Why does money cause so much tension with others and within ourselves? Host Jo Cowlin is joined by highly experienced financial planner and NLP coach Warren Shute for an honest, relatable conversation about the emotional side of money.

Forget strict budgets and financial guilt. This episode is full of laughter, real-life stories, and practical insights to help you get financially organised in a way that truly works for you. You’ll explore how money is less about numbers and more about beliefs, values, and behaviour and learn simple strategies you can actually stick to.

Here are the Highlights:

00:00 Warren Shute, a financial planner with 31 years of experience

03:15 Belief over strategy is key

10:05 Save 15%, automate finances, and simplify money management

14:50 Clarify personal definitions of financial security

21:02 Teaching kids life lessons about money

24:33 Finding financial balance and freedom

31:53 Consider financial decisions carefully

37:20 Women often claim they're not good with money, but they may be better investors and more process-focused than men

41:32 Seek reliable sources, avoid sensational media, and take action

43:09 Regular communication with clients and financial clarity

49:21 Organising financials, reviewing investments, and planning.

Jo Cowlin keeps it real.

Some people might like to call her ‘a motivational people development expert’ but Jo would rather you didn’t.

Jo is a no-nonsense, straight-talking northerner

She is also a transformational coach, facilitator and game changer. She has a passion for results and is dedicated to helping leaders realise their aspirations without compromising their wellbeing.

She dares individuals to be different by eliminating corporate BS, life coaching, and hand-holding, and instead encourages breaking through barriers to gain clarity and step into personal power for a life without limits.

Resilience and a proactive approach to mental wellbeing is at the core of all of her work which is predominantly aimed at helping leaders and their teams refocus, regroup and rapidly adjust to change. With a background in pharmaceutical leadership and expertise across various sectors, she offers coaching and leadership programs tailored to individual and organisational needs.

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jocowlin/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jo-cowlin/

About Warren Shute MSc., CFP™ FPFS, Chartered FCSI:

Warren Shute began his career in financial services in 1995 at just 21 years old. At the same time, he trained in Neuro-Linguistic Programming (NLP) and coaching - combining technical expertise with a deep understanding of human behaviour. This unique blend has fuelled his passion for both his profession and helping people ever since.

Today, Warren is a Certified and Chartered Financial Planner, a Master Practitioner and trainer of NLP, and a Certified Coach. He is also the Managing Director of Lexington Wealth Management, widely recognised as one of the UK’s leading financial planning firms.

He is also a passionate advocate...

How many New Year’s resolutions have you made, only to see them fizzle out before February? In this uplifting episode, host Jo Cowlin offers a refreshing antidote to the traditional “New Year, New You” rhetoric. Instead of big, daunting goals, she delivers a story straight from her living room: a tale of her determined cockapoo Jack. A formerly forbidden door, and how pure persistence unlocked surprising lessons about growth, well-being, and our brains’ capacity to adapt at any age or stage.

With humour, honesty, and practical inspiration, Jo connects the dots between neuroscience, motivation, and everyday barriers revealing why you’re never too “established,” “old,” or “set in your ways” to learn, pivot, or change. You’ll uncover the myth of being stuck, and learn how even small experiments, patience, and persistence are the real keys to transformation.

Feeling skeptical or stuck this January? This episode is your permission slip to embrace small changes, celebrate progress, and rediscover your capacity not just in work, but in life.

Here are the Highlights:

00:00 Intro: Why big New Year speeches don’t work and what Jack the Cockapoo taught instead

01:22 The mystery of the opening door and the forbidden sofa

03:27 Jack’s door-opening breakthrough

06:08 Why “you can’t teach an old dog new tricks” is a myth

09:07 Neuroplasticity explained: Your brain can change at any age

11:10 How persistence, repetition, and small steps rewire your potential

13:21 The real barrier is the story you tell yourself

15:32 Six actionable steps to embrace growth (and how to identify your “door handle” goal)

18:52 Why repetition beats motivation every time

21:30 Celebrate the small wins and embrace discomfort

22:52 No one is a finished product, and you’re not too late for change

Jo Cowlin keeps it real.

