The Secrets of Learning & Development
Our podcast is designed for business leaders, managers, consultants, industry experts, and individuals who are passionate about driving change and promoting growth in their organisations or personal development.
Each episode will delve into crucial topics such as mindset recalibration, visibility, and strategic planning. We will have insightful conversations about change management and innovative initiatives that can transform your approach to learning and development.
Our aim is to equip you with valuable insights and practical strategies to enhance your leadership skills, business acumen, and personal growth. We are focusing on our leaders and professional guests' unique journeys and the key moments that have shaped their careers. We are passionate about sharing stories that inspire, educate, and ignite a spark within our listeners
Join us on this journey as we unlock the secrets to success in the dynamic world of learning and development.
Stay tuned and get ready to be inspired!
Host Information:
Julia Bend
Executive Career Coach
https://www.premier-coaching.co.uk
https://www.linkedin.com/in/julia-bend-premier-coaching
Valerie Merrill
Learning & Development Trainer & Advisor
https://www.merrillconsultants.com
https://www.linkedin.com/in/merrillvalerie/
The Secrets of Learning & Development
When Everything Changed: Louise Pengilley on Reinvention, Energy and Finding a New Way to Work
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If you enjoyed this podcast, we'd love to hear from you!
What if the life you never planned for turns out to be exactly the one you needed?
In this powerful episode, we sit down with Louise Pengilley, a business growth and mindset mentor whose journey from global corporate leadership to running her own business was sparked by a single, unexpected question: “Can you teach me everything you know?”
Louise shares how she rebuilt her career and redefined success after redundancy, burnout and her husband's life-altering cancer diagnosis. This isn’t a story of polished pivoting. It’s about boundaries, burnout, brave choices and building a business that fits real life.
You’ll hear:
- Why self-employment wasn’t the plan but became the right path
- The three ‘D’s from corporate life that still shape her approach today
- How illness shifted everything—priorities, pace and purpose
- Why energy, mindset and wellbeing are the real performance strategy
- What her clients say when they finally feel calm, clear and back in control
Louise is real, grounded and unafraid to talk about the hard stuff. Whether you’re leading, building, or rethinking your next move this conversation will stay with you.
Key Learnings
Simplicity and Personalisation Beat Generic Strategy
Louise has developed over 60 tools, templates and models not to overwhelm, but to simplify. Her approach is rooted in making strategy practical, personal and easy to implement. She emphasises that tools alone aren’t enough they need to be shaped around each individual’s personality, energy and business needs.
Corporate Experience Still Matters Just on Your Own Terms
Though Louise walked away from a successful corporate career, she hasn’t left her experience behind. The structure, discipline and empathy she learned in leadership roles continue to underpin her work. Her story challenges the myth that reinvention means starting from scratch instead, she shows how to repurpose your past for the future you want.
Guest Information:
https://www.facebook.com/louisepengilleybusinessmentor/
https://www.instagram.com/louisepengilleybusinessmentor/
https://www.linkedin.com/in/louisepengilleybusinessmentor/
We are thrilled to share 'The Secrets of Learning and Development' Podcast has won Podcast of the Year 2025
A heartfelt THANK YOU to all our listeners for your encouragement, shares and support. It means the world.
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