Louisa Robb grew up in a chaotic and creative household.

A dreamer father who never quite landed his visions. A mother pioneering her way through the Australian film and television industry. Dinner parties with actors. No financial safety net. No predictable path.

So she built one.

Economics degree. Hong Kong. Zurich. UBS. Managing Director. Global COO overseeing thousands of people.

She fit the institution. She wore the suit. She prepared, over-prepared, and prepared some more just to feel like she belonged at the table.

And for years, it worked.

But something kept pulling at her. The creative child who grew up watching her mother break barriers. The woman who kept asking: should we really have to earn the right to be ourselves?

What Louisa discovered after two decades at the top of global finance is this: culture is not a values poster on a wall. It is the set of behaviors people believe they must exhibit just to fit in.

And that costs everyone. Especially women.

The micro-injuries accumulate quietly. The promotions come without support. The networking happens on golf courses and in spaces that were never designed for you. And one by one, talented women disappear from the pipeline.

Louisa left banking to fix that. Not with more compliance. Not with more control. But with a mirror, a whiteboard, and tools that finally put a number on what everyone could feel but no one could prove.

This conversation goes deep on imposter syndrome, organisational culture, women in leadership, and what it really means to lead on your own terms.

One of the most honest and grounded conversations I have had on this show.

I hope it stays with you.

Apply to work with me: https://www.michaelxcampion.com/

Connect with me: https://www.linkedin.com/in/michaelxcampion/

Guest - Louisa Robb (https://www.linkedin.com/in/louisa-robb/)

Louisa Robb is the Founder and Managing Director of Lucella AG, a professional coaching and consulting firm based in Zurich, Switzerland. With over 20 years of experience as a senior executive in international finance, including roles as Managing Director and Global COO at UBS AG, she now helps organizations and leaders diagnose and shift organizational culture, develop executive capability, and unlock untapped potential. She is the creator of the Athena program, a year-long women's leadership cohort designed to help women identify who they are, what they want, and how to get it. Her tools include Human Synergistics culture measurement frameworks and the Japanese philosophy of ikigai. She works with investment banks, insurance companies, and major international organizations across Europe and beyond.

(00:00) Growing up creative in a world that rewarded conformity

(04:10) A filmmaker mother, a dreamer father, and the hunger for security

(06:41) Graduating into a recession and landing in Hong Kong

(09:07) Being the only woman on the desk and knowing when to walk

(12:37) Meeting a Swiss man on the Trans-Siberian Railway

(16:36) What it takes to rise through each stage of a finance career

(20:43) Micro-injuries and why women disappear at mid-career

(27:54) Imposter syndrome and the discipline of over-preparation

(33:46) Why she left UBS and what organizational culture really means

(37:07) The mirror: closing the gap between intent and impact

(44:35) Ikigai, the Athena program, and unlocking untapped potential

(59:34) Words to live by, life principles, and what she is most grateful for

Nick Day was driving his car half a mile from home.

On his way to pick up his daughter.

Half a second later, everything changed and his whole life turned upside down.

The person who showed up after the accident was someone he didn't recognise. Nick, an extrovert with a theatre degree. Loud. Social. Full of life. He closed the curtains and didn't leave his house for months.

He told himself it was out of respect. But when he got really honest, it was fear.

That was the beginning.

Years of struggle followed. His daughter was diagnosed with an eating disorder. His father, his hero, passed away. And through every one of those moments, fear showed up again. Different shape. Same game.

What Nick discovered is this: fear isn't the enemy. It's a signal. It points directly at the things that matter most.

And fear’s greatest disguise? Wisdom. It’s that quiet voice telling you to keep your distance. To play it safe. To play it small.

That voice isn't wisdom. That's fear in a suit.

Failure you can heal from. But regret lingers forever.

Where are you paying “The Fear Tax” in your life?

This is one of the most vulnerable and moving conversations I've ever had on this show.

I hope it resonates with you the way it did with me.

Apply to work with me: https://www.michaelxcampion.com/

Guest - Nick Day (https://www.linkedin.com/in/nickday/)

Connect with me: https://www.linkedin.com/in/michaelxcampion/

Nick Day is the CEO and founder of JGA Recruitment Group, a B-Corp certified executive search firm specializing in Payroll and HR. An ILM Level 7 certified executive coach, author, speaker, and podcast host, he is the #1 Global Thought Leader in Payroll and one of the Top 10 HR Voices. His work focuses on the intersection of leadership, talent, mindset, and performance. Host of: The Payroll Podcast, The HR L&D Podcast, and The Mindful Paths Podcast. As the creator of The Fear Equation™ and B.O.L.D.™, he helps leaders transform fear and uncertainty into purposeful action. His book, The Payroll Pivot: From Invisibility to Influence was released in March.

(00:00) Opening proverb: the secret to lasting happiness

(02:18) The accident that changed everything

(07:05) Fear as a signal, not a stop sign

(09:37) The three-part fear equation explained

(14:50) The fear paradox and success anxiety

(21:01) The BOLD framework: a practical tool for courage

(26:52) Dealing with fear during a family crisis

(44:08) The fear tax: what inaction really costs you

(47:36) Finding joy in the struggle

(50:04) Nick's life philosophy: be more kind

(55:45) What Nick would regret most

(57:05) His father's final words: keep opening new doors

I had the opportunity to sit down with Rasheed Shroff from 'Entrepreneur Stories' for a conversation about authentic communication and the leadership edge it creates.

Recorded in front of a live audience, we explored the experiences that shaped my thinking, from investment banking to professional sport, entrepreneurship to podcasting, and how each environment forced me to refine how I show up under pressure.

One of the key themes we discussed was intentionality.

At 15, I realised talent alone would never be enough.

That shift in mindset changed the trajectory of my life.

I set myself a simple target - 1 conversation with a stranger every single day.

And I've been hitting the books on communication and psychology ever since.

“It takes effort to make things look effortless”

I hope find our conversation valuable as you seek to unlock new levels within yourself

Apply to work with me: www.michaelxcampion.com

Connect with me: https://www.linkedin.com/in/michaelxcampion/

Connect with Rasheed Shroff: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rasheedshroff/

Entrepreneur Stories: https://www.youtube.com/@entrepreneurstories.podcast