Favourite Positions

Alex
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Work has changed and so should the way we think about it. Favourite Positions explores modern careers, leadership and human skills so you can move forward with intention and confidence.  Hosted by Alex Young, the podcast brings honest, thoughtful conversations with founders and leaders who are reshaping how work works. From practical career insight to big ideas about purpose and growth, each episode helps you think differently about your next step, whether you’re early in your career, switching paths or leading others. Favourite Positions is part of a broader platform supporting people and organisations to build careers they love and workplaces that empower them. With no fluff, real-world tools and a community of people who value clarity and curiosity, this is your go-to space for inspiring stories and practical guidance.

  1. 10 HR AGO

    Episode 04: The Modern Career Playbook - Teri Thomas

    In this episode of The Modern Career Playbook, Alex speaks with Teri Thomas about personal brand, visibility and what it really takes to build a credible, fulfilling and future-relevant career today. Teri is the founder of Beyond & Co, a business specialising in growth through people-led marketing. She works with leaders and founders to help them use their voice, perspective and presence more intentionally, not as a form of self-promotion, but as a way to build trust, create value and drive growth. This is a thoughtful and practical conversation about how careers evolve, why doing good work is not always enough on its own, and how clarity, visibility and authentic communication can shape progression, leadership and opportunity. In this episode, Alex and Teri discuss: how Teri’s definition of success, confidence and credibility has changed over timewhy talented people are often under-leveraging themselveswhy doing good work alone is not always enough for progressionwhat personal brand really means and why it is often misunderstoodhow to think about authentic visibility without falling into performative self-promotionthe relationship between personal brand, leadership and growthemployee-generated content and why businesses are paying more attention to ithow AI is changing the way people communicate, create and show up at workwhy leaders need to protect their own voice and thinking in an AI-shaped worldwhere to start if you know you have more to offer but struggle to articulate your value Key takeaways: Personal brand is not about self-promotion. It is about clarity, trust and value.Doing strong work matters, but people also need to understand the value you bring.Visibility is most powerful when it feels aligned, intentional and authentic.AI can be a useful tool, but it should not replace your perspective, judgment or voice.Careers often progress faster when people learn to articulate their value clearly and consistently. Connect with Teri: Beyond & CoLinkedInTeri's InstagramBeyond & Co's Instagram Mentioned in this episode: The Squiggly Career BookHattie Crisell, In Writing Podcast Follow Favourite Positions: ⁠Instagram⁠⁠LinkedIn⁠⁠Website⁠ About the series: The Modern Career Playbook is a series of conversations with credible leaders and specialists exploring what progression, leadership and career development actually look like today. If you enjoyed this episode, share it with someone who’s figuring out how to grow in their career, lead people more effectively, or simply feel more confident at work.

    49 min

  2. 29 APR

    Episode 03: The Modern Career Playbook - Dr Hayley Dawson

    In this episode of The Modern Career Playbook, Alex speaks with Dr Hayley Dawson about why being good at your job is not always enough on its own, and why the human side of work matters more than ever. Hayley is the founder of Let’s Talk Human Skills, creator of Human Skill School, and host of Let’s Talk. Her work focuses on helping people communicate more clearly, collaborate more effectively and build stronger working relationships, so they can feel more confident and make a greater impact at work. This is a thoughtful and practical conversation about communication, collaboration, confidence and career development. Hayley puts into words something many people feel but do not always know how to name - that the way we handle people, relationships and difficult moments at work shapes far more than we realise. In this episode, Alex and Hayley discuss: why technical ability alone is not always enough for career progressionwhat human skills actually are and why they matterthe difference between technical, operational, human and human-machine interaction skillswhy durable skills like communication and relationship-building matter even more in an AI-shaped worldhow to become more confident in meetings, emails and difficult conversationsthe role of managers in helping people build stronger human skillsthe value of feedback in the momentwhy small actions and “micro moves” can transform working relationshipswhy work friends matter, not just professionally, but personally too Key takeaways: Being technically strong is important, but it is often human skills that shape trust, visibility and progression.Communication, relationship-building and collaboration are durable skills that will remain valuable even as work changes.Small day-to-day actions can have a huge impact on how relationships at work develop.Managers can play a big role by giving feedback in the moment rather than waiting for formal reviews.Building friendships at work can make working life more meaningful, supportive and fulfilling. Connect with Hayley: Let’s Talk Human SkillsHuman Skill SchoolNewsletterInstagramLinkedIn Follow Favourite Positions: InstagramLinkedInWebsite About the series: The Modern Career Playbook is a series of conversations with credible leaders and specialists exploring what progression, leadership and career development actually look like today. If you enjoyed this episode, share it with someone who’s figuring out how to grow in their career, lead people more effectively, or simply feel more confident at work.

