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What comes to mind when you think about being “professional”? Fast, certain, composed, always ready with an answer. But those reflexes weren’t born in today’s world. They were forged in factories and on battlefields, where control, compliance, and speed kept systems running.

In this episode, liminal coach, AI-enthusiast, and possibilitarian Mike Parker invites us to trace that origin story and ask whether those habits still help. We hold the past up to the present: modern work that depends on curiosity, synthesis, care, and the courage to say “I don’t know.”

Together we explore what shifts when we stop chasing certainty and start practising wisdom—protecting real thinking, letting not-knowing lead to better decisions, and using AI to widen possibilities without outsourcing judgment. More than a history lesson, this is an invitation to trade fear-polish for trust, presence, and purpose so people can create better, together.

Find out about:

• How industrial-age rules still shape “professional” behavior—and what to keep, update, or retire
• Why depth beats speed: the role of calm, daydreaming, and the default-mode network in insight
• Creating rooms where questions lead, learning is visible, and inclusion isn’t performative
• Using AI as an expander for divergent options while keeping humans at the center

Connect with Mike:

Website

LinkedIn

Substack

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You can now find the podcast on Substack, where your host Dr. Myriam Hadnes is building a club for you to find fellow listeners and peers: https://myriamhadnes.substack.com/

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We grow up waiting for permission. But at what point do we stop waiting and start taking it for ourselves?

Mentor, facilitator and permission advocate Jillian Reilly took hers early on in her career, during a US-sponsored AIDS programme that she was leading in Zimbabwe. Shaking in her shoes, she chose to speak her truth and honour her integrity, even if it meant going against the grain of expectation.

For our first unscripted exploration of Unprofessionalism, Jillian - bestselling author of The 10 Permissions - joins me to deliver an important reminder: no one is coming to give us permission. We must resist the micro-moments of suppression, we must break the invisible rules of what we think is allowed, and we must take up the space we deserve.

Find out about:

• How to give ourselves permission to show up with truth and integrity
• The cultural components and privilege at play when giving ourselves permission
• Getting clear on our boundaries in professional settings for greater self-alignment
• Why leaders must make the invisible rulebook explicit, turning it into a conversation
• Why suppressing your needs will dull your agency, waste time, and make it harder to instigate change

Links:

LinkedIn

The 10 Permissions Website

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You can now find the podcast on Substack, where your host Dr. Myriam Hadnes is building a club for you to find fellow listeners and peers: https://myriamhadnes.substack.com/

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Welcome to Unprofessionalism! My shiny new podcast, a provocation in the making, and the place to challenge everything we’ve been taught about being professional.

Together, we’ll be peeling back the limitations of professionalism, on a mission to restore our humanness and bring joy, defiantly, back to work. You’ll hear stories from scientists, artists, entrepreneurs, and true masters of their craft as we question the very construct of professionalism, its silent expectations, how we can break free, and seek to be unprofessionals in all that we do!

But first, join me from the very beginning. In episode 000, we’ll journey from the birth of professionalism to its existence in the age of AI, and why the only sustainable thing left for us to be is our real, brilliant, unfiltered selves.

Find out about:

• The history of professionalism, its construct, and why it has become such a paradox
• The wonderful guests I’ll be interviewing in the coming weeks, and the topics we’ll be exploring
• The Unprofessionalism book I am writing alongside the podcast, and the research that has led me here

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You can now find the podcast on Substack, where your host Dr. Myriam Hadnes is building a club for you to find fellow listeners and peers: https://myriamhadnes.substack.com/

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And that’s a wrap, folks! After 355 brilliant, beautiful, mind-opening conversations about facilitation, life, and everything in between, I can now confidently say that I have found the magic ingredients that make workshops work.

Join me, myself, and I for a final farewell episode of Workshops Work, before I retire this guise of the podcast from the airwaves. I reflect on the beautiful journey of almost 7 years, where my curiosity has led me, and why it’s now time for the start of something new.

Next week, Workshop Works shapeshifts into a new chapter, a new direction, a new podcast! Unprofessionalism is set to air on the 7th January, as I begin to explore the real stories, shadows, and inspirations that can help us to celebrate our most human, unguarded selves.

But for now, a wholehearted thank you for being a part of this journey with me.

Find out about:

• The evolution of the Workshops Works podcast
• Why my curiosity has shifted from that of the facilitator, to that of the participant
• The new Unprofessionalism podcast – what it’s about, and what you can expect
• The podcast club that I am hosting, to deepen our facilitation learnings together

Connect with me:

LinkedIn

• Join the Podcast Club on Substack by subscribing to the workshops work Substack: https://substack.com/@myriamhadnes/posts

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You can now find the podcast on Substack, where your host Dr. Myriam Hadnes is building a club for you to find fellow listeners and peers: https://myriamhadnes.substack.com/

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Brave work is messy work. It’s an invitation into the dōjō – to be humbled, to get vulnerable, and leave behind what you thought you knew.

