Advertise on podcast: Refreshing Leadership with Maya - Career, Leadership and Life Design

Today Maya shares a conversation with one of her favourite planning gurus, Sarah. Sarah Hart-Unger is a doctor, mother, podcaster, blogger, and author. She's one of the people Maya credits with shaping how she thinks about work, parenting, planning, and building a big exciting life. In this episode, Maya gets to ask all the questions she's been saving up - from how Sarah manages so many roles without tipping over, to the planning rituals that underpin all of it, to the honest conversation about who carries the planning load in a household and what happens when it goes unnoticed. What you'll learn: The concept of planning privilege - and why it can pull couples apart How a lack of perfectionism is a key ingredient to Sarah’s success A simple system for setting up your annual and daily goals and plans From the Refreshing Leadership archive. This episode was originally released in 2025 Connect with Sarah at https://theshubox.com/ As usual, connect with Maya at https://www.linkedin.com/in/mayagudka/ And subscribe to her YouTube Channel https://www.youtube.com/@MayaGudka?sub_confirmation=1 Check out her new website: www.refreshingleadership.com

Refresh Your Life The Lazy Way (Series): If you had to live the same week on repeat, what would it have to contain to feel fantastic?  In this episode, Maya introduces the ideal week exercise - a blueprint for how your time could look if it was genuinely working for you. What you'll learn: The principles behind designing a week you could actually groundhog - including why routine and novelty both need to be in there, and it’s not just about permanent holiday mode Maya’s own ideal week, from ambitious focus on a Monday to a work-heavy Friday This episode is the final episode of the mini-series, Refresh Your Life The Lazy Way. A practical series for leaders and high achievers on realistic goal setting, achievable time management, and easy perspective shifts - without the overwhelm. Short episodes packed with simple tools and honest reflection to help you reset, refocus and finish the year on your own terms. As usual, connect with Maya at https://www.linkedin.com/in/mayagudka/ And subscribe to her YouTube Channel https://www.youtube.com/@MayaGudka?sub_confirmation=1 For all other info, visit the website www.refreshingleadership.com

Refresh Your Life The Lazy Way (Series): Who holds a seat in your personal boardroom? The core circle who influences you.  And was it an intentional choice, or has it happened by default? In this episode, Maya introduces the life boardroom exercise - a practical matrix that maps the key areas of your life against the roles you might need in each one.  What you'll learn: The boardroom roles Maya uses across every area of her life - and why some are more important than others for high achievers How Maya has mapped those roles, and where the gaps remain What happens when you take on too many ‘boss’ roles This episode is part six of the mini-series, Refresh Your Life The Lazy Way. A practical series for leaders and high achievers on realistic goal setting, achievable time management, and easy perspective shifts - without the overwhelm. Short episodes packed with simple tools and honest reflection to help you reset, refocus and finish the year on your own terms. As usual, connect with Maya at https://www.linkedin.com/in/mayagudka/ And subscribe to her YouTube Channel https://www.youtube.com/@MayaGudka?sub_confirmation=1 For all other info, visit the website www.refreshingleadership.com

Refresh Your Life The Lazy Way (Series): If 80% of your investment portfolio was sitting in one place, you'd be asking questions about concentration risk. But what about your life - your time, energy, identity and attention? Where is all of that going? What you'll learn: - Four investment concepts that reveal where you're over-concentrated, under-invested, or missing opportunities in your life - What Maya's time log from last week's episode showed her about her own life portfolio Welcome to this mini-series, Refresh Your Life The Lazy Way. A practical series for leaders and high achievers on realistic goal setting, achievable time management, and easy perspective shifts - without the overwhelm. Short episodes packed with simple tools and honest reflection to help you reset, refocus and finish the year on your own terms. As usual, connect with Maya at https://www.linkedin.com/in/mayagudka/ And subscribe to her YouTube Channel https://www.youtube.com/@MayaGudka?sub_confirmation=1 For all other info, visit the website www.refreshingleadership.com

