Recommended Episodes

• Ep56: The Human Side of Sales with Jim Bloomfield
• Ep57: Curiosity as Competitive Advantage with David Feavearyear
• Ep59: We Cannot Leave Meaning to Machines with Kate O’Neill

What if the reason so many professionals struggle with sales is not capability, but how it has been taught? In this episode of Human Wise, Helen Wada is joined by Rachel Harrison, IP lawyer and founder of Your IP, to explore why business development feels uncomfortable for so many experts and how that can change.

After more than 20 years in law firms, Rachel stepped away to build her own business and discovered something unexpected. Sales did not have to feel forced or transactional. Instead, it could be human, relationship-led and even enjoyable. Together, they unpack how professionals can shift their mindset, build confidence and develop business in a way that feels authentic and aligned.

This is a powerful conversation for anyone in professional services, leadership or sales who has ever thought, this is not me.

Topics Discussed:

• Why sales feels uncomfortable for technical experts
• The gap in sales and leadership training in professional services
• Reframing business development as human connection
• How confidence grows through action and coaching
• The role of mindset, identity and self-belief in sales
• Why relationships and referrals drive sustainable growth
• The impact of AI on technical roles and human differentiation
• How leaders can retain talent by changing how sales is taught

View extended shownotes here

Further links to follow:

Read HUMAN-WISE: How to lead from within and sell with confidence

Helen Wada: https://uk.linkedin.com/in/helen-wada

The Human Advantage: https://www.thehumanadvantage.co.uk/

Recommended Episodes

• Ep41: Reimagining Success Through Kindness, Connection, and Core Human Skills with Natalie Semmes
• Ep50: What Is Your Shadow at Work and Why Does It Matter?
• Ep54: Becoming Unapologetically You – Embracing Growth, Discomfort, and Authentic Leadership with Alison Maitland & Liz Walker

In a world racing toward automation, what does it truly mean to be human at work?

In this powerful and timely episode of Human Wise, Helen Wada sits down with tech humanist, author, and TEDx speaker Kate O’Neill to explore the evolving relationship between artificial intelligence and human meaning. As organizations invest heavily in AI and automation, Kate challenges us to pause and ask a deeper question: what human outcomes are we protecting as we scale technology?

Drawing on insights from her latest book What Matters Next and her TEDx talk We Cannot Leave Meaning to Machines, Kate shares why contextual awareness, emotional intelligence, and good judgment are becoming even more critical in an AI-driven world. Together, Helen and Kate explore the tension leaders feel between speed and reflection, efficiency and ethics, automation and authenticity.

This conversation is not about resisting technology. It is about leading it wisely. It is about ensuring that meaning, purpose, and human connection remain firmly in the driver’s seat.

Topics Discussed:

• What it means to be a “tech humanist”
• Why AI is forcing us to redefine human value at work
• The human skills that cannot be automated
• Why investment in people is lagging behind investment in technology
• The Now–Next Continuum and disciplined reflection
• Using AI as a thinking partner rather than a replacement
• Meaning as the core human skill
• Purpose, values, and the power of meaningful questions
• Unhiding at work and bringing your whole self into professional spaces
• Why AI’s “averaging effect” makes human quirkiness more valuable than ever

About Kate O'Neil

Kate is the founder of KO Insights, helping leaders and organizations make future-ready, meaningful, and ethical decisions about technology and innovation. She’s a former digital strategist for Netflix and early Google, and the author of 6 books, 4 of which are in tech and business including Tech Humanist and What Matters Next.

• About page: https://www.koinsights.com/about-kate/*
• LinkedIn: http://linkedin.com/in/kateoneill*
• Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kate_O'Neill_(author)

Further links to follow:

Read HUMAN-WISE: How to lead from within and sell with confidence

Helen Wada: https://uk.linkedin.com/in/helen-wada

The Human Advantage: https://www.thehumanadvantage.co.uk/

Recommended Episodes

• Ep43: Finding Your Voice in Leadership – The Human Advantage of Conscious Communication with Alan Robertson
• Ep45: Building Sustainable High Performance – The Power of Human-Centred Leadership and Resilience with Lisa Boyd
• Ep57: Curiosity as Competitive Advantage – How Leaders Stay Relevant in the Age of AI with David Feavearyear

What does it really mean to support people in bringing their humanity to work? In this episode of Human Wise, Helen Wada is joined by George Gabriel, co-founder of The Dad Shift, a UK campaign mobilising fathers to advocate for better paternity leave and greater gender equality in the workplace.

Together they explore how fatherhood, leadership and workplace culture intersect. George shares his perspective on why supporting fathers at work is not just a social issue but a leadership and organisational one. From challenging outdated policies to encouraging men to actively participate in equality conversations, this episode highlights how workplaces can evolve to better support families while strengthening performance and trust.

At the heart of the discussion is a powerful idea: when organisations enable people to show up as human beings, not just employees, everyone benefits.

Topics Discussed

• The evolving role of fathers in modern workplaces
• Why paternity leave policies matter for equality and performance
• The connection between leadership, trust and human-centred workplaces
• The impact of parenthood on leadership perspective and decision making
• How workplace culture shapes gender equality
• The barriers organisations face when implementing flexible working
• Why supporting fathers benefits businesses as well as families
• Turning conversations about equality from zero-sum to win-win outcomes

View extended shownotes here

Further links to follow:

Read HUMAN-WISE: How to lead from within and sell with confidence

Helen Wada: https://uk.linkedin.com/in/helen-wada

The Human Advantage: https://www.thehumanadvantage.co.uk/