The Plumm Pod

If half your workforce will face it, why is it still taboo?
Today Margaret Wood, a menopausal transition facilitator, dismantles the myths, explains the brain science, and shows leaders how to stop losing brilliant women at their peak.
You’ll hear how menopause actually shows up (it’s not just hot flushes), why men must be in the conversation, and the simple, practical moves any company can make this quarter.
We also talk about “menopause concealment”, early menopause, and the surprising upside: the post-menopausal “upgrade”.

In this episode:
What menopause is (and isn’t). Symptoms differ wildly, from heat to feeling cold

The brain changes: why mood, memory and confidence can dip, and how to respond

Culture over policy: moving beyond desk fans to real psychological safety

The business case: retention, reputation and productivity you can’t ignore

Bringing men in: how mixed-group education shifts behaviour fast

Post-menopause power: why many women hit a new gear and how to harness it

If this helped you lead better, subscribe and share with a manager who needs it.

Chapters:
00:00:15 — Chance, Not a Plan
01:08:00 — Inviting Men Into the Room
02:59:00 — Menopause, Simply Explained
04:35:00 — One Size Doesn’t Fit Anyone
05:33:00 — Hot… Or Freezing?
07:09:00 — Education Over Assumptions
09:21:00 — The Cost of Getting It Wrong
11:46:00 — Proactive, Not Performative
13:15:00 — It’s the Brain, Not Just Heat
15:06:00 — The Epiphany: Mixed Groups
16:26:00 — Early Menopause Happens
17:51:00 — IVF & Induced Menopause
19:39:00 — Concealment & Confidence Dips
21:16:00 — The Upgrade: Brain Renovation
22:57:00 — From Chaos to Rewire
24:56:00 — Support Now, Strength Later
26:50:00 — When Joy Goes Missing
28:02:00 — How to Start, Today
29:55:00 — This Isn’t ‘Nice To Have’
31:15:00 — The Career Jungle, Not Ladder

They’re not lazy. They’re anxious and misunderstood.
In this powerful episode, Jessamine Ringer breaks down what every leader needs to know about Gen Z and the future of work. From why this generation values purpose over prestige to how managers can bridge the gap through empathy, clarity, and coaching, Jessamine exposes what’s really happening between generations in the workplace.
You’ll learn:
Why Gen Z behave differently and what shaped them

How to manage with empathy without lowering standards

The three things every young employee actually wants

How to build confidence, resilience, and innovation in your team

If you lead people or plan to, this conversation will change how you see the next decade of work.
Subscribe and share to help others lead better.

Chapters
00:00:00 — Was HR Ever the Plan?
00:01:22 — Falling in Love with Coaching
00:02:57 — Why Early Careers Need Coaching Now
00:04:37 — The Power of Knowing Your Values
00:05:34 — How Managers Can Really Help
00:06:45 — Understanding Gen Z’s Context
00:08:30 — Growing Up Online: Anxiety & Screens
00:09:47 — Why “We Just Got On With It” Doesn’t Work
00:11:14 — Building Inter-Generational Intelligence
00:13:36 — How Curiosity Builds Better Managers
00:15:49 — Coaching Early Careers to Push Back
00:18:06 — Clarity, Confidence & Communication
00:19:52 — Purpose, Wellbeing & Money: The Real Priorities
00:23:36 — The Truth About Money Anxiety
00:25:42 — Why Gen Z Care About Wellbeing
00:27:55 — How Exhausted Leaders Lose Impact
00:31:01 — The Iceberg Model of Self-Awareness
00:32:43 — Managers Aren’t Trained to Manage People
00:35:03 — Coaching the Future Workforce
00:37:06 — Advice to My Younger Self

She lost everything, but refused to lose herself.
After surviving domestic abuse, Chloe Wallace rebuilt her life from scratch, turning pain into purpose. Today she’s a trauma informed HR consultant specialising in preventing workplace sexual misconduct and her framework is transforming how companies protect their people.
In this episode, Chloe opens up about:
The truth about escaping abuse and finding independence through work

Why most organisations still get harassment prevention wrong

How her CEASE Framework® helps leaders create truly safe cultures

The rise of AI-driven misogyny and what HR must do next

This is one of the most powerful conversations we’ve ever had on The Plumm Podcast.
If it moved you, subscribe, share, and help us keep these stories seen and heard.

