Ep25: Be Yourself at Work: Amplifying Uniqueness with Liz Villani Artwork

Human Wise

Host and expert coach Helen Wada is a strong believer in the commercial advantage of being human at work.

With over 25 years commercial experience, Helen has seen an opportunity for businesses to do things differently – a sweet spot where a coaching approach and commercial focus can co-exist to build a more human working world.

This podcast is for anyone in business who believes that a better way of working is out there: better for teams, for organisations and, ultimately, for society as a whole.

We'll hear from senior leaders, founders, people on the ground and professionals from a variety of different disciplines, learning from their unique wisdom and experience.

So, if you're ready to make the human advantage your commercial advantage, join Helen and guests every other week on all major podcast directories.

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Human Wise

Ep25: Be Yourself at Work: Amplifying Uniqueness with Liz Villani

February 05, 2025 • Helen Wada • Season 2 • Episode 25

Welcome to Human Wise, the podcast that explores the commercial advantage of being human at work.

With host Helen Wada, executive coach and founder of The Human Advantage, each episode will explore what being human at work looks like across a wide range of industries, from people in senior management to those on the ground.

In this episode of the Human Wise podcast, host Helen welcomes Liz Villani, founder of Be Yourself at Work, to explore the transformative power of authenticity in the workplace. Liz shares her incredible journey from a challenging upbringing in Warwickshire to founding her own company that helps professionals thrive by embracing their true selves. With a background in manufacturing and over a decade of experience in retail at Sainsbury’s, Liz reveals insights into the role of personal values and character in professional success.

Throughout the conversation, Liz and Helen unpack essential strategies for becoming your true self at work, including the importance of understanding and amplifying your unique traits. Liz passionately discusses how knowing who you are can lead to greater fulfillment and efficiency, both personally and professionally. They delve into techniques like AI-enhanced personal development and combating imposter syndrome, offering practical advice for listeners aiming to navigate their careers confidently and authentically.

The episode also touches on the evolving role of technology in our professional lives. Liz emphasizes the need for human-centric AI and how it can enhance our productivity while maintaining our individual essence. Helen and Liz also discuss the future of work, suggesting that the integration of technology and human skills will be paramount for success.

Topics Discussed:

Human at work narrative
Amplifying your uniqueness
Impact of AI on work
Developing human connection
Building professional confidence

View Extended Shownotes here:

About Liz Villani

Follow Liz on LinkedIn
Learn more about #beyourselfatwork

Liz is the matriarch behind the global #BeYourselfAtWork movement. A true innovator, Liz's pioneering approaches position her as a thought leader and game-changer. She volunteers for the UK Department of Business and Trade as an Export Champion, inspiring others to take their businesses global. With an enormous passion for work, she is now successfully challenging tech giants, governments and businesses to create a shift in humanity because of how we work with AI. Placing the BY@W product iAM, into Agents and Apps to hyper-personalise the experience, making it irresistible and a force for good that shifts humanity. Liz’s clients include household brands and global leaders. She has been published in multiple national and international press including the BBC, Management Today, Grazia and HR news.

Further links to follow:

Helen Wada: https://uk.linkedin.com/in/helen-wada

The Human Advantage: https://www.thehumanadvantage.co.uk/

Ep25: Be Yourself at Work: Amplifying Uniqueness with Liz Villani

Helen Wada: [00:00:00] Welcome

to another episode of human wise. I'm absolutely delighted to have Liz Belani here with me today. Liz is founder of be yourself at work, an organization which partners with workplaces to create a new narrative. Around the role that work plays in our lives to boost energy, performance, and results.

She's absolutely passionate about the human at work. And so when she and I met last year or even the year before Liz now She was somebody that I really warmed to and was really keen to, to get on this conversation of human wise. So Liz, welcome to the show. Lovely to have you here.

Liz Villani: I'm very excited to be working with you. I'm proud of what you're doing too. It's

Helen Wada: Thank

you. So before we kick off you know, talk about being human, tell those listening to us today who is Liz? What do you get up to? What do you enjoy doing? Tell us a bit about your career history. So they've got a flavor of where you're coming from and what you're up to right now.

Liz Villani: [00:01:00] No,

Of course. So, obviously from the wrinkles, I've been doing this for quite a long time now.

Liz Villan Video: You're

watching,

Liz Villani: But no, of course. So, so obviously this is based here in the UK. I'm a very practical person. And you know, as I was sharing with Maya, I am. I love close relationships. I love competence.

I love work. I've always loved work. I grew up in the 1970s in in Warwickshire, South Warwickshire here in the UK. And had quite a challenging background, and that meant, that gave me the gift of escapism through work. So I, at the age of nine, I decided what I wanted to do for a living. I was that driven, still am.

And yeah, and found various different jobs throughout my teens, which really showed me that I could be anyone when I was at work, if you like, and I fell in love with the world of work. I have a background in manufacturing and I have a degree from Manchester in manufacturing, and I spent the first decade of my career at Sainsbury's, which was the dream that I had when I was nine years old.

Helen Wada: I, I did as well. I across that. I was [00:02:00] in the, I was in their cash office they seemed to think that I was good at maths. I

Those,

those, lovely orange and brown uniforms. I don't know if you had one of those, it was upgraded to blue while I was there, but, you know.

Liz Villani: I always say you could still cut me in half and you'd see Sainsbury's running through the middle of me, but retail in general. So I was a trader. I wanted to be a food buyer. So I was at head office in London and I absolutely loved it. And that was my first kind of introduction to the world of work.

It was my dream come true. It's a fabulous business still is. And and it's a people business. And so I met lots of people in the world of you know, just HR, people in culture, but suppliers as well, you know? And I was incredibly lucky because at the time there was a very sort of empowering approach to the way you manage business as graduates and those kind of things.

Founding 'Be Yourself at Work'

Liz Villani: So I had a lot of freedom and I learned so much I pretty much learned how to run my own business and I spent a lot of time in in the people space and so That [00:03:00] inspired me to to sort of step back from the world of work and explore what stopped us from really loving it the way that I did but also what made us perhaps sort of conform and change and professionalize Our approach avatar

I guess I was on the other side of sales.

So i'm a bit of an expert like you on sales as well in the commercial world so I left there, over a decade ago now a long time ago now and and sat at my kitchen table And essentially said right. Okay. What is it that I can? I can do to really help the world to turn up and show up at work By being the best of themselves, we absolutely love it.

And that's when Be Yourself at Work and I Am was born. So what we do is very unique, it's very different. And and essentially help you to understand who you are, your values, so that you can be yourself and really, you know, expand and amplify your uniqueness. So that you can really enjoy and experience being you.

[00:04:00] You know, I think work is an amazing opportunity that's totally underestimated, particularly by our young people. You know, in their teens, you know, you've got kids yourself, you've got children yourself. You know, you say to a young child, you know, particularly in primary school years, what to do when you grow up?

They get really excited! They get really excited, a lot of them, and yet something happens when we get into our teenage years and into the world of work. That kind of takes away some of that enthusiasm. So that's me. I'm very excited about work and I love people and finding out who you are and what makes you tick and then helping you to be you in essence.

Helen Wada: And

I, for those listeners that aren't aware of the sort of the I am that you talk about I've, I was, I went through it. We, I went through it with one of your coaches last year and it's fascinating how it comes through in terms of, it really goes deeper than your values. So it is, it's about identifying your values, but it's more than that.

It's about [00:05:00] how you show up, which actually is the H in my human, in the human framework when I'm working with people, but you know, right top for me was, was was being human. It was about getting out there. It was about the energy. It was about. Getting things done and making stuff happen and not just one word, but phrases that really resonated with me and how I shot, I think back to some of my earlier days in my career.

And I think, you know, I always looked, you know, across to others and was, I was different. You know, I had something different about me, good or bad, you know, there was no good or bad. It was just different, it's often hard to hold onto that, who you are. In a workplace that, to your point earlier, just conform and almost that energy, the creativity in a number of workplaces, I'm generalizing for effect, but it's almost beaten out of you to conform processes and procedures and the outcomes that the organizations are trying to drive these days.

And so for me, [00:06:00] it's so, so important that we help uncover that how you show up, understanding yourself first is one of the key things that I do with the work that we do with the Human Advantage.

