Advertise on podcast: Diary of an Executive Coach - Refreshing Leadership, Career Clarity & Life Design with Maya Gudka

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

If you come from a corporate, analytical or financial background, talking about money in terms of energy can feel unfamiliar - even a bit uncomfortable. But Maya has seen these subconscious patterns play out again and again, both in her own life and in her work with clients. In this archive episode, Maya is joined by her former business coach Rose Radford to talk about masculine and feminine money energies - what they are, how they show up, and why understanding them can shift the way you think about ambition, money and growth, whatever stage of business or career you're at. What you'll learn: The difference between masculine and feminine money energies - and how to spot which one you default to What an "energetic set point" is, and how it might be keeping your income at the same level year after year This episode was first published in January 2025. You can connect with Rose on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/iamroseradford/ 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

In this second conversation with executive relationship strategist Katarina Polonska, Maya and Katarina go deeper - looking at the specific dynamics that emerge between ambitious partners and the hidden tensions in dual career households.What you'll learn: The concept of relational hygiene, with examples from Katarina’s own relationship  How so many couples drift into a parent-child dynamic without realising it. Catch up with the first episode here: https://open.spotify.com/episode/008RNUWAgwaT6BMEvyPt1B?si=W6Uz9AeQT8uz0Ge6rjJ2kA You can connect with Katarina Polonska at www.katarinapolonska.com and on the Successfully in Love podcast. 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

Personal relationships rarely make it onto a leadership development programme. And yet, as Maya sees regularly in her coaching work, what's happening at home has a profound impact on what's happening at work. In this episode - the first of two conversations - Maya is joined by executive relationship strategist Katarina Polonska to explore the relationships outside work that shape so much of how leaders show up. What you'll learn: Why high achievers can be particularly vulnerable to relationship breakdown The deeper emotional drivers behind ambition What to do when couples counselling doesn’t work You can connect with Katarina Polonska at www.katarinapolonska.com and on the Successfully in Love podcast. 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

As we reach the midpoint of the year, Maya shares her end-of-June review - a series of personal reflection questions designed to help you recalibrate before the second half of the year begins. Maya works through the questions throughout the episode, reflecting on what's gone well, what she worried about that turned out not to matter, and what she wants the rest of the year to look like. You’ll find out Maya’s personal reflections, her thoughts on the next phase of her life, and learn the key questions you can use for your own mid-year review.  Don’t forget to subscribe to the YouTube Channel for all the video episodes and short clips https://www.youtube.com/@MayaGudka?sub_confirmation=1 As usual, connect with Maya at https://www.linkedin.com/in/mayagudka/ For all other info, visit the website www.mayagudka.com

You might already be pretty good when it comes to your food habits. But do you know what's actually working - and what could give them a refresh without a huge amount of extra effort? In part two of this conversation with Adam Kingl, co-author of Executive Eats: The Cookbook for a Better Working Life, Maya and Adam get into the practicalities. Whether you're in the office, working from home or travelling, they look at what sustained energy actually requires - and the specific foods and habits that support focus, concentration and performance throughout a long working day. What you'll learn: The foods that got written off - and what the science actually says The specific foods that improve focus, mood and decision-making during the work day Executive Eats: The Cookbook for a Better Working Life is out on 16th June 2026 and is available now to pre-order from all major online book retailers. You can catch up on part one of the conversation https://spotifycreators-web.app.link/e/K7t1uue1X3b:  Adam Kingl is an author, educator, keynote speaker and consultant affiliated with a number of leading business schools including London Business School, Imperial College and UCL School of Management. Executive Eats is his third book, following Next Generation Leadership and Sparking Success. You can connect with Adam at https://www.linkedin.com/in/adam-kingl/. Find out more at https://adamkingl.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