Chapters
00:00:00 — From Chemistry to HR: The Unexpected Start
00:01:25 — Falling Into HR and Finding Purpose
00:02:40 — A Secret Life of Survival
00:04:50 — Escaping Abuse & Rebuilding Independence
00:06:10 — Turning Trauma Into a Calling
00:07:00 — Prevention vs Deterrence: The Big Misunderstanding
00:08:40 — The Real Psychology of Misconduct
00:10:00 — Why Bystander Training Matters
00:11:30 — What Sexual Harassment Actually Looks Like
00:13:55 — A Real Case That Bankrupted a Company
00:15:40 — “It Doesn’t Happen Here” — The Dangerous Myth
00:16:50 — Introducing the SEAS Framework
00:18:30 — Call It Out. Educate. Assess. Strengthen.
00:20:56 — What To Do When It’s a Third Party
00:23:20 — How to Handle Disclosures with Care
00:25:07 — Changing Mindsets Through Real Conversations
00:26:50 — AI, Deepfakes & The New Age of Sexism
00:28:15 — The Future of HR: Specialists Over Generalists
00:30:00 — Why NDAs Are Ending—and Why It Matters
00:31:50 — Choosing Purpose Over Fear
00:33:50 — Education, Empathy & Real Change
00:34:28 — Advice to My Younger Self

In this episode, Alice Stone shares her journey from HR apprentice and young mum to People Director and why a truly human-centred approach beats rigid rules. We unpack the real difference between legal flexible working and lived flexibility, how to kill presenteeism, and the systems that create safety, trust and performance.
You’ll learn:
Legal vs lived flexibility and what high-trust cultures actually do

How to measure impact (pulse checks, outcomes over hours, retention signals)

The manager shift: from micromanaging time to coaching for results

Practical playbook: job-sharing, hybrid done well, “Level 10” meetings, employee voice

If this gave you something useful, subscribe and share it with a leader who needs to hear it.
Chapters:
00:00:00 — Plan or Chance? Alice’s Start
00:00:20 — From Midwife Dreams to HR
00:02:21 — Apprenticeships, Not One Path
00:03:18 — Becoming a Mum Changed HR
00:04:19 — Kind vs Nice at Work
00:05:12 — Flexibility: Law vs Reality
00:06:20 — Job-Sharing, Hybrid, Wellness Days
00:07:58 — What Flexible Cultures Feel Like
00:09:57 — Trust Adults, Measure Outcomes
00:11:45 — Productivity Gains, Not Presenteeism
00:13:52 — Winning Stakeholders: Speak Their Language
00:15:54 — Presenteeism & Sick-While-Working Trap
00:17:11 — Outcomes Over Hours, Anywhere Work
00:18:52 — Safety First: “If You’re Ill, Rest”
00:20:58 — Spot Burnout: Pulse & Training
00:22:44 — Define Flex Here: What We Celebrate
00:23:54 — Employer Brand: Compete on People
00:25:34 — Retention Proof & Real Support
00:27:28 — Building Safety: Ways-of-Working Labs
00:30:11 — What Is a Level 10 Meeting?
00:31:30 — From ‘How Do We…?’ to ‘We Will’
00:33:42 — Advice to My Younger Self

Working parents aren’t the exception, they’re half your workforce.
In this episode, Becki Nazareth (L&D leader, turned working parent & carer specialist) shares what really breaks and fixes the experience for parents at work, from policy basics to culture, flexibility and line manager reality.
You’ll learn:
Why policy is just the foundation and what proactive support really looks like

How to educate “accidental managers” and build inclusive, flexible teams that perform

The return to work gap: identity shifts, re-induction, and using the SCARF model for certainty

What data leaders need (and how to get it) to win the case for flexibility

If this helped you, subscribe and share it with a leader who needs to hear it.

Chapters (Timestamps)
00:00:00 — People Work: Plan or Chance?
00:00:36 — From Teaching to L&D to HR
00:02:23 — Why Becki Backed Working Parents
00:04:10 — Who Counts: Parents and Carers
00:05:36 — Policy Shifts & Systemic Gaps
00:07:20 — Start With Policy, Don’t Stop There
00:09:03 — The Manager Mindset Shift
00:11:12 — Beyond One-Off Workshops
00:12:40 — Spaces That Actually Help (ERGs, Talks)
00:14:05 — What “Doing It Well” Looks Like
00:16:00 — The Identity Shock of Return
00:17:35 — SCARF & Creating Certainty
00:19:42 — Reactive vs Proactive HR
00:21:10 — Re-Induction: Onboarding… Again
00:23:22 — Hybrid, Mandates & Real Flexibility
00:25:24 — Win Leaders With Data
00:27:28 — Measure What Happens After Return
00:29:28 — New Stages: School & Holidays
00:30:51 — One Piece of Career Advice
00:31:37 — Know Your Values, Decide Faster
00:32:20 — Closing Thanks