Liz Villani: Exactly.

The Importance of Being Human at Work

Helen Wada: who are you, and I guess that really leads me on to that first question that I love to ask all my guests is what does being human at work mean to you, Liz, in the context we just talked about,

Liz Villani: It means stepping in and acknowledging and accepting and knowing your unique self. So. What most people say when you say to them, who are you? Most people will say this is my name. This is my job role. This is my experience. This is where I'm from. All of that generally is in your head or in your journey.

But you know, who you really are, who you are as Helen is on the inside of you. You know, it's your character, it's your values that make you and, you know, we test this. You'll always be you. You can do different roles. You can play different careers. You can [00:07:00] advance. You can be an entrepreneur.

You could kids not have kids, you know, all the changes with career and life, but you'll always feel like Helen. You know, and so me being you and being human at work is that as acknowledging who you are and then using you using your values and using your character. As your guide, as your benchmark on future being and how to succeed in the world of work.

That's about being human yeah, and it's just, you know, so characterful and really powerful stepping into their uniqueness, really consciously know your own humanness and then amplify it at work.

Helen Wada: I, I love that and I think it's that diving deeper and I think, you know, for me in, you know, too many years of career to, to mention but it's that taking time to really acknowledge yourself because I think, you know, We don't always know and we don't always take the time [00:08:00] to really understand looking inwards, you know, we need to be able to look inwards to be able to look outwards and for me, it's absolutely the starting and too often.

Everybody again, generalizing, but we're running from one conversation to another where we're going, well, I've got to do this with a task focused, you know, you start the, what are your goals? What are your ambitions? But actually, hang on a minute, let's take a step back. Who do I want to be? In 2025, you know, we're still in January at the end of January, probably when we're posting this, but who do I want to be?

What does being me look like this year?

Liz Villani: Yeah.

Helen Wada: And that for me is a fundamentally different question to what your goals are for this year,

Liz Villani: Oh, completely.

Helen Wada: it's a completely different angle to look at. And I think I have it all the way. I imagine I'm a coach. I kind of almost trained with this. I work with my clients all the time as to you.

But it's like [00:09:00] taking that step back to saying, well, how do I want to be? And what can I achieve? What are the ambitions? What's fulfilling for me? How can I serve others? How can I help others?

But how do I need to manage so that I'm not running at 150 miles an hour the whole time that I do have time and space for me, you know, we all need to look after ourselves, we're being told that constantly at the moment.

Have you got your 10, 000 steps in? Have you been to the gym four times this week? Have you drunk? You know, your litre and a half of water. That's a new thing for my husband and I because our kids gave us these big bottles so that we drank enough water every day when we were.

Liz Villani: I think, you know, we just need to be super careful that when we're asking those kind of questions, which is really natural, we don't start to aspire, like you said, or compare. It's very easy, you know, women are, you know, in the surveys and research that we've done, as women we have a strong tendency to compare ourselves to other people.

The biggest challenge we find with men, not to categorize, because it's not a direct science, but generally is that men have a [00:10:00] really critical relationship with themselves. We found that over 70 percent of men, for example, never have a positive conversation with themselves on the inside. So it's really important that when we kind of think about who we are and then what that means to amplify that person and who do we want to be and how do we want to show up this year?

The easiest person to be is you. So be the best version of you work on, you know, work on that, work on dispelling negativity. Work on shining light inside yourself and being, you know, not critical to the point of self consciousness and self deprecating, if you like, on the inside.

Acknowledge the things you don't do naturally.

Acknowledge the things that are perhaps more challenging. And embrace and be brave enough to go, you know what, that is actually my uniqueness and it's time that I amplify it. You know, to be different and unique and then, yeah, the year, wow, the changes will be [00:11:00] huge.

Helen Wada: It's fascinating, isn't it? And it's, It links back to a conversation I was having last week around some talking about imposter syndrome. And actually, you know, there's a lot of talk about, you know, again, particularly women, but imposter syndrome can be a negative. It's that, you know, or I can't do, I, you know, it brings those connotations, but actually there's something around, what is it that helps you from that, that you able to take forward?

So, you know, you might be risk averse, you might be concerned or, but actually how does that help you going

Liz Villani: Yeah, humility.

Helen Wada: just a part, of you, right? It's not all of you. And I think helping to see people that we are made up of different parts, that we do have different sub personalities, one of a better term, that you can draw on in different circumstances and each can be helpful, whichever circumstance you find yourself

Liz Villani: Yeah it's really about Acknowledging, knowing who you are, acknowledging and having confidence to be you, and [00:12:00] then being brave enough to amplify that no matter what your career or role is. So, no, as an entrepreneur, it was really, you know, I was in In New York in September and October last year, and we had to do practice pitching.

It was a initiative from the department of business trading here in the UK, brilliant as an export champion. I'm flying the flag of the dbt here on the podcast.

But you know, it was really interesting because it was one of those acute scenarios where you have to package your business in a three minute pitch you know, not necessarily, you know, to actually come out the other end with anything, but, you know, In america, it's the u.

s. It's like you don't apologize for being you never apologize for your business And I think here in the uk we are really guilty Culturally of kind of dampening down who we are dampening down our capabilities, you know Rather than really sort of shining you know, and it was really interesting to be in that position myself Of kind of going, okay, do I feel like the [00:13:00] imposter here?

You know, and what do I do? Well, the only person I can be is me you know, so i'm going to do that and i'm going to walk the talk you know and actually interestingly, I think when we do it We can get quite a lot of surprises in terms of what people experience and the feedback that we get because it definitely stood out as unique was the feedback.

So there you go But yeah, the imposter syndrome, I think It can really help you to double check things to be more competent in fact, and it brings a lovely humility but if it gets to the point where it's holding you back from being you and being your best self and succeeding Then you better work on that self doubt which is then you work on that world in that world

Helen Wada: no, absolutely. I think

Sales and Authenticity in the Workplace

Helen Wada: it's that humility is, I think it's really interesting that you talk about, you know, the confidence in the U S versus certainly here in the UK. I had Phil Smith on the podcast last week talking about, so he's the former CEO UK and Ireland. And we were talking about sales specifically.

So, you know, well, that you're very familiar with as well. And we were [00:14:00] talking about how particularly in the UK sales can often be seen and is a dirty word almost, you know, people were reluctant to talk about. So as I was working with a law firm the other day, and so, you know, we spent 20 years training all the aspects of law, what we're trying to do and develop that, but actually we need to go out and win business.

And that's an element of being you it's in sales, but

for some reason there's a fear and a. A sort of fuzziness around, Oh, that's not me. That's not me. Whereas actually in my experience, the best people, when you're in sales, and when I ended up as a global client director at KPMG, people got me to where I am today.

Why are you good at what you do? And I'm like,

actually,

because I'm trained as a coach and I showed up as who I am. I feel very fortunate that I'm one of these people that has had the confidence through the years and the training and so forth to, to be who I am and ask open questions, not being afraid to challenge, offer [00:15:00] insight, playing things back, all those skills that I developed as a co

Liz Villani: Yes.

Helen Wada: frankly, the same skills that I was using with customers

Liz Villani: Yes. And you were being you. You were being conversational. You know, that's all sales is. And you shouldn't be any different. If you could be the same you as you are with conversations with friends and family, as you are with potential customers. Then obviously, you know, we don't want to swear a lot and all that kind of stuff, you know, in the world of work

Helen Wada: I'm very good with teenage boys. I try not to but yeah, I know

Liz Villani: People buy people and they buy Character and they want to work with people that are approachable and natural and authentic you know, and so, you know, yeah, the world of sales is just right if you like for characters and for being authentic and being you and if you, I think it's really easy, you know, I've seen many sales people over the years come in and out of meetings, you know, selling to me.

[00:16:00] If you like and and the worst experiences were apart from the death by PowerPoint and those kinds of

Helen Wada: That happens. But that happens way too often. We're in

Liz Villani: because we rely on it.

Yeah. It's a

Helen Wada: isn't it? People spend hours prepping PowerPoints for a conversation. And then in the last five minutes, think, Oh, what am I going to say?