    46 min
  3. Rezilien’s Live Debate: What breaks change first: human behaviour or organisational complexity?

    27 APR

    Rezilien’s Live Debate: What breaks change first: human behaviour or organisational complexity?

    In the second episode of the Rezilien × Favourite Positions live debate series, Lily Kyriacou and Alex Young bring together leaders working across operations, digital engineering and transformation to explore a question that sits at the heart of modern execution: What breaks change first: human behaviour or organisational complexity? As organisations operate in what Lily describes as a state of rolling turbulence, where technological shifts, new operating models, changing investor expectations and restructures are all happening at once, strategies can look strong on paper while outcomes still fall short. So what is actually breaking in the process, and why? This live debate explores the tension between change fatigue, uncertainty and resistance on one side, and organisational complexity, structures, incentives and layers on the other. The conversation asks whether change breaks because people do, or whether organisations are still creating conditions that make successful change harder than it needs to be. Joined by Matt Deadman, Chloe Holt and Ella Blakstad, Lily and Alex unpack how culture, leadership behaviour, communication, accountability and clarity all shape whether change lands well or begins to wobble. The discussion also explores what AI is exposing in organisations, why ambiguity is becoming the norm for leaders and how value creation at work is beginning to shift. Guests Matt Deadman - COO EMEA at Naviam Chloe Holt - Chief Client Officer at Godel Technologies Europe Ella Blakstad - Senior Manager at Accenture Hosts ⁠Lily Kyriacou⁠ - Founder of Rezilien ⁠Alex Young⁠ - Host of Favourite Positions About the series The Rezilien × Favourite Positions live debate series brings together credible leaders and specialists to explore what it really takes for people and organisations to perform through constant change. Across each conversation, the series examines the tensions shaping modern work, from adaptability, burnout and leadership to execution risk, organisational design and the human realities of AI-driven transformation. Rezilien was founded by Lily Kyriacou to turn execution from a vague art into a hard science. After 10+ years wrestling with the same execution failures while driving growth and transformation, she built what she wishes she’d had on sleepless nights. A decision‑support tool that shows CEOs whether their operating model can really deliver the growth strategy, helps them design and stress‑test treatment plans grounded in hard evidence and ROI, and tracks whether those changes are actually working. At its core, Rezilien is about stripping out bias, instinct, and the loudest voice in the room from critical execution decisions, so change is led by evidence rather than opinion. Favourite Positions is a podcast and platform founded by Alex Young, focused on honest, practical conversations about careers, leadership and the future of work. Together, this series is designed to create more useful, open and commercially relevant conversations about what it really takes to lead people well in a world of perpetual change. Follow Rezilien on ⁠LinkedIn⁠ and ⁠Instagram⁠ and connect with Lily ⁠here⁠. Follow Favourite Positions on ⁠LinkedIn⁠ and ⁠Instagram⁠ and connect with Alex ⁠here⁠. Referenced materials MIT Sloan - When humans and AI work best together - and when each is better alone MIT Sloan - New MIT Sloan research suggests AI more likely to complement, not replace, human workers Harvard Business Review - What Everyone Gets Wrong About Change Management McKinsey - The human side of generative AI: Creating a path to productivity PwC - How culture can create value during M&A integration

