The Third Conversation

3LB Consultancy

The conversations that change us rarely happen first. Presented by 3LB Consultancy, The Third Conversation is a podcast exploring the conversations that shape how we live, work, lead and connect. Through thoughtful discussions with inspiring guests, we'll explore leadership, creativity, education, identity, belonging, wellbeing, business and the moments that quietly change the direction of our lives. Because the conversations that matter most are rarely the first ones we have.

Episodes

  1. 3d ago ·  Video

    What Nobody Tells You About Parenting

    Before you become a parent, everyone seems to have advice. What to buy. What to read. How to prepare. What you should and shouldn't do. But there are some things no book, class or well-meaning piece of advice can really prepare you for. How much parenting might change your identity. Your relationships. Your career. Your priorities. Your understanding of what a family should look like. And how often you'll find yourself navigating situations you never imagined. In this episode of The Third Conversation, Fern Hughes is joined by Sarah Coward, Katy Cockburn and Julie Matthews to explore the unexpected realities of parenting, the pressures we place on ourselves and the different experiences that shape the families we become. Sarah, founder of Your Best Mind Hypnotherapy, reflects on raising three sons, navigating significant challenges and discovering how much parenting can change our understanding of ourselves. Katy, who runs Mini First Aid Bath and Somerset, shares her experience of moving from nursing into running her own business, raising two young children with her partner and navigating the expectations surrounding different family structures. Julie, founder of Creative Shift and Co-Director of SEND a Welcome, brings her experiences of raising two sons, including a son with learning disabilities, and the importance of creating communities where every child and family can belong. Together, they explore the joy, exhaustion, uncertainty, resilience and unexpected opportunities that come with parenting. And one thing becomes clear. There is no single version of normal when it comes to parenting. In this conversation: How becoming a parent changes our identity and prioritiesBalancing careers, childcare, finances and family lifeWhy support networks matter more than we realiseParenting children with different needs and experiencesNavigating systems that don't always support familiesThe importance of recognising and including different family structuresThe expectations placed on mothers and other caregiversHow our own childhood experiences influence our parentingParenting through uncertainty and unexpected challengesWhy our children aren't simply extensions of ourselvesRediscovering who we are beyond being a parentThe importance of trusting ourselves, adapting and keeping the joy Continue the Conversation If you could tell a new parent just one thing, what would it be? Complete the sentence: “The thing I wish every new parent knew is…” Continue the conversation and explore the episode's reflection questions and resources: https://www.3lbconsultancy.com/continue-the-conversation/what-nobody-tells-you-about-parenting The Third Conversation — The conversations that change us rarely happen first. Support the show Created and hosted by: Fern Hughes, 3LB Consultancy Edited and produced by: Seb Alexander Music: Toby Green The Third Conversation is a podcast and community project from 3LB Consultancy. @thethirdconversation

  2. Oct 28 ·  Video

    What Gives You Hope?

    Hope is a strange thing. Sometimes it feels enormous. Believing that something will change, that life will get better, or that there's something worth looking forward to. But sometimes hope is much smaller than that. A person. A moment. A walk. Something that makes you laugh when you really didn't feel like laughing. Or perhaps somebody else believing things can change when you can't quite believe it for yourself. In this episode of The Third Conversation, Fern Hughes is joined by Anna Browne, Oliver Jones and Sandi Littler to explore hope, resilience, creativity, connection and the everyday moments that remind us what's possible. Anna shares her experiences as a psychotherapist, witnessing people rediscover hope through trauma recovery and personal change. Oliver explores how creativity, storytelling and community participation can help people reconnect with themselves and others. And Sandi reflects on grief, unexpected change and finding joy in the smallest moments of everyday life. Together, they consider how our relationship with hope changes as we get older, whether younger generations give us reasons to feel optimistic, and how the news, technology and the things beyond our control influence how hopeful we feel. And one particularly beautiful idea emerges. Sometimes, when we can't find hope for ourselves, somebody else can hold a little of it for us. In this conversation: What hope really means and whether it changes over timeFinding possibility through trauma recovery and personal changeThe power of creativity, storytelling and communityHow grief and unexpected life changes can reshape our perspectiveFinding joy in the smallest everyday momentsWhy nature, connection and relationships matterThe opportunities and challenges facing younger generationsHow social media and the news influence our sense of hopeThe difference between optimism and hopeWhether we can borrow hope from somebody else Continue the Conversation What if hope isn't always something we have to find for ourselves? Complete the sentence: “Hope to me is…” Continue the conversation, explore the episode and find reflection questions and resources: https://www.3lbconsultancy.com/continue-the-conversation/what-gives-you-hope Support the show Created and hosted by: Fern Hughes, 3LB Consultancy Edited and produced by: Seb Alexander Music: Toby Green The Third Conversation is a podcast and community project from 3LB Consultancy. @thethirdconversation

  3. Oct 21 ·  Video

    Is Success Overrated?