Liz Villani: Then turn your laptop on if the data is required, you know, that would be my advice and just be interested in people. So it makes me think my daughter went for an award scholarship while she was at school. And she's really small. I mean, she's like, you know, 11, 12, and I was coaching her to have this conversation with her teacher because she was really scared.

And, you know, it's a really similar conversation to having an interview for a job or talking to somebody for the first time in a sales scenario. No. And so what's, you know, what's the number one thing I said that she said? Maybe what's the number one thing I should do? And I said, you need her to like Show her that you like her. [00:17:00] And then you get it. You have to show her you like her. And you don't do that by holding up a PowerPoint or a load of statistics or whatever. You do that in a natural human way, by being interested, by asking questions, by being positive, by being genuinely excited to meet a new human being.

That's what connects you with other people.

Helen Wada: It's, that connection. It's,

I talk about being interested I'd almost go one beyond, you know, yes, you have to want to like you and, but actually just be interested in the big curious.

Liz Villani: like them. Yeah

Helen Wada: it's for me, it's about not just want you, what you want them to say, but what you want them to think, what you want them to feel, what are they going to say to other people when they walk up, you know.

Oh, I had a meeting with Helen. I had a meeting this, Oh God, it was awful. It was so boring or, you know, never going to go there again. You've lost them. Right. And for me, it's not just you've mentioned people coming into you from a sales perspective. You know, I work with those trying [00:18:00] to do technical experts, trying to develop their sales skills and their confidence in the market and growing their own business.

But actually these skills are applicable with other stakeholders. When you're in a business. Whether, you know, always from a coaching perspective, I always say, you know, put the other person at the heart of the conversation.

And that for me is one of the real cornerstones. let's not think about the conversation from my perspective.

Obviously there's commercial outcomes that you're looking to drive in the business, but actually you then put your coaching hat on equally and say, well, what's important to them here?

What did they want to get out of the conversation that goes to all sorts?

Liz Villani: And you know, it's a brilliant technique for networking. So a lot of people don't like those kind of networking scenarios, you know, when you don't know anybody and you know, all of that kind of stuff. And if you do exactly what you've just said, so you know, tell me about you, tell me about what you do.

I'm so interested to find out about you.

Overcoming Self-Consciousness in Networking

Liz Villani: Yeah. What are you know, what are you [00:19:00] up to? And you put the emphasis, when you put the emphasis on someone else, that self consciousness goes, that so many of us have on the inside. A lot of us are quite good at masking as well with that professional mask. And it's so rare that people are actually listened to, so rare that people are actually experienced someone being genuinely interested in them that, you know, you'll be memorable forever if you do that.

Helen Wada: And, and,

but not only having that, and I think those are brilliant tips is for anybody listening. I think that's absolutely, you know, for those people that, because there are a lot of people that don't like networking and it is time consuming, it's an investment of our time, but in today's business world, and I think we're going to come on to talk about AI and technology and how that's changing the landscape, particularly as we head into this year ahead and beyond

but the human is very much part of it.

The Importance of Remembering Personal Details

Helen Wada: So remembering. The conversation that you had, that the fact that you do have a daughter, that you do have a dog, that you had a, you know, what did you do in that quiet Christmas you were planning, or was it? Again, taking notes, [00:20:00] remembering these things are really important to individuals and creates a connection when you're trying to build trust and transparency between people that you might never have met before.

Liz Villan Video: totally.

Embrace Your Unique Personality

Liz Villani: do it your way. You know, if you're a playful, fun character, be playful and fun at a really simple level. If you're a reflective, quite serious, quite steady character, be that person too and don't sort of challenge yourself and say, Oh no, I'm an introvert. I'd rather not do that. You know, calm, stable, logical energy is so powerful.

Often we find that people that have that, they kind of discount it as their kind of superpower, if you like, and their uniqueness. But when they amplify it, they're the people that, when they walk in the room, people notice their energy, and they always underestimate that calm, you know, inner groundedness, that strong relationship with themselves.

If they externalize it and step into it so powerful So it's [00:21:00] just shining the light on the inside of you, you know, you're the world expert on you and then you know accepting acknowledging being it being unique and not apologizing for it.

Helen Wada: so,

so important and so powerful.

a little bit about

The Role of AI in Business

Helen Wada: technology because I know the business where you are is grown exponentially and you've got some great things coming up for the year ahead, but.

I'm really curious. There is a lot of talk about AI right now. You know, you can't miss the news.

You can't miss an email without somebody saying about how you can use AI for business. And I'm really curious as a coach working with people that are looking to develop business through human connection how. In your opinion, is AI going to shift that and, you know, there's some exciting things that you're doing around this space, but what does that mean?

You know, a, for how we work with technology, number one.

Exploring AI's Impact on Human Skills

Helen Wada: And I think the second question for me is, you [00:22:00] know, we're still a human race at the end of the day, unless we're all going to be extinct, ultimately we're all human beings. So in your mind, how is that going to shift the dial on what the skills are for us as human beings, as we look forward?

the uh, two, two, small

questions.

Liz Villan Video: How have

Helen Wada: huge questions.

Liz Villan Video: have we got?

Liz Villani: I mean look, I mean We are a technology company and a people company and those two together We know we're experiencing it as a rare in the world Because most technology companies are very focused on the programming the data You know the vector stores all of the other build that goes on within technology, but You know, I think if anyone's listening to this podcast and they haven't had a play with AI, they need to get on with it because, you know, it's not scary as you think.

I think a lot of people think, oh, you know, I'm quite reticent about using AI. Is it going to affect our jobs? Is it, you know, the machine is going to take [00:23:00] over and rule the world and all of that kind of stuff. You know, I've spent over 12 months now really staring into the world of artificial intelligence and what it's capable of doing.

AI and Human-Centric Technology

Liz Villani: And wow, you know, you can't, I think you can't yet remove the human from a sort of transactional AI perspective. So even the statistics, the great work that's going on in things like healthcare you know, and really reducing the time it takes to calculate certain, you know, statistics or, you know, things like the impact on the environment and those, you know, those kinds of the medic, you know, medical world is amazing.

But just start having a play, you know, just if you haven't begun, start having a play, just get on to chat to EPT and just have a go and just start to play because it is pretty incredible. It's going to change completely the way we work enormously because you can be so much more productive You really can be more productive.

[00:24:00] It saves you so much time you know

Helen Wada: And particularly for entrepreneurs, as well as those in organizations, you know, I started

searched and what it pulls up. And even as I'm researching the books that I'm writing this year, You know, I've found that I can find things, you know, I'm writing it myself, but actually if I want to find other articles that might be of interest and research documents and things like that it tends to be a lot more intuitive than a, just a Google search.

Liz Villani: Oh gosh. Yeah, completely. And you know, it's much easier to prompt than you think. You know,

you're sat in an organization or you're an entrepreneur or you're in sales, just spend a little bit of time, put some time aside, just to put yourself on a couple of short courses or just get onto Google and do some research around what you can use these different platforms for because yeah, it's it is going to change the way we work and the productivity benefits will [00:25:00] become enormous When we get that so it's Beyond exciting, what can be done, but also what will be done in the future.

And as a novice, you know, over 12 months ago, I was a complete novice at this world. You know, it is just incredible who you can be as well as a result of the work that you do with artificial intelligence. So, yeah and, you know, coming on to the second point. We believe, I believe, that AI has the power to allow you to have the chance to be the most exciting version of you in your life.

You know, and who you are, that can really start to become your guide for happiness, success, fulfillment, because of technology. You know, it's just enormous. At the moment, there's a huge challenge with you know, just the sort of way that the NLMs are programmed to sort of take out character humanness, culture.

From the way that we, and sales is a brilliant [00:26:00] example because nobody wants to talk to a robot, do they? No, not, You don't really want to buy off a robot. It's not like an ATM. Really, you want to have, you know, sales is about having, you know, that commercial world is about relationships you know, and so, I think it's really important that we start to really acknowledge that, you know, like, you've got human wise, you know, human centric AI.

Liz Villan Video: AI

right at

Liz Villani: the forefront now because if we don't put at the forefront now in a hundred years We might have the robots. You know that lack the character so We need to humanize it now

Helen Wada: humanizing AI. And, so it can be the other best version of ourselves, But thinking about that, and I love that by the way, I mean, I think that absolutely is where it needs to be because, you know, this is who we are. It needs to be personable and stuff, ultimately we're all still people that are operating in this world.

