Reaching Minds - ‘Thoughts for your Life Journey’

In this episode of Reaching Minds: Thoughts for Your Life Journey, we explore something that shapes every decision we make - our brain.
I’m joined by Christopher Samsa, positive psychologist specialising in applied neuroscience and Professor of Executive Education at Hult International Business School. Together, we unpack how understanding the brain can help us lead with greater clarity, empathy and intention.
Neuroscience can often feel complex or distant from everyday life. In this conversation, Chris demystifies the science and makes it deeply practical. We explore how our brains operate in either a “toward” (reward) state or an “away” (threat) state — and how those states influence our thinking, creativity, collaboration and decision-making.
We also examine:
How growth and fixed mindsets map onto brain states

Why leaders struggle under pressure

The neuroscience of habit formation and why change feels uncomfortable

How implementation intentions (“if–then” plans) can support behavioural change

The importance of self-awareness and feedback in senior leadership

Why legacy thinking can shift how leaders show up

The intersection of neuroscience and positive psychology

The difference between happiness and contentment

Chris shares practical insights for anyone navigating leadership, personal growth, or organisational change - and reminds us that growth is always possible when we understand how our brains are wired.
This episode is for leaders, professionals and anyone curious about how to work with their brain rather than against it.
If this conversation resonates, I’d love to hear from you.

In this episode of Reaching Minds: Thoughts for Your Life Journey, we explore supervision as an essential yet often overlooked pillar of ethical, sustainable practice.
When we work as coaches, facilitators or consultants, we are frequently the container for our clients’ complexity, emotions and organisational dynamics. But the question rarely asked is: who holds the space for the space-holders?
I’m joined by Steve Hearsum, consultant, supervisor, coach and author of No Silver Bullet, a book that challenges organisations’ addiction to quick-fix solutions for complex problems. Steve is also a board member at the Tavistock Institute of Human Relations and former Co-Chair of the Organisation Development Network Europe.
Together, we unpack what supervision really is — and what it is not. We explore why supervision is more than a check-in or business review, how it supports ethical decision-making, protects against burnout, and helps practitioners work consciously with power, shame, projection and unconscious dynamics.
In this conversation, we explore:
Why supervision remains a blind spot in coaching and consulting

The difference between supervision, coaching and mentoring

Parallel process and unconscious dynamics in client work

How supervision supports clearer boundaries and ethical practice

Why supervision becomes more important, not less, as we become more senior

What to look for in a supervisor who will challenge, not collude

How supervision benefits not only the practitioner, but clients and organisations

This episode is for practitioners who want to deepen their work, organisations who care about ethical practice, and anyone curious about what happens beneath the surface of professional helping roles.

In this episode of Reaching Minds: Thoughts for Your Life Journey, I’m joined by Claudia Crawley, executive coach, mentor and award-winning author of Undeterred. Together, we explore how our relationship with risk, failure and fear can either limit our growth or become a catalyst for meaningful development.

Claudia shares insights from her coaching work with women navigating leadership, visibility and progression, particularly Black and Brown women working within systems not designed with them in mind. We talk openly about fear of failure, imposter syndrome, mental saboteurs and the internal narratives that quietly hold people back from stepping into their full potential.

This conversation also examines the wider organisational and societal context, including race and gender equity, allyship, code-switching, and the emotional labour of navigating professional spaces. Claudia introduces the success equation explored in Undeterred: determination, resilience, resistance, purpose and reinvention, and how these qualities support women to stay anchored in who they are while moving forward with clarity and confidence.

This episode is an invitation to reflect on your own relationship with risk and to consider what it means to become undeterred, not by ignoring fear, but by choosing growth anyway.

If this conversation resonates, I’d love to hear from you.
Explore more episodes and resources at www.nitasharma.com

In this episode of Reaching Minds: Thoughts for Your Life Journey, I’m joined by my colleague and friend Jackee Holder to explore the transformative power of journaling as a reflective practice and life companion.
Journaling is often seen as a simple habit, yet in this conversation we uncover how expressive and reflective writing can become a profound tool for healing, self-understanding and personal growth. Jackie shares her own lifelong relationship with journaling, tracing it back to childhood, and reflects on how writing has helped her navigate trauma, creativity, leadership and identity.
Together, we explore how journaling helps us work beneath the surface, giving voice to what sits in the subconscious, allowing unprocessed emotions to be acknowledged, and supporting healthier endings, clarity and renewal. We discuss how journaling doesn’t require perfect language or polished sentences, and how drawing, poetry, letters and colour can all become meaningful forms of expression.
This episode also looks at journaling in professional contexts, particularly in leadership, coaching and organisational life, where reflective writing can help people slow down, make meaning, and show up with greater presence and compassion.
As we look ahead to 2026, Jackie also shares what she is being called to create next, including new work through the School of Journaling and a forthcoming book.
This is a thoughtful, generous and deeply human conversation for anyone curious about reflection, creativity and the power of writing to support a more conscious life.

In this special 52nd episode of Reaching Minds: Thoughts for Your Life Journey, I take a moment to pause, reflect and look back on the conversations that have shaped the podcast over the last year and a half. Joining me is Heather Kelly, who has been a valued part of the journey, co-hosting episodes and supporting the growth of the podcast behind the scenes.
Together, we explore the origins of Reaching Minds - beginning with the very first episode on endings - and the fears, hesitations and unexpected encouragement that helped bring this podcast to life. We talk about the guests who have inspired me, the topics that sparked curiosity, and the global perspectives that have enriched these conversations.
In this episode, you’ll hear:
What motivated me to start the podcast

How intuition guides the themes and guests I choose

Reflections on memorable episodes, including the surprising popularity of the one on shame

What podcasting has taught me about authenticity, courage and curiosity

How I see the next phase of Reaching Minds unfolding

This episode is both a celebration and a heartfelt thank-you to everyone who has listened, shared and grown with me. I hope these reflections offer you insight, inspiration and a moment to pause in your own journey.

Explore more episodes and resources at: www.nitasharma.com