    We spend so much of our lives working towards success. The next milestone. The next achievement. The next thing that might finally make us feel we've made it. But whose definition of success are we chasing — and what happens when we start measuring it for ourselves? In this episode of The Third Conversation, Fern Hughes is joined by Charlotte May, Jack Challoner and Fenella Hemus to explore ambition, expectations, personal values and what success really means. Together, they question the difference between outward recognition and inner fulfilment, whether the goalposts ever stop moving, and why the journey — including the setbacks — might matter as much as the outcome. Jack reflects on defining success through his own values and passions, Charlotte distinguishes status-driven achievement from work that genuinely matters to us, and Fenella brings the conversation back to making a difference and leaving a mark. In this conversation: ·       Who gets to decide what success looks like ·       The difference between external status and personal fulfilment ·       How our values and passions can reshape our ambitions ·       Why progress, setbacks and changing direction all matter ·       The pressure to keep reaching for the next milestone ·       How success can be about impact rather than recognition ·       Whether success is overrated — or simply in need of redefining Continue the Conversation What if success is not a finish line, but something we get to define for ourselves? Complete the sentence: “Success to me is…” Continue the conversation, explore the episode and find the reflection questions and resources through the blog on the website.  The Third Conversation — The conversations that change us rarely happen first. Hosted by Fern Hughes Produced by 3LB Consultancy Support the show Created and hosted by: Fern Hughes, 3LB Consultancy Edited and produced by: Seb Alexander Music: Toby Green The Third Conversation is a podcast and community project from 3LB Consultancy. @thethirdconversation

  4. Oct 15 ·  Video

    What Does Belonging Really Feel Like?

    We all want to belong. To feel accepted. Connected. Seen. To know there's somewhere we can be ourselves. But what does belonging actually feel like? And how often do we change parts of ourselves just to fit in? In this episode of The Third Conversation, Fern Hughes is joined by Aisha Thomas, Domini Choudhury and Michael Earle to explore belonging through the lenses of identity, inclusion, community and human connection. Together, they reflect on the expectations we navigate, the spaces where we feel accepted and the experiences that can leave us feeling like outsiders. From workplace cultures and social expectations to relationships, community and the changing ways we connect, this conversation asks whether being included is really the same as belonging. And perhaps most importantly, whether we can truly belong somewhere if we feel we have to change who we are to be there. In this conversation: The difference between fitting in and genuinely belongingWhy we sometimes change or hide parts of ourselves to feel acceptedHow identity, culture and lived experience shape our sense of belongingThe impact of workplace expectations and organisational cultureWhat happens when we don't feel connected to the communities around usThe role of relationships, community and shared experiencesWhether digital connection can replace a sense of belonging in real lifeWhat we can do to help others feel seen, valued and includedContinue the Conversation Belonging isn't necessarily about being part of a group. Sometimes it's about how we feel when we're there. So perhaps the question worth asking is: Where in your life do you feel you can be completely yourself? Or complete the sentence: “I know I belong when…” Continue the conversation, explore the episode and find the reflection questions and resources through the blog on the website.  The Third Conversation — The conversations that change us rarely happen first. Hosted by Fern Hughes Produced by 3LB Consultancy Support the show Created and hosted by: Fern Hughes, 3LB Consultancy Edited and produced by: Seb Alexander Music: Toby Green The Third Conversation is a podcast and community project from 3LB Consultancy. @thethirdconversation

  5. Oct 7 ·  Video

    What Makes a Conversation Feel Safe?

    We talk a lot about creating “safe spaces”. At work. In our communities. In meetings, classrooms and relationships. But what actually makes a conversation feel safe — and does safe necessarily mean comfortable? In this episode of The Third Conversation, Fern Hughes is joined by Kirsty Lewis, Dr Claire Stewart-Hall and Sanjit Chudha to explore what happens beneath the surface when we decide whether it feels safe enough to speak honestly. Together they explore purpose, listening, trust, power, identity, leadership and the conditions we create around difficult conversations. Kirsty asks whether people understand why they are in the room in the first place — drawing on the idea that “purpose is your bouncer” — while Claire challenges the language of safety itself by asking a deceptively important question: “Safe for whom?”  In this conversation: What makes us decide whether or not to speakWhy clarity and purpose matter before a conversation even beginsWhether “safe” and “comfortable” are actually the same thingHow power, identity and lived experience change how the same space can feelThe importance of listening and being able to bring your whole self into a conversationWhy difficult conversations don't necessarily need to be comfortable to be worthwhileWhat leaders and facilitators can do to create better conditions for honest conversationContinue the Conversation Rather than simply asking whether a space is safe, perhaps there is another question worth asking: Who feels safe here — and what are the conditions making that possible? Or complete the sentence: “I know a conversation is safe when…” Continue the conversation, explore the episode and find the reflection questions and resources through the blog on the website.  The Third Conversation — The conversations that change us rarely happen first. Hosted by Fern Hughes Produced by 3LB Consultancy Support the show Created and hosted by: Fern Hughes, 3LB Consultancy Edited and produced by: Seb Alexander Music: Toby Green The Third Conversation is a podcast and community project from 3LB Consultancy. @thethirdconversation