And so it's like, okay, so what [00:27:00] do I need to be thinking about as a human being that, you know, take somebody in sales, for example, that you're going to have some AI and maybe it's personalized. Maybe it's got some of you in it. But what does that mean for the skills that I need to be developing for the next decade,

given that I can and should be using a personalized AI tool to support some of the more routine activities?

You know, where do you see that going?

Liz Villani: Very totally and it's a bit like, you know, whenever I do work at conferences or away days and things like that, it's amazing. It still astounds me how many people don't have a being me or developing me fine

Liz Villan Video: at home,

Yeah.

Liz Villani: you know, it's something that they'll go through their annual or biannual, whatever review, they'll be put on a leadership program or a sales course or do some brilliant coaching with someone like you, Helen and those kind of things that we should be.

I don't know, lifelong development of who we are, what [00:28:00] makes us, building our confidence, you know, whole expression of selves throughout our lives. And it just astounds me that we don't have that. So, yeah, I mean, this year will be launching agents with I am that will sit inside your AI different platforms.

Developing a Digital Twin for Personal Growth

Liz Villani: It'll be agnostic by LLM and the end where, you know, for years, you and I know that if you can really be brave enough to stare at yourself through a development lens. Acknowledge who you are and what makes you brilliant as a character, if you like. But also know how you can be blind to certain things.

How, you know, you might be massively into the detail and not very good at the big picture because that's not you, or vice versa. And then compensate for that. Work on it, but acknowledge and keep, you know, keep going. What is it that you do under pressure that you don't do, you know, that you don't do normally?

Okay. What stresses you out? What makes you, you be, these are all things that [00:29:00] what we're working on is in helping people to do is to sort of build a character, a digital twin that can develop you on tap to be your best self individually, uniquely, and then really take that person to the world of work forever and develop.

Yourself, to the touchwoods, let's hope we all don't get run over by a bus tomorrow and we've got plenty of years to come, but you know, we can look back on our lives and say, you know what, I experienced who I was. I've got a relationship with myself that is absolutely enormous. And I know who I am. I've made my unique difference.

I've not drifted or conformed or got lost along the way. I had a plan to be me and I've nailed it. Wow. You know, a completely new way of human existence.

Helen Wada: Wow. That's quite powerful in terms of where you get to. Yeah, absolutely. [00:30:00] I'm just thinking what, what might my, my my twin look like when

Liz Villani: Yes,

Liz Villan Video: but

Helen Wada: husband's like, surely there can't That's an absolute nightmare. God help

Liz Villani: think there will be, but we never used to think about avatars and you think about avatars, you know, play when we game, you know, if you, those, you know, people who game and things like that, but, you know, if you could really step into your natural power and authenticity, whether you're in sales or whether you're gaming, you know, in any kind of scenario so that being you becomes your roadmap for life, then we've actually shifted humanity at a fundamental level.

Helen Wada: I

The Power of Authentic Human Interaction

Helen Wada: think, I think that, and I, and again, I'm, I go back to my human framework because that's kind of what we work with, you know, the H is the, how you show up and that is so much to support that, how you show up in your best self. But when we move on from that, you know, the U is about, well then you need to understand others because this is a world where you [00:31:00] connect in whatever business.

Once you've understood yourself, how do you then use your human skills to understand others? And I think that's when the, I don't want to say the higher skills, you know, historically we've talked about soft skills, but I don't think they are. They're not soft skills. They're very much that

Liz Villani: No,

Helen Wada: that one needs to build relationships, build businesses, negotiate and actually enables us to move on from.

The technical, the mundane, the relatively simple that we can use AI to, to generate for us in a human way to then think about, well, how are we understanding others? How are we putting others at the heart of the conversation? What is our mindset going into these conversations and how do we need to be?

Because that's, I think where I come in, maybe on the back of the work, the great work that you do and technology will happen is, you know, actually, you still need to build that resilience, you still need to build the [00:32:00] momentum, you still need to build that confidence that AI can maybe support you with to a certain degree it's a, it will only take you so far, but it means that those skills are even more critical in the moment the act and the adapt, right? You can plan a conversation, you can prep a conversation, AI can help you so far get what's your authentic message that you want to get across? How do you want to show up?

But if the conversation doesn't go according to the AI plan. You need to be able to adapt to that and read the room and use your senses and tap into your feelings, which is almost where we started this Around really looking inside ourselves and what feels important to us.

And what are those senses that we've got that, you know, I quite honestly, when I started my coaching career I wasn't aware of them, you know, talk about the pro it's the goal reality, but actually the more you do, the more it's very transact. You're absolutely right. It's transactional. But for me, the real power of coaching is in the sensing.

And I think [00:33:00] that's where the two combine. You've got the power of the be yourself and the I am in the AI, but on top of that, we all need to be more aware of our senses and our feelings and how people are responding to the conversation that we're having in the moment that can be with your daughter, with your husband, your

Liz Villani: can practice it anywhere.

Helen Wada: anyone.

It anywhere, but those higher level human skills become even more paramount in a world where we're using authentic AI.

Liz Villani: and I can't, I cannot stress enough how you're so ripe around confidence. Because we think it, I think a lot of people say, Oh, you know, I'm confident it's fluffy. It's wasted my time to think about growing confidence. The bare bones of it are, is that for as long as you lack elements of confidence or you're overly self conscious about how you show up, for example, in a sales conversation in your world, then the emphasis is too [00:34:00] much on yourself.

When you're in that conversation, you're worrying about how you look, how you're coming across, how you sound, all the things you've got to say, whether you're going to get your PowerPoint out. All of those things. And while you're doing all of those things, which is driven by a lack of confidence, if you like, just to kind of relax to who you are, trust yourself to have a good conversation and hopefully move towards the sale.

All of that self focus is removing your ability to focus on the other person And it's your focus on the other person along with your competent, you know The actually they're going to buy and your authenticity. So ai using coaching using your work to build your confidence isn't something that's nice to have it is so Powerful because it removes that over emphasis on yourself that you then got space for others And you can bring them into your world.

Helen Wada: I love it. I mean, goodness how have we been talking for almost 40 minutes? amazing. [00:35:00] It's like we, I know we could go on forever, but I am conscious that people listening generally have a relatively short lunch break or a commute into the office if they're going in this hybrid world.

So look, we could talk for hours, a couple of things one, what would you suggest to listeners to think about, you know, one thing for them to think about and a question for them to reflect on as we close out this conversation?

Liz Villani: think I'm really drawn to one of the techniques that I've used for a long time with people. And that's, I think because you're, you know, if you're in the world of sales, you're in the world of relationships.

Practical Tips for Effective Conversations

Liz Villani: Number one, one of my top tips along with knowing who you are, if you like is actually to not steal conversations and practice not sitting in conversations.

It's the one fundamental practical exercise that I just find makes the biggest difference to people's personal and professional lives, particularly in the world of relationships and sales. If you're not sure what I mean, just sit on a train [00:36:00] or sit, you know, in the office or any place where there's people and listen.

Helen Wada: Uh,

Liz Villani: meal out or whatever, and all of a sudden it's about the you know, meal out and different conversation. So, I hear it absolutely everywhere, and it's a habit and a pattern. Start to recognize when you take over a conversation, when you make someone else's share about you, okay?

And reverse it. Because it's really rare that you come across people that don't do that. And it's the people that don't do that have the biggest impact and people remember them forever. The don't steal conversations. If somebody wants to talk about the restaurant they went to on Saturday night, [00:37:00] let them talk about it.

And it's not about the one you went So that would be my first

Helen Wada: I love it. You're absolutely right. It is one of the things that it comes into the coaching piece as well. Well, tell me more. I'm curious. Thanks. Where was it? food

Liz Villani: what do You do?

Helen Wada: know, all sorts of things that you can go into that keep the interest with the other person rather than putting it onto yourself.

So don't steal the conversation, number

Liz Villani: Don't steal conversations. Really notice what other people do around you. Listen on your commute, listen on the radio, whatever, and just hear it because it makes such a difference.

Yes,

Helen Wada: love it. And what about a question?

Final Thoughts and Reflections

Liz Villani: I

think who am I is a natural question for me to state. And you're not your job role. You're not your self doubt.