Do you know where your time actually went last week? Not roughly - but accurately? In this first of two episodes, Maya shares how she finally cracked time tracking after years of failed attempts, and what the data revealed about her own days. What you'll learn: How Maya uses ChatGPT to make time tracking work for her - including the exact instructions she gave it The surprises which were revealed by tracking her time for 16 days - which she wouldn't have remembered or admitted otherwise The unexpected category that took up a big chunk of time - that didn’t have anything to do with work As usual, connect with Maya at https://www.linkedin.com/in/mayagudka/ And subscribe to her YouTube Channel https://www.youtube.com/@MayaGudka?sub_confirmation=1 For all other info, visit the website www.refreshingleadership.com

There's a difference between being busy and actually moving forward. In this episode, inspired by a solo trip to Edinburgh that helped her work through something she'd been stuck on, Maya shares four levels at which you can extract yourself from the day-to-day and do the thinking that actually moves your life and work forward. What you'll learn: Four levels - from daily to occasional - at which you can step back from business as usual to actually move the needle How Maya structures her own review and planning practice at each level As usual, connect with Maya at https://www.linkedin.com/in/mayagudka/ And subscribe to her YouTube Channel https://www.youtube.com/@MayaGudka?sub_confirmation=1 For all other info, visit the website www.refreshingleadership.com

As a Senior Leadership Team Coach, Maya is always looking for the simplest tools that create the biggest perspective shift. In this episode, she shares one of her favourites. This episode is for anyone grappling with a decision, feeling stuck in an area of their life, or simply taking stock before the end of the year. What you'll learn: The 8 and 80 exercise for perspective on leadership decisions - and specific reflection questions Maya uses with her coachees How to reconnect to what really matters, and what will endure As usual, connect with Maya at https://www.linkedin.com/in/mayagudka/ And subscribe to her YouTube Channel https://www.youtube.com/@MayaGudka?sub_confirmation=1 For all other info, visit the website www.refreshingleadership.com

September marks the start of one of the busiest stretches of the year. But before heading into autumn, Maya is sharing two ideas from her summer that she thinks can make any busy period feel more intentional - and more worthwhile. In this episode, Maya introduces the concept of the golden thread, and makes the case for creating more space in your calendar before the busy season hits. What you'll learn: The golden thread - a simple monthly habit that keeps you moving forward even when life gets unpredictable The Kendra Adachi technique Maya is using to make her autumn feel more manageable before it's even started As usual, connect with Maya at https://www.linkedin.com/in/mayagudka/ And subscribe to her YouTube Channel https://www.youtube.com/@MayaGudka?sub_confirmation=1 For all other info, visit the website www.refreshingleadership.com

Archive Episode September has a particular energy to it - back to school, fresh start, the perfect moment to take stock of the year and set yourself up for a strong finish. In this episode, Maya shares four simple steps that can each be done in under five minutes, and that together can make goal attainment for the rest of the year feel more fun, more easeful and more inevitable. What you'll learn: Four practical steps to capitalise on September's unique energy How investment changes your relationship to your goals For details of Maya's Vision Builder programme (since renamed Vision Code), visit https://www.mayagudka.com/vision-code-programme  As usual, connect with Maya at https://www.linkedin.com/in/mayagudka/ And subscribe to her YouTube Channel https://www.youtube.com/@MayaGudka?sub_confirmation=1 For all other info, visit the website www.refreshingleadership.com

Part of the August 2026 Refresh Series. If you’re a high achiever who has built success through relentless doing, pushing harder, and staying “always on,” this episode will challenge and transform the way you think about achievement. Maya is joined by bestselling author and leadership thinker Steven D’Souza, whose book Not Doing explores how pausing, letting go, and working with natural rhythms can lead to more success, not less. Steven offers a radically refreshing perspective on leadership, ambition, creativity, and sustainable performance. This is not about sacrificing drive, it’s about discovering a more effective, easeful way forward. What you'll learn: The concept of negative capability - and how pausing and creating space can make you a more effective leader A different relationship to time that the most effortlessly effective leaders seem to share Connect and find out more about Steven on his website https://stevendsouza.com/ or LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/steven-d-souza-5351712/ As usual, connect with Maya at https://www.linkedin.com/in/mayagudka/ And subscribe to her YouTube Channel https://www.youtube.com/@MayaGudka?sub_confirmation=1 For all other info, visit the website www.mayagudka.com

