Love Your Career

In the first episode of our new season we are joined by CEO and founder EZ Loyalty and Engyne Health and UK Active Board Member, David Birch. David talks about Hard work meets talent, the importance of backing yourself and his journey from Rugby to recruitment. We had a brilliant chat with David and we hope you get from it, as much as we did

This week we have podcast royalty as we are joined by Oli Patrick. Oli is known to a number of people across the industry due to his podcast, his work with high performance and generally being a legend!He takes us through his career, his journey to now and his best tips for progression We hope you love it as much as we did!

This week we are delighted to welcome Belinda Steward, MD at Places Leisure onto the Love Your Career Podcast.Belinda joined Places in 2024 after a hugely successful career within hospitality and has brought that acumen over to the company to push it to the next level.Belinda tells us all about her journey and learnings, how she would replicate this going forward and biggest tips for succeeding in interviews. We loved our talk with Belinda and hope you do too!

So excited this week to be joined by the amazing Gary Linton-Walls, Commercial Director for Lift Brands EMEA.A friend and former colleague of Lawrence, Gary has risen through the industry over the years and is a hugely respected commercial force of nature - helping to elevate Lift Brands to where it is today. Gary talks to us about his journey, the learnings he has taken on board along the way and guides us through the importance of internal candidates and crafting a brilliant candidate experience. We loved the episode with Gary and hope you will too!

This week we are joined by Marina Thomas, Head of Training and Development for Alliance Leisure and MD of Marina Solutions. With an illustrious career working for some of the biggest names in the industry such as Holmes place and Precor, Marina is uniquely positioned to tell us all about how to succeed within the fitness industry. She takes us through her career journey, rules for success and how you can implement that in your career. A truly wonderful guest!

This week we are joined by Sean Mitchell, Head of Commercial for Kore (formerly known as Sandwell Leisure Trust).Sean takes us through his career progression, the power of staying consistent and his tips on how to progress in your career.A truly great episode!

This week we are joined by the amazing Minal Hawkins, Workforce Development Manager at CIMSPA.Minal has been a mainstay with CIMSPA since the turn of the decade, having worked with the sporting arena for England Netball prior to this. Minal tells us about her career journey, her top tips when interviewing for candidates and employers and so much more!

This week we are joined by the amazing Hayley Lever, CEO of Get Manchester Moving.For 30 years, Hayley has played a leadership role in physical activity, sport, policy, and community development and since 2020 has sat as CEO of GM Moving, leading the the city-region's whole system approach to addressing inactivity and inequalities.Hayley runs us through her career, her approach to growth and how recruitment is ever changing. We hope you enjoy the episode!

This week we are joined by the industry legend that is John Oxley!John has 40 years experience in leisure management having started out as Lifeguard. Senior leadership roles include Commercial Director and Group Operations Director for Everyone Active, Managing Director for mission-led charity Active Nation and Chief Operating Officer for Places Leisure. He is currently CEO at Stockport Active CIC (Life Leisure), an NED at ActiveXchange, and a Board Advisor to the Longevity Network. He is a Fellow of CIMSPA and has developed and delivers a Transformational Leadership Programme for the active well-being sector.John takes us through his journey, his learnings and how you can develop your career. So many amazing bits of info from what is one of the most well respected voices in the industry

This week we are joined by Fiona, head of franchise performance for Anytiem Fitness Australia and UK.In this conversation, we discusses the significance of mentorship in career development, the impact of influential books, and effective recruitment strategies. Fiona emphasizes the importance of defining non-negotiables in hiring, crafting effective job descriptions, and attracting talent through a compelling purpose. She also shares insights on preparing a winning CV, impressing in interviews, and the traits of effective leaders. He concludes with advice for his younger self and recommendations for future guests.Key takeawaysMentorship is crucial for career growth.Recognizing and nurturing relationships is key.Time management is really about choice management.Authenticity in interviews is essential.Defining non-negotiables helps streamline recruitment.Involvement in various roles aids career progression.A concise CV is more effective than a lengthy one.Preparation and punctuality are vital for interviews.Effective leaders genuinely care about their work.Enjoy the journey; career paths are rarely linear.