Some people might like to call her ‘a motivational people development expert’ but Jo would rather you didn’t.

Jo is a no-nonsense, straight-talking northerner

She is also a transformational coach, facilitator and game changer. She has a passion for results and is dedicated to helping leaders realise their aspirations without compromising their wellbeing.

She dares individuals to be different by eliminating corporate BS, life coaching, and hand-holding, and instead encourages breaking through barriers to gain clarity and step into personal power for a life without limits.

Resilience and a proactive approach to mental wellbeing is at the core of all of her work which is predominantly aimed at helping leaders and their teams refocus, regroup and rapidly adjust to change. With a background in pharmaceutical leadership and expertise across various sectors, she offers coaching and leadership programs tailored to individual and organisational needs.

When Jo isn’t transforming company cultures, you’ll find her managing her 3 teenage girls’ busy social calendars. She’s a dab hand in the kitchen and true to form, loves to keep her food real. And if she isn’t doing either of those you will find her out in nature walking her dog or lifting a barbell in the gym.

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jocowlin/

LinkedIn:

Are meetings filling up your days but draining your energy? In this episode, host Jo Cowlin uncovers the uncomfortable truth about meeting overload in today’s workplace and why it’s undermining productivity, well-being, and business results.

Drawing on research, lived experience, and her work with driven female leaders, Jo Cowlin breaks down the real (and hidden) costs of poor meeting culture, from burnout and disengagement to billions lost in ineffective practices. But it’s not all doom and gloom Jo shares practical, actionable steps to help leaders reclaim their time, recharge their teams, and turn meetings into energising, purposeful collaboration.

If your calendar looks like an endless wall of meetings, this episode will help you rethink scheduling meetings, protect your most valuable focus time, and create a lasting culture of well-being and impact.

Here are the Highlights:

00:00 Intro: Meetings are wearing us down, but there’s hope

01:21 Back-to-back meetings are sabotaging goals

02:25 Meeting overload crisis: Research and lived experience

03:42 People spend 23 hours a week in meetings

05:18 The human cost, burnout, low energy, and disengagement

08:15 76% feel drained after a day of meetings and what that really means

09:18 People now do “actual work” after hours

09:29 How back-to-back meetings hurt productivity

11:03 Unproductive meetings cost UK businesses billions a year

11:55 Ripple effects: Delayed decisions, duplication, retention risk

13:28 Challenging the productivity myth

15:27 Rethinking meetings: They should recharge, not drain

16:20 Five actions to tackle meeting overload starting now

Actions you can take now:

• Do a meeting audit: Does this meeting even matter?
• Eliminate back-to-back meetings; build buffer time
• Create meeting-free zones/focus days
• Redesign meeting structure: clear purpose, pre-reads, accountability, energy checks

Jo Cowlin keeps it real.

Some people might like to call her ‘a motivational people development expert’ but Jo would rather you didn’t.

Jo is a no-nonsense, straight-talking northerner

She is also a transformational coach, facilitator and game changer. She has a passion for results and is dedicated to helping leaders realise their aspirations without compromising their wellbeing.

She dares individuals to be different by eliminating corporate BS, life coaching, and hand-holding, and instead encourages breaking through barriers to gain clarity and step into personal power for a life without limits.

Resilience and a proactive approach to mental wellbeing is at the core of all of her work which is predominantly aimed at helping leaders and their teams refocus, regroup and rapidly adjust to change. With a background in pharmaceutical leadership and expertise across various sectors, she offers coaching and leadership programs tailored to individual and organisational needs.

When Jo isn’t transforming company cultures, you’ll find her managing her 3 teenage girls’ busy social calendars. She’s a dab hand in the kitchen and true to form, loves to keep her food real. And if she isn’t doing either of those you will find her out in nature walking her dog or lifting a barbell in the gym.

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jocowlin/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jo-cowlin/

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