Part of the August 2026 Refresh Series. Whether you're naturally calm or naturally sensitive to what life throws at you, today's world is enough to test anyone's nervous system. And yet nervous system regulation rarely gets talked about in leadership spaces. In this episode, Maya is joined by Kate Brassington for a conversation that demystifies how the nervous system actually works, and what we can do to regulate. What you'll learn: What polyvagal theory is - and why understanding it changes how you think about burnout, freeze states and switching off How to find the nervous system regulation practice that actually works for your personality and wiring - no one size fits all approach You can connect with Kate Brassington at https://katebrassington.com/ As usual, connect with Maya at https://www.linkedin.com/in/mayagudka/ And subscribe to her YouTube Channel https://www.youtube.com/@MayaGudka?sub_confirmation=1 For all other info, visit the website www.mayagudka.com

Part of the August 2026 Refresh Series. We know that getting outside does us good. But outdoor intelligence - the idea that we actually think, see and know more when we're in nature - goes a step further than that. In this episode, Maya is joined by Fi Macmillan, coach and adventurer, to explore what outdoor intelligence actually is and how it differs from simply going for a walk. By the end of the conversation, they co-create an equation that sums it up neatly: nature + walking = deep work + intuition. What you'll learn: How to start accessing outdoor intelligence Three simple practices to help you reconnect with your intuition through time outside You can connect with Fi Macmillan at https://www.linkedin.com/in/fi-macmillan/ As usual, connect with Maya at https://www.linkedin.com/in/mayagudka/ And subscribe to her YouTube Channel https://www.youtube.com/@MayaGudka?sub_confirmation=1 For all other info, visit the website www.mayagudka.com

Part of the August 2026 Refresh Series. Most bucket lists don't make it to 100 items. That's exactly the point of this exercise. In this episode, Maya walks through the list of 100 dreams - an exercise she came across via Laura Vanderkam, originally from career coach Carolina Ceniza-Levine - and shares how she went about it herself. The idea is simple: an unedited list of anything you might want to do or have more of in your life - a powerful exercise for a number of reasons.  What you'll learn: How to actually do the exercise - including what to do when you run out of ideas How the list becomes a useful reference point for goal setting and making the most of your leisure time As usual, connect with Maya at https://www.linkedin.com/in/mayagudka/ And subscribe to her YouTube Channel https://www.youtube.com/@MayaGudka?sub_confirmation=1 For all other info, visit the website www.mayagudka.com

Part of the August 2026 Refresh Series. What's your default strategy when you're feeling burnt out or depleted? A sunny trip away? Nothing wrong with that - but there are other, perhaps more powerful, ways to recharge too. In this episode, Maya breaks down her own version of the seven types of rest, drawing on years of coaching conversations to explore why switching off looks different for everyone - and why going from near-burnout to a beach doesn't always solve the problem. What you'll learn: The seven types of rest - and a simple way to identify which ones you're missing The difference between rejuvenation and refresh - and why relying on a change of scene alone often isn't enough You can read Maya's accompanying LinkedIn post and access the rest checklist here: https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/when-you-cant-switch-off-maya-gudka-msc-cfa-ma-cantab-/ You can also listen to Maya's episode on sleep here: https://open.spotify.com/episode/0XscMUgFfUgsDE2JX931jN?si=ea2d0fe498ec4271  As usual, connect with Maya at https://www.linkedin.com/in/mayagudka/ And subscribe to her YouTube Channel https://www.youtube.com/@MayaGudka?sub_confirmation=1 For all other info, visit the website www.mayagudka.com

Workplace bullying happens more often than it should. In this episode, Maya shares guidance from inside her coaching programme - practical steps that have helped clients deal with this and start to move things forward. She explains why the bullying interaction itself isn't something the victim can fix, as well as sharing details of her own past experiences. What you'll learn: Specific techniques to manage a bullying situation - including one that made HR start taking action almost immediately A simple shift in how you frame the issue that makes leadership take it seriously To find out more about the programme curriculum, visit https://www.mayagudka.com/for-individuals As usual, connect with Maya at https://www.linkedin.com/in/mayagudka/ And subscribe to her YouTube Channel https://www.youtube.com/@MayaGudka?sub_confirmation=1 For all other info, visit the website www.mayagudka.com