    1hr 15min

  4. 22 APR

    Episode 02: The Modern Career Playbook - Lead Meredith

    In this episode of The Modern Career Playbook, Alex speaks with Leah Meredith about building a creative career, staying true to your values and creating work that feels both commercial and personal. Leah is the founder and creative director of Haus of Hyde and chief brand officer at Faves. In this conversation, she shares her journey from teaching into creative entrepreneurship, what she has learned about building brands and businesses with intention, and why modern careers often look far less linear than people expect. This is an honest and insightful conversation about creativity, self-belief, commercial growth and the importance of protecting what makes your work feel like yours. In this episode, Alex and Leah discuss: Leah’s journey from teaching into creative business ownershipbuilding Haus of Hyde and Faveswhat it means to have a multi-dimensional careerwhy modern careers are often non-linearbalancing creativity with commercial thinkingthe pressures facing people in creative industries todaycomparison, confidence and building work that feels true to youhow to grow without diluting your valuesKey takeaways: Careers do not need to follow a traditional or linear path to be credible.Creativity and commerciality do not need to be in conflict.Growth is most sustainable when it is rooted in clear values.Comparison can be deeply distracting, especially in creative work.The most compelling work usually comes from staying close to your own perspective and strengths.Connect with Leah: InstagramHaus of HydeFavesFaves newsletterFollow Favourite Positions: InstagramLinkedInWebsite About the series: The Modern Career Playbook is a series of conversations with credible leaders and specialists exploring what progression, leadership and career development actually look like today. If you enjoyed this episode, share it with someone figuring out their own next step, and follow along for the rest of the series. Follow Favourite Positions on LinkedIn and Instagram, connect with Alex here.

    37 min
  5. Rezilien’s Live Debate: Is Human Adaptability Nearing Its Limit or Are We Only Just Scratching the Surface?

    20 APR

    Rezilien’s Live Debate: Is Human Adaptability Nearing Its Limit or Are We Only Just Scratching the Surface?

    In the first episode of the Rezilien × Favourite Positions live debate series, Lily Kyriacou and Alex Young bring together leaders working across AI, transformation, people and organisational change to explore a question sitting at the centre of modern work: Is human adaptability nearing its limit, or are organisations failing to create the conditions in which it can thrive? As change continues to accelerate through AI adoption, restructures, new ways of working and rising performance pressure, many organisations are still seeing execution strain, burnout, confusion and misalignment. So what is actually going wrong? This live debate explores whether the real issue is human resistance, or whether many organisations are still trying to manage modern change with outdated structures, weak communication, poor change discipline and rigid ideas of what work should look like. Joined by David Fearne, Rebecca Tovey and Fintan Canavan, Lily and Alex unpack what happens when transformation becomes constant rather than occasional, and why adaptability may be less about asking more of people and more about redesigning work, leadership and accountability around the reality of perpetual change. A few of the strongest ideas from the conversation include the importance of a growth-first mindset, the need to make change everyone’s accountability, the risk of treating AI like a simple software rollout and the idea that organisations may be reaching the limits of managing change in the same way they always have. Guests David Fearne - Vice President of AI at NTT DATA Rebecca Tovey - Group Director, People, Transformation and Change at Amdaris Fintan Canavan - Associate Director at Protiviti UK Hosts Lily Kyriacou - Founder of Rezilien Alex Young - Host of Favourite Positions About the series The Rezilien × Favourite Positions live debate series brings together credible leaders and specialists to explore what it really takes for people and organisations to perform through constant change. Across each conversation, the series examines the tensions shaping modern work, from adaptability, burnout and leadership to execution risk, organisational design and the human realities of AI-driven transformation. Rezilien was founded by Lily Kyriacou to turn execution from a vague art into a hard science. After 10+ years wrestling with the same execution failures while driving growth and transformation, she built what she wishes she’d had on sleepless nights. A decision‑support tool that shows CEOs whether their operating model can really deliver the growth strategy, helps them design and stress‑test treatment plans grounded in hard evidence and ROI, and tracks whether those changes are actually working. At its core, Rezilien is about stripping out bias, instinct, and the loudest voice in the room from critical execution decisions, so change is led by evidence rather than opinion. Favourite Positions is a podcast and platform founded by Alex Young, focused on honest, practical conversations about careers, leadership and the future of work. Together, this series is designed to create more useful, open and commercially relevant conversations about what it really takes to lead people well in a world of perpetual change. Follow Rezilien on LinkedIn and Instagram and connect with Lily here. Follow Favourite Positions on LinkedIn and Instagram and connect with Alex here. Referenced materials McKinsey - Why managing culture is critical for value creation in M&A PwC - How culture can create value during M&A integration Harvard Business Review - A Guide to Building a Unified Culture After a Merger or Acquisition MIT Sloan - When humans and AI work best together - and when each is better alone MIT Sloan - New MIT Sloan research suggests AI more likely to complement, not replace, human workers