Life-long learner, executive coach, culture consultant and facilitator, Dr. Dauv Evans joins me this week to journey beyond safety into the brave space arena. Together, we explore what it takes to build these spaces: the intentionality, the rules of engagement, and the assumptions we must leave at the door to have courageous conversations.

From power imbalances, to conversations on race, Dauv shares his work in helping people to grow together and exist outside of their comfort zone, with generosity and passion. A rich, practical conversation about how leaders can show up with humility when it’s needed most.

Find out about:

• What braves spaces are – and why people must be invited into them
• How constructive discomfort can facilitate deeper connection, meaningful learning, and cultural change within organisations
• Why leaders must navigate people’s varying levels of risk tolerance with care
• How to use power positively to facilitate a brave conversation for the better

Don’t miss the next episode: subscribe to the show with your favourite podcast player.

Links:

Watch the video recording of this episode on YouTube.

Connect to Dauv Evans:

Brave Space Leadership Cohort Interest Form

Website

LinkedIn

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You can now find the podcast on Substack, where your host Dr. Myriam Hadnes is building a club for you to find fellow listeners and peers: https://myriamhadnes.substack.com/

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Take a moment to tune into your body. Do your muscles feel tense, is your heartbeat slow and steady, is your jaw clamped tight?

Embodiment coach and one-week-old facilitator, my fiancée Mirjam Leunissen joins me this week for a podcast first! As a scientist in a past life, Mirjam spent her days distilling data points – and she continues to do so under a new guise, now recognising patterns in the body, in emotions, and how people show up.

We explore how embodiment can be a gateway to changing perspective and mastering our own comfort, as Mirjam shares practical tips for making sense of our bodies. A beautiful invitation to think a little less, sense a lot more, and come back to being a whole human being!

Find out about:

• How embodiment can shape how we think and feel, helping us to regulate our nervous system, and respond with greater clarity
• Why emotional awareness begins in the body first, when we tune into our physical sensations
• Why facilitating with lightness, play, and curiosity can foster psychological safety
• The importance of using tangible, factual terms about our physiology to bridge understanding
• Why shifting our posture can positively transform the way that we think

Don’t miss the next episode: subscribe to the show with your favourite podcast player.

Links:

Connect to Mirjam Leunissen:

LinkedIn

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You can now find the podcast on Substack, where your host Dr. Myriam Hadnes is building a club for you to find fellow listeners and peers: https://myriamhadnes.substack.com/

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From a childhood imaginary classroom, to the moments before a traffic light turns green, Shireen Naqvi has been viewing the world as a beautiful facilitation opportunity her whole life.

Guided by the divine belief that humans are the best creatures in the universe, Shireen has made it her mission to help others realise the power that lies within them. She joins me this week to share stories from her life in Pakistan, her strategies for enabling self-empowerment in others, and why anger is the perfect ammunition for change.

A wise and inspiring conversation rich with Shireen’s passion, as we explore professionalism, injustice, the female experience, cultural nuances, and everything in between!

Find out about:

• Why we should pay attention to our angers in order to understand our personal values
• Women’s rights in Pakistan, and Shireen’s experience as a female trainer and entrepreneur
• How Shireen uses play and authenticity to break the barrier of professionalism in the boardroom
• How the concept of professionalism differs across cultures and countries

Don’t miss the next episode: subscribe to the show with your favourite podcast player.

Links:

Watch the video recording of this episode on YouTube.

Connect to Shireen Naqvi:

LinkedIn

Support the show

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You can now find the podcast on Substack, where your host Dr. Myriam Hadnes is building a club for you to find fellow listeners and peers: https://myriamhadnes.substack.com/

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Not all clowns hide sadness behind a painted smile. Some wear their emotions on their sleeve, with earnest, overt authenticity, and deep self-awareness!

After taking a sign language course, Suzanne Dietz discovered how freeing it was to express herself through non-verbal communication – and it soon changed the course of her life. Hanging up her traditional facilitation hat and swapping it for a red nose, she now brings joy to the lives of asylum seekers and the elderly as a talented care clown.

Together, we unravel the wondrous world of non-verbal facilitation: from improvisation and silent connection, to letting go of performance, and developing a sharpened sense for the unspoken.

Find out about:

• The unexpected similarities between facilitators and clowns
• The non-verbal craft of clowning, the cues, and the communication form
• How Suzanne expresses and plays with emotions with authenticity
• How clowning can sharpen our intuition, and reveal emotional clarity in both ourselves and others

Don’t miss the next episode: subscribe to the show with your favourite podcast player.

Connect to Suzanne Dietz:

LinkedIn

Website

Support the show

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You can now find the podcast on Substack, where your host Dr. Myriam Hadnes is building a club for you to find fellow listeners and peers: https://myriamhadnes.substack.com/