Ever feel like everyone else got a handbook you didn't? Like there are invisible rules at work that no one actually tells you?

In this episode, Cristina Loaiza the host and Founder of FUTURES talks to Nicola Davy – a marketing leader who's navigated agency life, client side, scale-ups, corporates, and iconic brands like Jo Malone and The Cambridge Satchel Company – about the unspoken norms that shape success (and how to spot them before they trip you up.).

Nicola shares stories from her career transitions and opens up about:

• The invisible practices that were hardest to adjust to when moving between different organisations and sectors
• How to figure out if a company's hidden rules will help or hinder your growth
• What she wishes someone had told her earlier about navigating workplace cultures
• How she helps her teams become aware of unwritten expectations
• The lessons she's taking into her next chapter (including a peek at what's coming next)

If you've ever wondered why some people just seem to "get it" while others struggle to fit in or get ahead, this conversation will give you the tools to decode what's really going on – and decide which rules are worth following.

This episode is sponsored by Spotify and mixed by Oliver Steadman at Stone Street Productions.

Useful resources:

• Alex McCann, Still Wondering
• Stefanie Sword-Williams, Fuck Being Humble
• Mel Robbins, Let Them Theory

What if becoming a mother didn't diminish your creativity – but actually unlocked it?

In this episode, Jess MacIntyre sits down with Emma Baines, Global Head of Creative at Tony's Chocolonely and founder of Creative Motherhood, to explore how parenthood reshapes who we are and how we work.

Emma opens up about her journey – from 13 years in London's top agencies to global roles at HelloFresh and Tony's Chocolonely – and how becoming a mother completely changed her approach to leadership and creativity. Spoiler: it made her better at both.

They chat about:

• The shift that happens when you become a parent (and why it's actually a superpower)
• How motherhood influences the way you lead and create
• What the industry gets wrong about supporting mothers and carers – and what good looks like
• Why Emma started Creative Motherhood alongside her demanding day job
• The practical boundaries that help mothers thrive, not just survive

Whether you're a parent, thinking about it, or just curious about how life experiences shape leadership, this one's for you.

This episode was mixed by Oliver Steadman at Stone Street Productions.

We hear a lot about mentorship, but what if we could take this one stage further into sponsorship?

In this episode, FUTURES host Gina Hood talks to the brilliant Dinah Williams - an award-winning consultant and founder of Avenir Network, and Program Director of the Black Representation in Marketing Sponsorship Programme - to talk about how Dinah’s work is transforming how organisations think about equity, opportunity, and leadership.

You'll hear about...

1. Insight into why sponsorship is critical for women and underrepresented talent.
2. Inspiration from Dinah’s journey and the success of BRiM
3. Practical takeaways for building meaningful, sustainable career support networks

With special thanks as always to our sponsor Spotify.