You aren't your skills or experience. You aren't where you're from. You're not your religion. You're not your family. You're not your roles in your life. You're actually not your job title either.

Helen Wada: Funny that we are, we

Liz Villani: enough.

Helen Wada: start with the job title. [00:38:00]

Liz Villani: yes. You know, and when people, you know, ask you who you are, you know, Say well, you know, this is who I am.

I'm a really sort of excitable person, you know I'm very creative and innovative, you know My name is helen and go that way rather than the other way and really spend some time Knowing who you are Even if you just nail it you could even go on to be if you want to just have a go I'll say you can go and be yourself at work.

com and there's a pop up that comes and if you press Re experience who I am and create three values. Okay, you get nine words describing who you are. Then do that and then amplify them or just choose one word. Just say, well, actually what makes me? I'm so positive. So be the most positive person you know.

Everywhere and just amplify that you know, get to know who you are. Who am I?

Helen Wada: Brilliant. Love it. And you've talked a little bit about your website there. Where can people find you, follow you and see all the great work that you're up to? Cause there's a lot of exciting developments I know coming in 2025.

Liz Villani: The best place [00:39:00] LinkedIn to the best place is LinkedIn. So Liz Villani, be yourself at work. You'll find me on LinkedIn. You can also sign up to the movement. So we talk about be yourself at work, being a movement, you know, it's about work, changing the narrative of work. for all of us.

So you can go on the website contact page and sign up to the movement and then you'll get updates, including the AI updates that are now going to be coming out quite quickly over the next couple of weeks and months. Yeah.

Helen Wada: Amazing. Well, look, it's been wonderful to have you on the show. I knew it was a great, would be a great conversation. I hope that the listeners get lots of value. I've certainly enjoyed our 2025 takes us.

Liz Villani: Great. Lovely. Lovely to be here. Thank you for asking me.

Helen Wada: No eyes. My pleasure. Have a good evening. Take care.

Uh, and then I'm going to write five, four, five, four, three,

Welcome

to another episode of human [00:40:00] wise. I'm absolutely delighted to have Liz Belani here with me today. Liz is founder of be yourself at work, an organization which partners with workplaces to create a new narrative. Around the role that work plays in our lives to boost energy, performance, and results.

She's absolutely passionate about the human at work. And so when she and I met last year or even the year before Liz now, um, She was somebody that I really warmed to and was really keen to, to get on this conversation, uh, of human wise. So Liz, welcome to the show. Um, lovely to have you here.

Liz Villani: I'm very excited to be working with you. I'm proud of what you're doing too. It's

Helen Wada: Thank you. So, so before we kick off, um, you know, talk about being human, tell those listening to us today, who, who is Liz? What do you get up to? What do you enjoy doing? Tell us a bit about your career history. So they've got a flavor of where you're coming from and what you're up to right now.

Liz Villani: No, [00:41:00] of course, of course. So, um, obviously from the wrinkles, I've been doing this for quite a long time now.

Liz Villan Video: You're watching,

Liz Villani: But, um, no, of course. So, um, so obviously this is based here in the UK. Um, I'm a very, uh, practical person. And, uh, you know, as I was sharing with Maya, I am. Um, I love close relationships. I love competence.

I love work. I've always loved work. I grew up in the 1970s in, uh, in Warwickshire, South Warwickshire here in the UK. Um, and, uh, had quite a challenging background, and that meant, that gave me the gift of escapism through work. So I, at the age of nine, I decided what I wanted to do for a living. I was that driven, still am.

Um, and, uh, yeah, and found various different jobs throughout my teens, which really showed me, um, that I could be anyone when I was at work, if you like, and I fell in love with the world of work. I have a background in manufacturing, um, and I have a degree, um, from Manchester in manufacturing, and, uh, I spent the first [00:42:00] decade of my career at Sainsbury's, which was the dream that I had when I was nine years old.

Helen Wada: I, I did as well. I across that. I was in the, I was in their cash office they seemed to think that I was good at maths. I was days. you see, there you

and then it was a

Liz Villani: the lesson love it.

Helen Wada: those,

those, lovely orange and brown uniforms. I don't know if you had one of those, it was upgraded to blue while I was there, but, you know.

Liz Villani: I always say you could still cut me in half and you'd see Sainsbury's running through the middle of me, but retail in general. So I was a trader. I wanted to be a food buyer. Um, so I was at head office in London and I absolutely loved it. And that was my first kind of introduction to the world of work.

It was my dream come true. It's a fabulous business still is. Um, and, um, and it's a people business. Um, and so I met lots of, um, people in the world of, uh, you know, just HR, people in culture, but suppliers as well, you know? Um, and I was incredibly [00:43:00] lucky because at the time there was a very sort of empowering approach to the way you manage business as graduates and those kind of things.

So I had Um a lot of freedom and I learned so much I pretty much learned how to run my own business and I spent a lot of time in um in the people space, um, and so That inspired me to uh to sort of step back from the world of work and explore Uh, what stopped us from really loving it the way that I did but also what made us perhaps sort of conform and change and professionalize Our approach avatar I guess I was on the other side of sales.

So i'm a bit of an expert like you on on sales as well in the commercial world Um, so I left there, um over a decade ago now a long time ago now and uh and sat at my kitchen table And essentially said right. Okay. What is it that I can? I can do to really help the world to turn up and show up at work By being the best of themselves, we absolutely [00:44:00] love it.

And that's when Be Yourself at Work and I Am was born. Um, so what we do is very unique, it's very different. Um, and, uh, and essentially help you to understand who you are, your values, so that you can be yourself and really, you know, expand and amplify your uniqueness. Um, so that you can really enjoy and experience being you.

Um, you know, I think work is an amazing opportunity that's totally underestimated, particularly by our young people. Um, you know, in their teens, you know, you've got kids yourself, you've got children yourself. You know, you say to a young child, you know, particularly in primary school years, what to do when you grow up?

They get really excited! They get really excited, a lot of them, and yet something happens when we get into our teenage years and into the world of work. That kind of takes away some of that enthusiasm. So that's me. I'm very excited about work and I love people and [00:45:00] finding out who you are and what makes you tick and then helping you to be you in essence.

Helen Wada: And I, for those listeners that aren't aware of the sort of the I am that you talk about, um, I've, I was, I went through it. We, I went through it with one of your coaches last year and it's fascinating how it comes through in terms of, it really goes deeper than your values. So it is, it's about identifying your values, but it's more than that.

It's about how you show up, which actually is the H in my human, in the human framework when, when I'm working with people, but you know, right top for me was, was being human. It was about getting out there. It was about the energy. It was about. Uh, getting things done and making stuff happen and not just one word, but phrases that really resonated with me and how I shot, I think back to some of my earlier days in my career.

And I think, you know, I always looked, you know, across to others and, and was, I was different. You know, I had something [00:46:00] different about me, good or bad, you know, there was no good or bad. It was just different, it's often hard to hold onto that, who you are. In a workplace that, to your point earlier, just conform and almost that energy, the creativity in, in a number of workplaces, I'm generalizing for effect, but it's almost beaten out of you to, to conform processes and procedures and, and the outcomes that the organizations are trying to drive these days.

And so for me, it's so, so important that we help uncover that how you show up, understanding yourself first is one of the key things that I do with the work that we do with the Human Advantage. Um,

Liz Villani: exactly.

Liz Villani: It means stepping in and acknowledging and accepting and knowing your unique self. So. [00:47:00] What most people say when you say to them, who are you? Most people will say this is my name. This is my job role. This is my experience. This is where I'm from. All of that generally is in your head or in your journey.

But you know, who you really are, who you are as Helen is on the inside of you. Um, you know, it's your character, it's your, your values that make you, you and, you know, we test this. You'll always be you. You can do different roles. You can play different careers. You can advance. You can be an entrepreneur.

You could kids not have kids, you know, all the changes with career and life, but you'll always feel like Helen. Um, you know, and so me being you and being human at work is that as acknowledging who you are and then using you using your values and using your character. As your guide, as your benchmark on future being and how to succeed in the world of work.

That's about being human, um, yeah, and it's just, you [00:48:00] know, so characterful and really powerful, um, stepping into their uniqueness, really consciously know your own humanness and then amplify it at work.

