Sixteen years of building. Then, suddenly, "fast growing".

In this episode of Leading With Impact, Pam Bateson, CEO of Thrive Partners, sits down with Ravi Agravat, founder of Berkfield, to unpick what really sits behind an overnight success. Ravi started with a £500 Prince's Trust grant, no outside capital and a mentor who gave two hours a month, with no stake in the outcome. When COVID froze his business overnight, he went back to basics, rebuilt around automation and data, and designed out capital intensity altogether.

Listen for practical lessons on backing yourself before you feel ready, hiring for comfort with the uncomfortable, and why mentors, coaches and the right network matter at every stage.

Why does leadership development so often fail to stick, even when organisations invest heavily in it? In this episode, Pam Bateson is joined by Philip Huthwaite, CEO of Helix (5app), to explore how combining coaching with real-time insight turns learning into lasting behaviour change.

They discuss why attendance and engagement say little about impact, how feedback in the flow of work works alongside coaching on the Thrive Platform, and why small, focused changes beat broad programmes. A practical listen for anyone responsible for developing leaders.

What happens when a major life upheaval leads someone to not just discover coaching — but dedicate their career to making it available to everyone?

In this episode, Pam speaks with Kim Pritchard, Head of Talent, Inclusion & Early Access at The Very Group, about her personal coaching journey and how it shaped a bold ambition: to democratise coaching across an entire organisation.

Kim shares how she embedded coaching into leadership development, talent strategy, neurodiversity, maternity, and career progression — and what it really takes to build a culture where leaders coach as a way of leading, not just a tick-box activity. Practical, honest, and genuinely inspiring.

What does it really take to build a high-performing team — and why do organisations full of brilliant individuals so often fall short? In this episode, Pam is joined by Angela Brennan, Global Head of Learning & Development at Insights, to explore why collective thinking beats individual talent, how Angela pioneered coaching culture at Sky before it was fashionable, and what leaders can do right now to create environments where people feel safe, curious, and genuinely seen.

From the "Leader as a Coach" programme that transformed Sky's leadership landscape, to the paradox of brilliant individuals who underperform as a team, Angela shares decades of insight on trust, self-awareness, adaptability, and the one thing every leader should do more of on Monday morning: ask better questions.

Tim Foster MBE is one of a rare breed — an elite athlete who became an elite coach. As part of the iconic Coxless Four, Tim won Olympic gold at Sydney 2000, capping a career of 9 World Championship medals across 14 years at the top of international rowing. He then moved straight into coaching, leading the GB team and transforming the Swiss National Rowing Team into their most successful era in two decades.

Since 2012, Tim has brought that high-performance mindset into business — working with FTSE 100 companies, 300+ start-ups, and as Head of Performance for the League Managers Association. In this episode, Tim talks candidly about the difference between being an expert and being a leader, what elite sport teaches us about building teams under pressure, and how to create the conditions for people to perform at their best.

Inclusion isn't built through training or policy — it's built in conversations. In this episode, Pam sits down with executive coach and master coach Martin Sealy to explore why so many leaders hesitate, despite good intent, and what it actually takes to create a culture where people belong. From vulnerability-based trust and relational presence, to the power of asking better questions and leading with empathy, Martin shares the beliefs and behaviours that separate truly transformative leaders from transactional ones. A rich, honest conversation about the real work of inclusive leadership today.

Pam Bateson is joined by Mel Gloyn to explore why capable leaders still hesitate in high-pressure moments—and how confidence is built through repeatable actions, human-centred leadership, and small daily habits that shift performance.

Pam Bateson sits down with Hayley Mann, Chief People Officer at Formula E, to unpack what it takes to build a high-trust culture in a fast-growth, high-performance environment—through listening, transparency, and leader-led employee experience.