Taking the LEAP™
17 episodes - English - Latest episode: over 2 years ago -I'm Jacqueline Shepherd and I'm delighted to present Taking the LEAP™ - conversations with people with people who have turned their passions into a profession, some who stepped way outside of their comfort zone, but ultimately they've all, taken the LEAP. LEAP is an acronym I created, it stands for Listen, Equip, Action Patience™ steps whether knowingly or not most people who have successfully taken the leap have followed. Me: After a few years working in the charity sector, followed by a career as a recruitment consultant – I decided to follow my passion and took the LEAP to work in media. A decade on, having hosted a Sky One, Saturday morning TV show for a number of years, voiced the premium content for a successful sports channel and hosted content for some of the UK's most loved brands, I’m combining my presenting experience and love for inspiring stories and service, in this podcast, all about taking the LEAP.
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Episodes
Star Tips: Overcoming barriers
February 22, 2022 00:00 - 10 minutes - 7.54 MBIn this special bonus-episode I take a look back at some of my earlier podcast conversations where we discussed barriers and overcoming them. Featured are chats with designer, Chrissa Amuah; doctor, Hannah Campling and Andrea Gordon a corporate communications expert. If you have taken the LEAP, what barriers presented themselves to you and how did you overcome them? You contact me via my socials, @JAXXSHEPS on everything! Music c/o Pixaby
8. Vanessa Cruickshank - Property to Presenting to Playwright!
January 25, 2022 00:00 - 25 minutes - 17.5 MBMy guest this week is quadruple threat, Vanessa Cruickshank. From creative child, to being in a girl-band to working within the NHS, property to presenting and finally acting. Her self starting, go getting nature, knows no bounds and in January she was named as one of the Voice newspaper’s Ones to Watch in 2022. Listen to hear how Vanessa navigated her way through working at the NHS, to building a successful property portfolio, before itching her creative scratch and landing a spot on ...
8. Vanessa Cruickshank - Property to Presenting to Playwright!
January 25, 2022 00:00 - 25 minutes - 17.5 MBMy guest this week is quadruple threat, Vanessa Cruickshank. From creative child, to being in a girl-band to working within the NHS, property to presenting and finally acting. Her self starting, go getting nature, knows no bounds and in January she was named as one of the Voice newspaper’s Ones to Watch in 2022. Listen to hear how Vanessa navigated her way through working at the NHS, to building a successful property portfolio, before itching her creative scratch and landing a spot on ...
7. From Corporate Law to Music Entrepreneur, RnB singer Kima Otung
January 11, 2022 00:00 - 31 minutes - 21.4 MBI’m so delighted to bring you the latest LEAP conversation with Kima Otung. Kima is a successful RnB and Neo-Soul artist, whose former life saw her working as a successful (albeit unhappy) corporate lawyer. In this chat we talk about the conflict of straddling her Nigerian and Welsh heritage and the challenges faced by children of immigrants. We talk about the gravity of existing in someone else's image and finding a happy place in music. Kima also shares tips on how to start monetising ...
6. Lisa Bent - From Facebook statuses to published author
November 30, 2020 08:00 - 18 minutes - 13 MBLisa Bent, author of Symona's Still Single is an inspirational figure. She's a qualified counselor and HR professional and was prolific on Facebook when it came to romance related status updates. Her status updates were so fun, so creative and enthralling - that many said she should write a book. Well last summer (2019) the possibility of a book became a reality as she became one of Jacaranda’s 2020 writers. In December Lisa Bent, took the leap leaving her day job to focus on her writing...
5. From the corporate world to curly girls - Jamelia Donaldson, natural hair entrepreneur
September 02, 2019 05:00 - 41 minutes - 28.9 MBGrowing up Jamelia Donaldson always loved hair, but as a grown up like many, she found herself working all of the hours under the sun working in the corporate world. Recognising that her day job was not her passion and after experiencing what she describes as a quarter life crisis, Jamelia went about finding time in addition to her 12 hour working day to create, nurture and launch her business, Treasure Tress. If you suffer from not enough hours in the day to start that business-isis listen ...
5. From the corporate world to curly girls - Jamelia Donaldson, natural hair entrepreneur
September 02, 2019 05:00 - 41 minutes - 28.9 MBGrowing up Jamelia Donaldson always loved hair, but as a grown up like many, she found herself working all of the hours under the sun working in the corporate world. Recognising that her day job was not her passion and after experiencing what she describes as a quarter life crisis, Jamelia went about finding time in addition to her 12 hour working day to create, nurture and launch her business, Treasure Tress. If you suffer from not enough hours in the day to start that business-isis listen ...
4. When one door slams in your face, become a Global Head of Comms!
May 12, 2019 23:00 - 33 minutes - 15.5 MBIt’s a fact that the higher up the career ladder you climb the less diverse it becomes, of the 500 CEOs on the Fortune 500 list, only 24 are women, that’s just 5%.While I’m impressed with the women who have made that list, there are none that look remotely like me which speaks on the challenges that black women specifically face when advancing their career. In this episode I speak to Andrea Gordon. Andrea is a black woman who deserves to be celebrated, despite experiencing doors literally be...