Helen Wada: I, I love that and I think it's that diving deeper and I think, you know, for me in, you know, too many years of career to, to mention, but, but it's that taking time to really acknowledge yourself because I think, you know, We don't always know and we don't always take the time to really understand looking inwards, you know, we need to be able to look inwards to be able to look outwards and, and for me, it's absolutely the starting and too often.

Everybody again, generalizing, but we're running, we're running from one conversation to another where we're going, well, I've got to do this with a task focused, you know, you start the, what are your goals? What are your ambitions? But actually, hang on a minute, let's take a step back. [00:49:00] Who do I want to be? In 2025, you know, we're still in January at the end of January, probably when, when we're posting this, but who do I want to be?

What does being me look like this year?

Liz Villani: Yeah.

Helen Wada: And, and that for me is a fundamentally different question to what your goals are for this year,

Liz Villani: Oh, completely.

But it's like taking that step back to saying, well, how do I want to be? And what can I achieve? What are the ambitions? What, what's fulfilling for me? How can I serve others? How can I help others? But how do I need to manage so that I'm not running at 150 miles an hour the whole time that I do have time and space for me, you know, we all need to look after ourselves, we're being told that constantly at the moment.

Have you got your 10, 000 steps in? Have [00:50:00] you been to the gym four times this week? Have you drunk? You know, your litre and a half of water. That's, that's a new thing for my husband and I because our kids gave us these big bottles so that we drank enough water every day when we were. Yeah, I mean, I think, you know, we just need to be super careful that when we're asking those kind of questions, which is really natural, we don't start to aspire, like you said, or compare. It's very easy, you know, women are, you know, in the surveys and research that we've done, as women, we, we have a strong tendency to compare ourselves to other people.

Liz Villani: Um, the biggest challenge we find with men, not to categorize, because it's not a direct science, but generally is that men have a really critical relationship with themselves. We found that over 70 percent of men, for example, never have a positive conversation with themselves on the inside. So it's really important that when we kind of think about who we are and then what that means to amplify that person and who do we want to be and how do we want to show up this year?

The easiest person to [00:51:00] be is you. So be the best version of you work on, you know, work on that, work on dispelling negativity. Work on shining light inside yourself and being, you know, not critical to the point of self consciousness and self deprecating, if you like, on the inside. Acknowledge the things you don't do naturally.

Acknowledge the things that are perhaps more challenging. And embrace and be brave enough to go, you know what, that is actually my uniqueness and it's time that I amplify it. Um, you know, to be different and unique and then, yeah, the year, wow, the changes will be huge.

Helen Wada: It's fascinating, isn't it? And it's, It links back to a conversation I was having last week around some talking about imposter syndrome. And actually, you know, there's a lot of talk about, you know, again, particularly women, but imposter syndrome can be a negative. It's that, you know, or I can't do, I, you know, it brings those connotations, but actually there's something around, [00:52:00] what is it that helps you from that, that you able to take forward?

So, you know, you might be risk averse, you might be concerned or, but actually how does that help you going

Liz Villani: Yeah, humility.

Helen Wada: just a part of you, right? It's not, it's not all of you. And I think helping to see people that, that we are made up of different parts, that we do have different sub personalities, one of a better term, that you can draw on in different circumstances and each can be helpful, whichever circumstance you find yourself

Liz Villani: Yeah, it's, it's really about, um, Acknowledging, knowing who you are, acknowledging and having confidence to be you, and then being brave enough to amplify that no matter what your career or role is. So, no, as an entrepreneur, it was really, you know, I was in, um, In New York in September and October last year, and we had to do practice pitching.

It was a, it was a initiative from the department of business trading here in the UK, [00:53:00] brilliant as an export champion. I'm flying the flag of the dbt here on the podcast. Um, but you know, it was really interesting because it was one of those acute scenarios where you have to package your business in a three minute pitch, um, you know, not necessarily, you know, to actually come out the other end with anything, but, you know, In america, it's the u.

s. It's like you don't apologize for being you you never apologize for your business And I think here in the uk we we are really guilty Culturally of kind of dampening down who we are dampening down our capabilities, you know Rather than really sort of shining Um, you know, and it was really interesting to be in that position myself Of kind of going, okay, do I feel like the imposter here?

Um, you know, and what do I do? Well, the only person I can be is me Uh, you know, so i'm going to do that and i'm going to walk the talk Um, you know and actually interestingly, I think when we do it We can get quite a lot of surprises in terms [00:54:00] of what people experience and the feedback that we get Um, because it definitely stood out as unique was the feedback.

So there you go But yeah, the imposter syndrome, I think it can really It can really help you to double check things to be more competent in fact, and it brings a lovely humility Um, but if it gets to the point where it's holding you back from being you and being your best self and succeeding Then you better work on that that self doubt which is then you work on that world in that world

Helen Wada: no, absolutely. I think it's that humility is, I think it's really interesting that you talk about, you know, the confidence in the U S versus certainly here in the UK. I had, um, Phil Smith on, on the podcast last week talking about, so he's the former CEO UK and Ireland. And we were talking about sales specifically.

So, you know, well, that you're very familiar with as well. Um, and we were talking about how particularly in the UK sales can often be seen and is a dirty word almost, you know, people were reluctant [00:55:00] to, to talk about. So as I was working with a law firm the other day, and so, you know, we spent 20 years training all the aspects of law, what we're trying to do and, and develop that, but actually we need to go out and win business.

And that's an element of, of being you it's in sales, but for some reason there's a fear and a. A sort of fuzziness around, Oh, that's not me. That's not me. Whereas actually in my experience, the best people, when you're in sales, and when I ended up as a global client director at KPMG, people got me to where I am today.

Why are you good at what you do? And I'm like, actually, because I'm trained as a coach and I showed up as who I am. I feel very fortunate that I'm one of these people that has had the confidence through the years and the training and so forth to, to be who I am and ask open questions, not being afraid to challenge, offer insight, playing things back, all those skills that I developed as a co

Liz Villani: Yes.

Helen Wada: frankly, the same [00:56:00] skills that I was using with customers.

Liz Villani: Yes. And you were being you. You were being conversational. You know, that's all sales is. And you shouldn't be any different. If you could be the same you, um, as you are with conversations with friends and family, as you are with potential customers. Then obviously, you know, we don't want to swear a lot and all that kind of stuff, you know, in the world of work

Helen Wada: I'm very good with teenage boys. I try not to but yeah, I know

Liz Villani: know people buy people buy people and they buy Character and they they want to work with people that are approachable and natural and authentic Um, you know, and so, you know, yeah, the world of sales is just right if you like for characters and for being authentic and being you and if you, I think it's really easy, you know, I've seen many sales people over the years come in and out of meetings, you know, selling to me.

If you like, um, and, um, and the [00:57:00] worst experiences were apart from the death by PowerPoint, um, and those kinds of

Helen Wada: That happens. But that happens way too often. We're in

Liz Villani: because we rely on it.

Yeah. it's a isn't it? People spend hours prepping PowerPoints for a conversation. And then in the last five minutes, think, Oh, what am I, what am I going to say?

Then turn your laptop on if the data is required, you know, that would be my advice and just, just be interested in people. So it makes me think my daughter went for an award scholarship while she was at school. And she's really small. I mean, she's like, you know, 11, 12, and I was coaching her to have this conversation with her teacher because she was really scared.

And, you know, it's a really similar conversation to having an interview for a job or talking to somebody for the first time in a sales scenario. No. And so what's, you know, what's the number one thing I said that she said? Maybe what's the number one thing I should do? And I said, you need her to like Show her that you like her. [00:58:00] And then you get it. You have to show her you like her. And you don't do that by holding up a PowerPoint or a load of statistics or whatever. You do that in a natural human way, by being interested, by asking questions, by being positive, by being genuinely excited to meet a new human being.

That's what, that's what connects you with other people. Yeah,

Helen Wada: It's, that connection. It's. I talk about being interested, you know, I, I'd almost go one beyond, you know, yes, you have to want to like you and, but actually just be interested in the big, big curious.

Liz Villani: like them. Yeah,

Helen Wada: it's, it's, it's for me, it's about not just want you, what you want them to say, but what you want them to think, what you want them to feel, what are they going to say to other people when they walk up, you know.