  6. Sep 30 ·  Video

    What Does Confidence Actually Look Like?

    When we picture confidence, we often imagine the loudest person in the room — the person on stage, the leader with the answer, or the creative who seems completely sure of what they're doing. But what if confidence is much less fixed than that? In the first conversation of Season One, Fern Hughes is joined by Gavin Strange, Seb Alexander and Angela De Silva to explore confidence from the inside out — how it grows, disappears, changes with context and is shaped by the people and environments around us. Together they explore creativity, work, imposter syndrome, anxiety, courage, mistakes, feedback, comparison and the confidence to try something before you know whether you'll be good at it. In this conversation: Why confidence isn't binaryConfidence vs comfort, courage and self-worthHow repetition can build confidenceImposter syndrome and wondering how you ended up in the roomThe importance of supportive people and environmentsMaking mistakes and “happy failing”Social media, comparison and perceived confidenceWhy confidence doesn't always have to look loudContinue the Conversation Where do you feel most confident — and what helps you feel that way? Or complete the sentence: “Confidence is…” Continue the conversation, explore the episode and find the reflection questions and resources: Continue the Conversation Episode Partner This episode of The Third Conversation is sponsored by MUTI Live — training for people and teams across the creative and live events industries, helping people build skills, confidence and sustainable careers. Find out more about MUTI Live  The Third Conversation — The conversations that change us rarely happen first. Hosted by Fern Hughes Produced by 3LB Consultancy Support the show Created and hosted by: Fern Hughes, 3LB Consultancy Edited and produced by: Seb Alexander Music: Toby Green The Third Conversation is a podcast and community project from 3LB Consultancy. @thethirdconversation

  7. Season 1 Trailer

    Welcome to The Third Conversation | Why These Conversations Matter

    Welcome to The Third Conversation. A podcast built around one simple idea: The conversations that change us rarely happen first. In this short introductory episode, host Fern Hughes shares where The Third Conversation came from, why she believes we need more space for meaningful human conversations, and what you can expect from Season One. This isn't an interview podcast, and nobody comes to the table to have all the answers. Each episode begins with one question and brings together different people, perspectives, professional experiences and lived experiences to see where the conversation takes us. Across Season One, we'll explore confidence, belonging, success, hope, parenting, money, identity, inclusion, grief, community, men's experiences, our changing bodies and, ultimately, what really matters. Some conversations are thoughtful. Some are funny. Some are uncomfortable. Some go somewhere completely unexpected. That's rather the point. The Third Conversation officially launches on 30 September 2026, with a new conversation released every Wednesday. Join The Conversation The Third Conversation is about more than listening. Join The Conversation Starter for new episodes, thoughtful reflections, recommended reading, watching and listening, upcoming events and opportunities to get involved. Join The Conversation Starter: https://thethirdconversation3lb.kit.com/4b06fd692f  Season One begins with: What Does Confidence Actually Look Like? With Seb Alexander, Gavin Strange and Angela Da Silva, available 30 September 2026. The Third Conversation is a podcast and community project from 3LB Consultancy, created and hosted by Fern Hughes. The conversations that change us rarely happen first. Support the show Created and hosted by: Fern Hughes, 3LB Consultancy Edited and produced by: Seb Alexander Music: Toby Green The Third Conversation is a podcast and community project from 3LB Consultancy. @thethirdconversation

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    6 Episodes

Trailer

About

The conversations that change us rarely happen first. Presented by 3LB Consultancy, The Third Conversation is a podcast exploring the conversations that shape how we live, work, lead and connect. Through thoughtful discussions with inspiring guests, we'll explore leadership, creativity, education, identity, belonging, wellbeing, business and the moments that quietly change the direction of our lives. Because the conversations that matter most are rarely the first ones we have.

Information

  • Creator
    3LB Consultancy
  • Years Active
    2026
  • Episodes
    7
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © 2026 The Third Conversation
  • Show Website
    The Third Conversation