4. When one door slams in your face, become a Global Head of Comms!
May 12, 2019 23:00 - 33 minutes - 15.5 MBIt’s a fact that the higher up the career ladder you climb the less diverse it becomes, of the 500 CEOs on the Fortune 500 list, only 24 are women, that’s just 5%.While I’m impressed with the women who have made that list, there are none that look remotely like me which speaks on the challenges that black women specifically face when advancing their career. In this episode I speak to Andrea Gordon. Andrea is a black woman who deserves to be celebrated, despite experiencing doors literally be...
Star Tips - Before you take action, you must first EQUIP!
April 28, 2019 23:00 - 33 minutes - 15.4 MBStar Tips is the brainchild of Stevie Hutson CEO of staffing company Superstars. The Star Tips installments aim to provide practical advice for people who are thinking about Taking the LEAP in their career and each is installment is based on a letter of the LEAP acronym. Star Tips part one was about Listen. In this second installment Stevie and I discuss E of the LEAP acronym and the many ways in which you can Equip yourself before taking action; from financially equipping yourself to getti...
3. Finding one's self and founding a business
April 06, 2019 23:00 - 50 minutes - 22.9 MBIn this instalment I chat to design entrepreneur Chrissa Amuah. Chrissa is the founder and creative director of AMWA Designs an African inspired homeware brand. She keeps it really real in this story and reveals the circumstances around losing herself and landing in debt at a young age and the steps she took to be able to find herself, switch things up and Take the LEAP. Chrissa drops some real gems, so tune in and enjoy! . . . . . . . . Hip Hop Christmas by Twin Musicom is licensed under ...
3. Finding oneself and founding a business
April 06, 2019 23:00 - 50 minutes - 23 MBIn this instalment I chat to design entrepreneur Chrissa Amuah. Chrissa is the founder and creative director of AMWA Designs an African inspired homeware brand. She keeps it really real in this story and reveals the circumstances around losing herself and landing in debt at a young age and the steps she took to be able to find herself, switch things up and Take the LEAP. Chrissa drops some real gems, so tune in and enjoy! . . . . . . . . Hip Hop Christmas by Twin Musicom is licensed under ...
2. From pipe dream to published author.
March 25, 2019 08:00 - 19 minutes - 9.17 MBThere are some people who know from a young age, what their calling is, but for most of us, that calling remains a pipe dream. Alexandra Sheppard had a pipe dream but is now a shining example of allowing herself to listen to her inner calling for just long enough. Earlier this year, Alexandra fulfilled her dream when her young adult fiction novel Oh My Gods, landed on shelves and she was officially a published author. Find out how she went from talking the talk, to walking the walk and Takin...
Star Tips: Listen - Could I Be Happier?
March 25, 2019 08:00 - 12 minutes - 5.91 MBStar Tips is the brainchild of Stevie Hutson CEO of staffing company Superstars. The Star Tips installments aim to provide practical advice to people who are thinking about Taking the LEAP in their career. Before taking the leap, it's worth reflecting on your current circumstances and asking the question "could you be happier" either where you are or elsewhere? Stevie and I discuss L of the LEAP acronym and the importance of Listening to your inner voice and the advice of those around you, ...
Taking the LEAP - trailer
March 10, 2019 00:00 - 1 minute - 575 KBI’m Jacqueline Shepherd, a TV presenter, host and producer. Taking the LEAP is a podcast with conversations that are full of inspiration and overcoming challenges in order to Take the LEAP. I did and you may want to as well. Here's a taster trail of what's to come . . . . . . . Music: Hip Hop Christmas by Twin Musicom is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution license (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/) Artist: http://www.twinmusicom.org/
Introducing LEAP: My story
March 10, 2019 00:00 - 10 minutes - 4.9 MBHi everyone, welcome along to Taking the LEAP! Despite my very calm voice on this recording, I'm super excited to have taken the leap into the world of podcasting with conversations full of inspiration and hopefully motivation for those of you thinking about taking some sort of (positive) leap yourself. In this first instalment you'll learn a bit about me and my motivation for both presenting and creating this content. I'll also decode the acronym LEAP. . . . . . . . Hip Hop Christmas by T...
1. Stay at home mum to medical doctor!
March 10, 2019 00:00 - 34 minutes - 15.7 MBThe guest in this instalment is Dr Hannah Campling. 10 years ago Hannah was a stay at home mum with one small child and another on the way. Without A-Levels or higher education and no family connection to medicine, being a medical doctor had never presented itself as a career prospect. Listen, as Hannah reveals how despite the odds being stacked against her and being told it’s not possible, she equipped herself to Take the LEAP and change her and her family’s lives. Hannah’s story proves tha...