    1hr 3min
  6. Episode 01: The Modern Career Playbook - Isobelle Panton

    15 APR

    Episode 01: The Modern Career Playbook - Isobelle Panton

    In this episode of The Modern Career Playbook, Alex speaks with Izzy about what it really takes to build a credible and fulfilling career in today’s world of work. This is an honest, practical conversation about progression, self-promotion and learning how to communicate your value clearly. Izzy shares sharp and genuinely useful reflections on why careers are rarely linear, why progression should never be treated as a last-minute conversation and why backing yourself matters more than many people realise. If you’ve ever felt unsure about how to advocate for yourself, ask for more, or navigate the twists and turns of a modern career, this episode is full of reminders that are both grounding and actionable. In this episode, Alex and Izzy discuss: why self-promotion mattershow to communicate your value more clearlywhy progression should be an ongoing conversationthe importance of backing yourselfwhy careers are rarely linearhow pivots, courage, consistency and timing shape career growthKey takeaways: Self-promotion is not something to feel awkward about. It is an important part of career progression.Progression should be discussed consistently, not only when a promotion is on the table.Strong careers are often shaped by pivots rather than perfect plans.Courage, consistency and timing all play a huge role in how careers develop.Connect with Izzy: InstagramYouTubeTikTokWebsiteLinkedInFollow Favourite Positions: InstagramLinkedInWebsiteAbout the series: The Modern Career Playbook is a series of conversations with credible leaders and specialists exploring what progression, leadership and career development actually look like today. If you enjoyed this episode, share it with someone who’d enjoy it too and follow along for the rest of the series. Follow Favourite Positions on LinkedIn and Instagram, connect with Alex here.

    45 min
  7. The 5 Biggest Lessons From My MBA (And They're Not What You'd Expect)

    17 MAR

    The 5 Biggest Lessons From My MBA (And They're Not What You'd Expect)

    The Position Papers (3/3) | Favourite Positions Podcast What if the most valuable lessons from business school aren’t the frameworks you learn, but the assumptions they quietly dismantle? In this final episode of The Position Papers mini-series, Alexandra Young reflects on five core MBA subjects — finance, macroeconomics, marketing, innovation and strategy — and the perspective shifts each one created in her day-to-day leadership. Rather than theory, this episode explores how concepts like opportunity cost, behavioural decision-making, external forces and organisational readiness change how we diagnose problems, make commitments and lead change at work. Across five short stories, this episode reframes common career instincts — saying yes, pushing ideas, attributing outcomes, staying in motion — and offers practical ways to think more strategically in complex environments. In this episode Opportunity cost and the hidden trade-offs behind every yesHow external conditions shape performance outcomesWhy human decisions are rarely rationalThe role of organisational readiness in innovationStrategy as focus, commitment and translation into actionResearch referenced Frederick, Novemsky, Wang, Dhar & Nowlis (2009). Opportunity Cost Neglect. Journal of Consumer Research.Shows people make poorer decisions when opportunity costs are not made explicit.Kahneman, D. (2011). Thinking, Fast and Slow.Foundational research demonstrating systematic biases and non-rational decision-making.Thaler, R. & Sunstein, C. (2008). Nudge.Evidence that defaults and choice architecture strongly influence behaviour.BCG (2024). Most Innovative Companies Report.Found 83% of firms rank innovation as a priority, but only 3% are ready to deliver.Case literature on organisational readiness and timing (e.g., technology adoption cycles).Shows innovation success depends on environmental and organisational conditions.About The Position Papers The Position Papers is a three-part Favourite Positions mini-series on business school, confidence and growth, recorded during Alex’s MBA alongside full-time leadership. Each episode explores how ambition, identity and modern work intersect in practice. Connect If this episode resonated, share it with someone who might need it! You can connect with Alex on LinkedIn and follow Favourite Positions on Instagram for future episodes and resources. Follow Favourite Positions on LinkedIn and Instagram, connect with Alex here.

