote speaker, and author, who loves creating a win/win/win relationship between people and the organizations they work for. He helps leaders and leadership teams learn how to become "people whisperers", and by doing so, increase their ability to make their organization THE choice for "A List Talent" and inspire the best in their people.   Connect with Susanne On LinkedIn Through her website: Feldspar Consulting Listen to Change Stories podcast   Connect with David On LinkedIn  Through his website Human Nature at Work   Resources Mentioned: Super Better by Jane McGonigal David Whyte Let Your Life Speak by Parker Palmer When by Dan Pink Julia Cameron Chris Williamson's Modern Wisdom podcast Dig Ventures (UK)

    We Create Magic - Dr Susanne Evans, David Lee & Me

  6. Jun 14

    That Conversation Matters with Janine Van Someren

    "The data really is about giving you an insight that allows a conversation to take place. That conversation can be with yourself. You can journal and you can reflect. You can have a really good chat with your mate who's keen on the data as well. But I would definitely encourage it; it's the conversation that matters about your habits, your environment, your lifestyle. That conversation matters much more than any number can tell you." Janine van Someren Janine van Someren and I talk about her new book, The Wellbeing Advantage: 7 transformative habits to thrive in work and life. Janine spent years studying human performance in elite sport, and then discovering that all that knowledge couldn't protect her from her own body and mind reaching their limits. Now she works with high-performers, mainly in the corporate world, using wearables and recovery scores every day. And yet, when she's with a client, she works hard to take the numbers out of the room. What matters is the conversation it creates. We talk about what it means that you can be resting and not recovering. We talk about why loving your work might put you more at risk of burnout, not less. And we talk about where recovery can actually happen, including at your desk. There's a brilliant question Janine asks her clients: what were you doing today when you completely lost track of time? That's worth knowing. Dr Janine van Someren is a wellbeing consultant, speaker, and bestselling author of The Wellbeing Advantage. She helps busy professionals make sense of their energy, stress, and health in a way that feels practical, supportive, and achievable. With over 25 years’ experience across high-performance sport and corporate environments, Janine is known for translating complex science into simple habits that work in real life. Connect with Janine Through her website: https://thewellbeingadvantage.com/ On Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/the_wellbeing_advantage/   On Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thewellbeingadvantage  On LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/janine-van-someren/  Resources Mentioned: The Wellbeing Advantage: https://mybook.to/TheWellbeingAdvantage The Wellbeing Advantage online launch event on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/events/thewellbeingadvantageonlinelaun7440822437468049410/

    That Conversation Matters with Janine Van Someren

  7. May 28

    An Ocean of Energy - Bianca Riemer

    "There's always energy all around us. We live in an ocean of energy, whether we can see it or not." Bianca Riemer   Bianca Riemer and I explore what happens when an accountant turned Morgan Stanley analyst follows her curiosity into energy medicine and why the two might not be as different as they sound. Bianca speaks about pranic healing in an accessible and practical way: protocol-based, science-informed and increasingly being studied in clinical settings. She talks us through what she's witnessed including her niece's recovery from leukaemia that the doctors couldn't explain to it becoming a practice she now brings directly into her leadership coaching work. We speak about stress, how it builds in the body and what shifts when it's cleared. We get into the everyday ways most of us are already sensing energy without being fully aware like in the room that doesn't feel right, the person too close in a queue, the moment you turn around and catch someone staring. And Bianca gives us her view on why the idea that nobody will ever fully understand you is so liberating.  Bianca Riemer is a former top-ranked Morgan Stanley equity research analyst turned executive coach. Becoming a parent while losing both of her own parents profoundly reshaped how she saw success, connection, and meaning — and unexpectedly deepened her impact at work. That experience, alongside discovering Pranic Healing and spiritual practices such as meditation and forgiveness, ultimately led her to leave banking and build a more intentional life and career. Today, Bianca helps senior professionals design fulfilling, high-performing lives beyond the numbers, blending commercial rigour with practices that support clarity, presence, and healthier relationships at work.   Connect with Bianca: Through her website: www.biancariemer.com   On LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/biancariemer/   Resources Mentioned:  Miracles Through Pranic Healing and Advanced Pranic Healing by Master Choa Kok Sui  Theosophy: https://www.theosophy.world/  Twin Hearts meditation: https://www.thepranichealers.com/meditation-on-twin-hearts

    An Ocean of Energy - Bianca Riemer

  8. May 14

    Are You Listening? A solo episode

    "There's a lot more that hasn't been said. A lot of the book is about voice and not leaving things unsaid. And I sometimes realise that I don't use my voice as much as I could. I can retreat from things. In a way, that's what writing the book does. It brings things to the surface that wouldn't otherwise come through. I don't think that's done. I just think there's a lot of creativity still waiting to emerge." Susan   This is a solo episode to mark 2 years since the publication of Leading Beyond the Numbers. It begins with a poem written on a the side of the street in London and moves through what it has been like to live alongside a book in the world. I explore what it means to uncover or recover our dreams, and what stands between us and acknowledging them. Tim Gallwey's formula: Performance = Potential – Interference surfaces alongside a mishearing that reframed interfere as inner fear: the way our most protective thoughts can be the most cleverly disguised. I cover the shortlisting party I nearly talked myself out of attending and a moment afterwards, a hug from a fellow author who hadn't made the shortlist, that turned out to matter most. And underneath all of it: outsourcing worth to outcomes, mistaking thinking for reality and what changes when we start listening to what's actually here. Are you Listening? Susan is a facilitator, coach, writer and speaker and the host of Life Beyond the Numbers. Her work sits at the intersection of leadership, emotional intelligence and the human experience of work, helping people see more clearly, speak more honestly and move forward in a more grounded way. Her book Leading Beyond the Numbers, published in May 2024, draws on her work, her research and the conversations that shaped this podcast. It won Highly Commended in the Leadership Category at the 2025 Business Book Awards.   Connect with Susan: On LinkedIn Through her website: Beyond the Numbers Read Leading Beyond the Numbers: How accounting for emotions tips the balance at work Follow her writing on Substack: The Whole Equation Resources Mentioned: The Inner Game of Tennis by Tim Gallwey Practical Inspiration Publishing Business Book Awards David Whyte Rob Lawrence Season of Blood by Fergal Keane

    Are You Listening? A solo episode
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About

What really makes work-life fulfilling? Life Beyond the Numbers is conversations with people about how to create a more fulfilling work-life. Episodes feature people who’ve thought seriously about how they work and live — what they thought they wanted, what they actually want, what got in the way, and the questions that still remain. These are open and honest conversations that sometimes go somewhere surprising. Hosted by award-winning author Susan Ní Chríodáin, Life Beyond the Numbers is for anyone curious about how other people think about work, life and what makes it all worthwhile.

Information

  • Creator
    Susan Ni Chriodain
  • Years Active
    2020 - 2026
  • Episodes
    232
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © Copyright 2020 All rights reserved.
  • Show Website
    Life Beyond The Numbers