When everything is changing, what keeps you moving in the right direction?

In this mini episode, Rachael Franklin, Chief Engagement Officer at Breast Cancer Now, sits down with Rebecca Hull and Lou Lai to share a candid look at her decade-long journey helping shape one of the UK’s leading charities, from navigating complex mergers to building a unified organisation with a clear mission.

She reflects on the realities behind large-scale change, including the challenges no one fully anticipates and the leadership mindset needed to keep moving forward.

From influencing without authority to making tough prioritisation decisions, this episode offers practical insight into modern leadership.

Together, they cover: - Introduction to Rachael Franklin and her journey - Building strategy and influencing without authority - Reaching a turning point after years of change - The reality of mergers and why they take longer than expected - Navigating complexity and organisational change - Defining your North Star during times of change - Strategy, long-term thinking and leading through uncertainty - The challenge of prioritisation and what not to do - Scaling impact and the role of digital transformation

Watch the full mini episode for a deeper dive into Rachael’s leadership journey and the future of Breast Cancer Now.

Subscribe to the podcast: Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/78ASRJjPQjcijfeFxyiafX?si=41269ee0af1a468d Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/leaders-with-purpose/id1836126863 Amazon Music: https://music.amazon.co.uk/podcasts/ad0874f0-68de-4c21-a3e2-e08dfe71597a/leaders-with-purpose

Connect with us: Rachael Franklin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rachael-franklin-65aa4220/ Rebecca Hull: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rebecca-hull-75a78b39/ Louise Lai: https://www.linkedin.com/in/louise-lai-3958962a/ manifesto: https://manifesto.co.uk/

In this powerful episode of Leaders with Purpose, we sit down with Rachael Franklin, Chief Engagement Officer at Breast Cancer Now, to explore what it really takes to lead through transformation, growth and uncertainty. From her early days in telemarketing fundraising to navigating complex charity mergers and shaping a bold new five-year strategy, Rachael shares honest, practical insights on leadership, innovation and impact. This conversation comes at an exciting moment for Breast Cancer Now, who have just launched a bold new brand identity with a powerful ambition that by 2050, everyone with breast cancer will live and live well. As their digital partner, we’ve been proud to support this journey building the digital foundations over the last few years to help scale their impact, connect more people to support, and bring this vision to life. Chapters: 00:00 - Introduction to the episode and Rachael Franklin 00:38 - Career journey: from telemarketing to leadership 05:00 - Building strong partnerships and agency relationships 06:17 - Personal connection to purpose and mission 10:00 - Lessons from early fundraising and audience insight 12:42 - Leadership journey and role at Breast Cancer Now 13:43 - Navigating mergers and organisational change 17:08 - The reality of integration and long-term transformation 20:22 - Strategy, prioritisation, and finding your North Star 25:00 - Digital transformation and scaling impact 28:51 - AI in the charity sector: opportunities and challenges 32:17 - Using AI to amplify human-led services 34:55 - New five-year strategy: “Change Happens Now” 37:26 - Key focus areas and future ambitions 41:12 - Innovation, experimentation, and embracing uncertainty 44:03 - Leadership advice: being okay without all the answers Whether you’re a leader in the charity sector, healthcare, digital transformation or purpose-driven business, this episode is packed with insights you can apply immediately.

Connect with us: Rachael Franklin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rachael-franklin-65aa4220/ Rebecca Hull: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rebecca-hull-75a78b39/ Louise Lai: https://www.linkedin.com/in/louise-lai-3958962a/ manifesto: https://manifesto.co.uk/

Leadership is changing fast.

Today’s workplaces are more complex, more diverse and more digitally connected than ever before. Research shows that modern organisations increasingly rely on team autonomy, trust and collaborative leadership models to keep up with rapid change and faster decision-making.

In this episode, Rebecca Hull and Lou Lai explore what leadership really looks like in today’s world of work with Afsana Lachaux.

Afsana shares insights from a career spanning government, corporate and charity sectors, explaining why the best leaders stay curious, empower their teams and create environments where people feel confident to contribute ideas and challenge the status quo.

They also discuss the challenges many women leaders still face in the workplace, the importance of diversity and representation in leadership and why creating psychologically safe teams is essential for innovation and progress.

00:00 - Why adaptability is essential for modern leaders 01:10 - Learning from different sectors and career experiences 01:45 - Building teams based on complementary skills 03:40 - Creating a culture of autonomy and trust 05:00 - Leadership, confidence and imposter syndrome 07:40 - Overcoming barriers as a woman of colour in leadership 09:10 - Reframing “difficult women” and challenging norms 10:30 - Feedback, learning and leadership growth 11:40 - The power of reverse mentoring 12:20 - Bridging generational gaps in the workplace

If you enjoyed this episode, make sure to like, comment and subscribe for more conversations about leadership, culture and the future of work.

And if this conversation sparked ideas for your own organisation, share it with a colleague who’s passionate about building better teams and better workplaces.

Connect with us:

Afsana Lachaux: https://www.linkedin.com/in/afsana-lachaux-029380237/

Rebecca Hull: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rebecca-hull-75a78b39/

Louise Lai: https://www.linkedin.com/in/louise-lai-3958962a/

manifesto: https://manifesto.co.uk/