Oh, I had a meeting with Helen. I had a meeting this, Oh God, it was awful. It was so boring or, you know, never going to go there again. You've lost them. Right. [00:59:00] And, and, and for me, it's not just you, you've mentioned people coming into you from a sales perspective. You know, I, I work with those trying to do technical experts, trying to develop their sales skills and their confidence in the market and growing their own business.

But actually these skills are applicable with other stakeholders. When, when you're in a business. Whether, you know, always from a coaching perspective, I always say, you know, put the other person at the heart of the conversation.

Liz Villani: Yeah,

Helen Wada: And, and that for me is one of the real cornerstones. let's not think about the conversation from my perspective.

Obviously there's commercial outcomes that you're looking to drive in the business, but actually you then put your coaching hat on equally and say, well, what's, what's important to them here?

What did they want to get out of the conversation that goes to all sorts? Um,

Liz Villani: And you know, it's a brilliant technique for networking. So a lot of people don't like those kind of networking scenarios, you know, when you don't know anybody [01:00:00] and you know, all of that kind of stuff. And if you do exactly what you've just said, so you, you know, tell me about you, tell me about what you do.

I'm so interested to find out about you. Yeah. What are you, you know, what are you up to? And you put the emphasis, when you put the emphasis on someone else, that self consciousness goes, that so many of us have on the inside. A lot of us are quite good at masking as well with that professional mask. Um, and it's so rare that people are actually listened to, so rare that people are actually experienced someone being genuinely interested in them, um, that, you know, you'll be memorable forever if you do that.

Helen Wada: And, and,

Um,

[01:01:00] but the human is very much part of it.

So remembering. The conversation that you had, that the fact that you do have a daughter, that you do have a dog, that you had a, you know, what did you do in that quiet Christmas you were planning, or was it? Again, taking notes, remembering these things are really important to individuals, um, and creates a connection when you're, when you're trying to build trust and transparency between people that you might never have met before.

Liz Villan Video: totally.

Often we find that people that have that, they kind of discount it as their kind of superpower, if you like, and their uniqueness. But when they amplify it, they're the [01:02:00] people that, when they walk in the room, people notice their energy, and they always underestimate that calm, you know, inner groundedness, that strong relationship with themselves.

If they externalize it and step into it so powerful So it's just shining the light on the inside of you, you know, you're the world expert on you Um, and then you know accepting acknowledging being it being unique and not apologizing for it.

Helen Wada: so,

so important and so powerful.

Um, a

little bit about technology because I know the business where you are is grown exponentially and you've got some great things coming up for the year ahead, but.

um,

I'm really curious. There is a lot of talk about AI right now. You know, you can't, you can't miss the news.

You can't miss an email without somebody saying about how you can use AI for business. And I'm really curious as a coach working with people that are looking to [01:03:00] develop business through human connection how. In your opinion, is AI going to shift that and, you know, there's some exciting things that you're doing around this space, but what does that mean?

You know, a, for how we work with technology, number one. And I think the second question for me is, you know, we're still a human race at the end of the day, unless we're all going to be extinct, ultimately we're all human beings. So in your mind, how is that going to shift the dial on what the skills are for us as human beings, as we look forward?

Liz Villani: Yeah, the, uh, two, two, two, small questions,

Liz Villan Video: How have huge questions. have we got? I mean look, I mean We are a technology company and a people company and those two together We know we're experiencing it as a rare in the world Because most technology companies are very focused on the programming the data You know the vector stores all of all of the other build that goes [01:04:00] on within technology, but You know, I think if anyone's listening to this podcast and they haven't had a play with AI, they need to get on with it because, you know, it's, it's not scary as you think.

Liz Villani: I think a lot of people think, oh, you know, I'm quite reticent about using AI. Is it going to affect our jobs? Is it, you know, the machine is going to take over and rule the world and all of that kind of stuff. You know, I've spent over 12 months now really staring into the world of artificial intelligence and what it's capable of doing.

And, um, wow, you know, you can't, I think you can't yet remove the human from a sort of transactional AI perspective. So even the statistics, the great work that's going on in things like healthcare, um, you know, and really reducing the time it takes to calculate certain, you know, statistics or, Or, or, you know, things like the impact on the environment and [01:05:00] those, you know, those kinds of the medic, you know, medical world is amazing.

Um, but just start having a play, you know, just if you haven't begun, start having a play, just get on to chat to EPT and just have a go and just start to play, um, because it is pretty incredible. Um, It's going to change completely the way we work enormously because you can be so much more productive You really can be more productive.

It saves you so much time Um, you know

Helen Wada: And particularly for entrepreneurs, as well as those in organizations, you know, I started

searched and what it pulls up. And even as I'm researching the books that I'm writing this year, You know, I, I've, I've found that I can find things, you know, I'm writing it myself, but actually if I want to find other articles that might be of interest and research documents and things like that, it, it tends to be a lot more intuitive than a, just a Google search.

Liz Villani: Oh gosh. [01:06:00] Yeah, completely. And you know, it's much easier to prompt than you think. Um, you know, if you're sat in an organization or you're an entrepreneur or you're in sales, just spend a little bit of time, put some time aside, just to put yourself on a couple of short courses or just get onto Google and do some research around what you can use these different platforms for because Um, yeah, it's it is going to change the way we work and the productivity benefits will become enormous When we get that so it's Beyond exciting, what can, what can be done, but also what will be done, um, in the future.

And as a novice, you know, over 12 months ago, I was a complete novice at this world. Um, you know, it is just incredible who you can be as well as a result of the work that you do with artificial intelligence. So, yeah, and, and, and, you know, coming on to the second point. We believe, I believe, that AI has the [01:07:00] power to allow you to have the chance to be the most exciting version of you in your life.

You know, and who you are, that can really start to become your guide for happiness, success, fulfillment, because of technology. Um, you know, it's just enormous. At the moment, there's a huge challenge with, um, you know, just the sort of way that the NLMs are programmed to sort of take out character, uh, humanness, culture.

Um, from the way that we, and sales is a brilliant example because nobody wants to talk to a robot, do they? No, not, You don't really want to buy off a robot. It's not like an ATM. Really, you want to have, you know, sales is about having, you know, that commercial world is about relationships, um, you know, and so, I think it's really important that we start to really acknowledge that, you know, like, you've got human wise, you know, human centric AI.[01:08:00]

Liz Villan Video: AI right at

Liz Villani: the forefront now because if we don't put at the forefront now in a hundred years We might have the robots. Um, you know that lack the character so We need to humanize it now

Helen Wada: humanizing AI. And, um, so it, it, it can be the, the other best version of, of ourselves, But thinking about that, and I love that by the way, I mean, I think that absolutely is where it needs to be because, you know, this is who we are. It needs to be personable and stuff, ultimately we're all still people that are operating in this world.

And so it's like, okay, so what do I need to be thinking about as a human being that, you know, take somebody in sales, for example, that you're going to have some AI and maybe it's personalized. Maybe it's got some of you in it. But what does that mean for the skills that I need to be developing for the next decade, given that I can and should be [01:09:00] using a personalized AI tool to support some of the more routine activities?

You know, where do you see that going?

Liz Villani: Very totally and it's a bit like, you know, whenever whenever I do work at conferences or away days and things like that, you know Um, it's amazing. It still astounds me how many people don't have a being me or developing me fine at home. Yeah.

you know, it's something that they'll go through their annual or biannual, whatever review, they'll be put on a leadership program or a sales course or do some brilliant coaching with someone like you, Helen, um, and those kind of things that we should be.

I don't know, lifelong development of, of who we are, what makes us us, building our confidence, you know, whole expression of selves throughout our lives. And it just astounds me that we don't have that. Um, so, yeah, I mean, this year will be launching agents with I am that will sit inside your AI different [01:10:00] platforms.

It'll be agnostic by LLM and the end, um, where, you know, for years, you and I know that if you can really be brave enough to stare at yourself through a development lens. Acknowledge who you are and what makes you brilliant as a character, if you like. But also know how you can be blind to certain things.

Okay. What stresses you out? What makes you, you be, these are all things that what we're working on is, is in helping people to do is, is to sort of build a character, a digital twin that can develop you on tap to be your best self, um, individually, uniquely, and then really [01:11:00] take that person to the world of work forever and develop.

