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Episode Overview

In this episode, we hear from endurance sportswoman Paula Ralph, who completed a remarkable solo, unsupported cycle ride of 12,290 km from Cape Town, South Africa to Nordkapp, Norway — crossing 17 countries in just 126 days.

Growing Up: Hardship and Survival

Paula speaks candidly about a difficult childhood in South Africa, growing up in a family heavily affected by death and hardship. Her early adult years were spent in survival mode — focused on getting through each day rather than truly living a fulfilling life.

Finding Purpose: The Decision to Ride

Driven by a determination to find deeper meaning in life, Paula explains how her sporting journey led her to a bold decision: to undertake the long-distance cycle ride entirely alone. The challenge became a vehicle for self-discovery and transformation.

Lessons from the Road

The journey taught Paula powerful life lessons that she shares openly in this episode:

• Building resilience, adaptability and self-belief through the toughest physical and mental challenges.

• Learning to ask for help — leaning on the kindness and expertise of strangers along the way.

• The power of a great coach: how her coach became her greatest cheerleader, lifting her through the darkest moments.

• Coping with pain and adversity by taking it one day at a time and choosing to smile through the struggle.

Advice for Educators and School Leaders

Paula closes the episode with three key messages for those working with young people:

• Listen carefully to young people — make sure they are truly heard and have a voice.

• Ask them lots of questions — show genuine interest in their lives and how they see the world.

• Ask them: "How can I help you achieve your goals?"

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In this episode, we sit down with Fiona Cottam, Principal of Hartland's International School in Dubai. Recorded before the situation in the Middle East unfolded, Fiona shares how strong, values-driven leadership enables a community to face uncertainty with resilience and unity.

Fiona takes us through her leadership journey — from teaching in the UK to heading one of Dubai's most prestigious international schools. She reflects on the role models and supporters who shaped her along the way, including parents who instilled in her the belief that anything was possible.

She speaks openly about the importance of leading with care and compassion, building a community aligned around a shared vision, and the power of both leaning into local support and reaching outward into the global network for expertise and fresh perspective.

As a passionate advocate for female leadership, Fiona believes women have a responsibility to lower the ladder so others can rise alongside them. She encourages women to use their voice, ask for what they need, intentionally role model for others, engage with coaching, seek inspiration in other women's stories, and create spaces where everyone feels genuinely welcomed.

Fiona also reminds school leaders of the importance of carving out time for the strategic and intellectual dimensions of leadership — reading widely, engaging with research, and thinking deeply about education. She champions coaching, networking, and professional sharing as essential tools for ongoing growth.

Three leadership takeaways to carry with you:

1. Believe in yourself — keep taking the next step forwards
2. Listen deeply — to yourself, those around you, and your wider community
3. Lean in to those close to you, and lean out into the wider network for support and guidance

Let me know if you'd like a shorter version, a different tone (more conversational, more formal), or if you need chapter markers or show notes formatted differently for Buzzsprout!

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In this episode, we sit down with Nicola Nelson, Head of Primary at Garden International School, Kuala Lumpur, for an honest and inspiring conversation about what it means to lead authentically.

Nicola opens up about identifying as an introverted leader — someone who listens carefully, processes deeply, and is intentional about the space she occupies in meetings and conversations. Rather than viewing introversion as a limitation, she has built a leadership style around it: distributing leadership across her team in a sustainable way, and carving out the quiet time she needs to recharge, reflect, and show up fully for others.

She speaks candidly about navigating imposter syndrome, sharing the self-talk strategies she uses to push through moments of self-doubt, and reflecting on how grit and determination have shaped the leader she is today. Modelling healthy, sustainable leadership isn't just a personal priority for Nicola — it's something she believes all leaders have a responsibility to demonstrate.

Nicola is also deeply committed to supporting other women in education, serving as a network leader for WomenEd Malaysia and as an active member of the Women in International Schools Empowerment community — driven by a desire to offer others the mentoring and coaching she didn't always have access to early in her own career.

She leaves us with three powerful pieces of advice:

• Don't wait until you feel 100% ready — take the leap and grow into the role
• Lead through relationships, with confidence, care, and courage
• Look after yourself, so you can lead in a healthy and sustainable way for the long term