    16 min
  8. The Burnout Nobody Talks About

    17 MAR

    The Burnout Nobody Talks About

    The Position Papers (1/3) | Favourite Positions Podcast Burnout is usually framed as doing too much of what you don’t care about. But what happens when the exhaustion comes from things you genuinely love? In this opening episode of The Position Papers mini-series, Alexandra Young explores a quieter, more complex form of burnout – the kind that exists alongside high engagement, ambition and growth. Drawing on research and her experience of balancing an MBA with a full-time leadership role, she reframes burnout as a design and misalignment problem rather than a personal failure. This episode explores why highly invested people are often most at risk, how competing commitments create hidden strain, and what actually helps when stepping back isn’t realistic or desirable. In this episode Why burnout and engagement can exist at the same timeThe difference between working hard and cognitively carrying workHow pace misalignment between individuals and systems creates frictionThe hidden guilt of caring about multiple things at onceWhy traditional burnout advice often misses ambitious, invested peopleBurnout as a design problem rather than a workload problemFive shifts discussed Defining what “good enough” looks like in the current seasonNaming trade-offs out loud instead of carrying them privatelyDesigning recovery before depletionBeing explicit about how you work bestRecognising early personal warning signsKey questions from the episode Is your current pace chosen or accumulated?What trade-off are you carrying silently?If you redesigned your week around how you actually work best, what would change?Research referenced DHR Global (2024). Workforce Trends Report.Found 82% of workers report burnout while 88% report high engagement, highlighting that burnout and engagement can coexist.Lang, J. J. et al. (2023). Are algorithmically controlled gig workers deeply burned out? BMC Psychology.Demonstrates that burnout and work engagement can be positively correlated.World Health Organisation. ICD-11 Burnout Definition.Defines burnout as chronic workplace stress that has not been successfully managed.Primeast (2025). The Manager’s Guide to Spotting Employee Burnout.Practitioner research on how burnout can coexist with high responsibility and investment at work.DHR Global (2024). Generational burnout findings.Shows Gen Z and millennials report the highest burnout rates across the workforce.About The Position Papers The Position Papers is a three-part Favourite Positions mini-series on business school, confidence and growth, recorded during Alex’s MBA alongside full-time leadership. Each episode explores the intersection of ambition, identity and modern work. Connect If this episode resonated, share it with someone who might need it! You can connect with Alex on LinkedIn and follow Favourite Positions on Instagram for future episodes and resources. Follow Favourite Positions on LinkedIn and Instagram, connect with Alex here.

    16 min
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About

Work has changed and so should the way we think about it. Favourite Positions explores modern careers, leadership and human skills so you can move forward with intention and confidence.  Hosted by Alex Young, the podcast brings honest, thoughtful conversations with founders and leaders who are reshaping how work works. From practical career insight to big ideas about purpose and growth, each episode helps you think differently about your next step, whether you’re early in your career, switching paths or leading others. Favourite Positions is part of a broader platform supporting people and organisations to build careers they love and workplaces that empower them. With no fluff, real-world tools and a community of people who value clarity and curiosity, this is your go-to space for inspiring stories and practical guidance.

Information

  • Creator
    Alex
  • Years Active
    2022 - 2026
  • Episodes
    70
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © Alex
  • Show Website
    Favourite Positions

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