I've not drifted or conformed or got lost along the way. I had a plan to be me and I've nailed it. Wow. You know, a completely new way of human existence.

Helen Wada: Wow. That's quite powerful in terms of where, where you get to. Yeah, absolutely. I'm just thinking what, what might my, my, uh, my twin look like when

Liz Villani: Yes,

Liz Villan Video: but

Helen Wada: husband's like, surely there can't That's an absolute nightmare. God help [01:12:00] think there will be, but we never used to think about avatars and you think about avatars, you know, play when we game, you know, if you, those, you know, people who game and things like that, but, you know, if you could really step into your natural power and authenticity, whether you're in sales or whether you're gaming, you know, in any kind of scenario, um, so that being you becomes your roadmap for life, then we've actually shifted humanity at a fundamental level.

think, I think that, and I, and again, I'm, I go back to my human framework because that's kind of what we work with, you know, the H is the, the, how you show up and that is so much to support that, how you show up in your best self. But, but when we move on from that, you know, the U is about, well then you need to understand others because this is a world where you connect in whatever business.

Once you've understood yourself, how do you then use your human skills to understand others? And I think that's when the, I don't want to [01:13:00] say the higher skills, you know, historically we've talked about soft skills, but I don't think they are. They're not soft skills. They're very much that

Liz Villani: No, that one needs to build relationships, build businesses, negotiate, and, and actually enables us to move on from.

Helen Wada: The technical, the mundane, the relatively simple that we can use AI to, to generate for us in a, in a human way to then think about, well, how are we understanding others? How are we putting others at the heart of the conversation? What is our mindset going into these conversations and how do we need to be?

Because that's, I think where, where I come in, maybe on the back of the work, the great work that you do and technology will happen is, you know, actually, you still need to build that resilience, you still need to build the momentum, you still need to build that confidence that AI can maybe support you with to a certain degree, it's, it's a, it will only take you so far, but it means that those [01:14:00] skills are even more critical in the moment, the, the, the, the, the act and the adapt, right? You can plan a conversation, you can prep a conversation, AI can help you so far get what's your authentic message that you want to get across? How do you want to show up?

But if the conversation doesn't go according to the AI plan. You need to be able to adapt to that and read the room and use your senses and tap into your, tap into your feelings, which is almost where we started this Around really looking inside ourselves and what feels important to us.

And what are those senses that we've got that, you know, I quite honestly, when I started my coaching career, I, I wasn't aware of them, you know, talk about the pro it's the goal reality, but actually the more you do, the more it's very transact. You're absolutely right. It's transactional. But, for me, the real power of coaching is in the sensing.

And I think that's where the, the two combine. You've got the power of [01:15:00] the be yourself and the I am in the AI, but on top of that, we all need to be more aware of our senses and our feelings and how people are responding to the conversation that we're having in the moment that can be with your daughter, with your husband, your

Liz Villani: can practice it

anywhere. anyone.

Helen Wada: It anywhere, but those, those higher level human skills become even more paramount in a world where we're using authentic AI.

When you're in that conversation, you're worrying about how you look, how [01:16:00] you're coming across, how you sound, all the things you've got to say, whether you're going to get your PowerPoint out. All of those things. And while you're doing all of those things, which is driven by a lack of confidence, if you like, just to kind of relax to who you are, trust yourself to have a good conversation and hopefully move towards the sale.

All of that self focus is removing your ability to focus on the other person And it's your focus on the other person along with your competent, you know The actually they're going they're going to buy and your authenticity. So ai using coaching using your work to build your confidence isn't something that's nice to have it is so Powerful because it removes that over emphasis on yourself that you then got space for others And you can bring them into your world.

Helen Wada: I love it. I mean, goodness, how, how have we been talking for almost, almost 40 minutes? amazing. It's like we, I know we could go on [01:17:00] forever, but I am conscious that people listening generally have a relatively short lunch break or a commute into the office if they're going in, in this hybrid world.

So look, we could talk for hours, a couple of things, um, one, what would you suggest to listeners to think about, you know, one thing for them to think about and a question for them to reflect on, um, as we close out this conversation?

Liz Villani: think, um, I'm really drawn to one of the techniques that I've used for a long time with people. And that's, I think because you're, you know, if you're in the world of sales, you're in the world of relationships. Number one, one of my top tips along with knowing who you are, if you like, um, is, is actually to not steal conversations and practice not sitting in conversations.

It's the one fundamental practical exercise that I just find makes the biggest difference to people's personal and professional lives, particularly in the [01:18:00] world of, of relationships and sales. If you, if you're not sure what I mean, just sit on a train or sit, you know, in the office or any place where there's people and listen.

And what you'll hear is that someone will start a conversation, let's say, let's keep it simple. We went out for dinner on Saturday night, we went to this new restaurant, okay, it's one person versus somebody else. The other person will go, oh, that's really interesting, we went to a different restaurant the other week. So, they've completely stolen the conversation. It was about the first person's, you know. Uh, meal out or whatever, and all of a sudden it's about the you know, meal out and different conversation. So, I hear it absolutely everywhere, and it's a habit and a pattern. Start to recognize when you take over a conversation, when you make someone else's share about you, okay?

And reverse it. Because it's really, really rare that you come across people that don't do that. And it's the people that don't do that that have the biggest impact and people [01:19:00] remember them forever. The don't steal conversations. If somebody wants to talk about the restaurant they went to on Saturday night, let them talk about it.

And it's not about the one you went So that would be my first

Helen Wada: I love it. You're absolutely right. It is one of the things that it comes into the coaching piece as well. Well, tell me more. I'm curious. Thanks. Where was it? food

Liz Villani: what do You do? know, all sorts of things that you can go into that keep the interest with the other person rather than putting it onto yourself.

Helen Wada: So don't, don't steal the conversation, number

Liz Villani: Don't steal conversations. Really notice what other people do around you. Listen on your commute, listen on the radio, whatever, and just hear it because it makes such a difference. Yes,

Helen Wada: love it. And what about a question?

Liz Villani: I

think, um, who am I is, is, is a natural question for me to state. Um, and you're not your job role. You're not your self doubt.

You aren't your skills or experience. You aren't where you're from. You're not your [01:20:00] religion. You're not your family. You're not your roles in your life. You're actually not your job title either.

Liz Villan Video: Uh,

Helen Wada: Funny that we are, we

Liz Villani: enough.

Helen Wada: start with the job, the job title.

Liz Villani: yes. You know, and when people, you know, ask you who you are, you know, Say well, you know, this is who I am.

I'm a really sort of excitable person, you know I'm very creative and innovative, you know My name is helen and and go that way rather than the other way and really spend some time Knowing who you are Even if you just nail it you could even go on to be if you if you want to just have a go I'll say you can go and be yourself at work.

com and there's a pop up that comes and if you press Re experience who I am and create three values. Okay, you get nine words describing who you are. Then do that and then amplify them or just choose one word. Just say, well, actually what makes me me? I'm so positive. So be the most positive person you know.

Everywhere and just amplify that, um, you know, get to know who you are. Who am I?[01:21:00]

Helen Wada: Brilliant. Love it. And you've talked a little bit about your, your website there. Where can, where can people find you, follow you and see all the great work that you're, you're up to? Cause there's a lot of exciting developments I know coming in 2025.

Liz Villani: The best, the best place LinkedIn to the best place is LinkedIn. So Liz Villani, be yourself at work. You'll find me on LinkedIn. Um, you can also sign up to the movement. So we talk about be yourself at work, being a movement, you know, it's about work, changing the narrative of work. for all of us.

So you can go on the website contact page, um, and sign up to the movement and then you'll get updates, including the AI updates that are now going to be coming out quite quickly over the next couple of weeks and months. Yeah.

Helen Wada: Amazing. Well, look, it's been wonderful to have you on the show. Um, I knew it was a great, would be a great conversation. I hope that the listeners get lots of value. I've certainly enjoyed our 2025 takes us.

Liz Villani: Great. Lovely. Lovely to be here. Thank you for asking me.

Helen Wada: No eyes. [01:22:00] My pleasure. Have a good evening. Take care.

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