We met Glenn, Internal Communications and Engagement Partner at Missguided a few weeks ago to record this episode (and what a lot has happened to the world since).  
We had a really fun and open chat, looking at the creative ways he and his team have tackled employee engagement at Missguided.

We met Glenn, Internal Communications and Engagement Partner at Missguided a few weeks ago to record this episode (and what a lot has happened to the world since).  

We had a really fun and open chat, looking at the creative ways Glenn and his team have tackled employee engagement in the organisation.

For those of you that haven’t heard of Missguided, it is primarily an online female fashion brand that is on a mission to empower young women with body confidence. 

‘At Missguided we are all about creating extraordinary colleague experiences, being unique and creating an exciting work environment’

They have a unique culture at Missguided, with a big focus on fun and a playful tone of voice, their brand both internally and externally is kept consistent throughout. 

One of the first things we explored with Glenn was one of the key projects that he has worked on which was creating the Missguided company values (or vibes as they are now known as) from scratch. 

He explains why they are defined as vibes, how and why he involved his colleagues in the whole process and how the vibes are brought to life and consistently embedded into the organisation. 

‘With staff initiatives I am a big believer in doing things little and often' 

Creativity and fun is a real big part of life at Missguided. Glenn spoke through some of the inventive yet small budget ways that they have engaged their employees, always linking back to their vibes. 

From their famous treat trolley, to freebie Friday, virtual staff pet show, random acts of kindness and valentine themed treats, the team create meaningful moments to bring the team together. 

The initiatives create a real sense of excitement and community amongst the staff.

Glenn rounds up the podcast with his tips on how to make a start in creating a creative, engaging communication strategy for employees.  

What a fantastic conversation, giving us inspiration to start thinking more outside of the box when it comes to employee experience. 

Listen now on your preferred platform - Acast, I-tunes or Spotify and do get in touch to let us know your thoughts on this episode or any other in our series. 

To kick off the new year we will welcome Euan Blair, Co-Founder and CEO of Whitehat, a tech startup building an alternative to university by matching school leavers to career-focused apprenticeships.

It takes 21 days to form a habit, Boris encouraged the nation to work from home on March 16th so on April 6th it will be 21 days from when many of us fired up our laptops from home.

As things start to become more normal, we tackle how you can motivate and engage your people while working remotely. In the meantime, here's some inspiration based on what we've being doing internally here.

Some inspiration for the week ahead. Week 1: Ideas around how to keep people motivated, positive and engaged in the coming weeks and months. 

15 mins chat around how to manage this new post transition period - the new normal (Luke and Terri)

To help us get through these current challenging times together, we take a look into the top tools and tricks that people swear by to stay connected, included and productive when working remotely :-) 

Today (Tuesday, 17 March), cities and towns have been on the quiet side with increasing numbers of organisations choosing, (for now) to make their workforce remote, in order to protect their people. 

To help us get through these challenging times together, we take a quick look at the top tools and tricks that people swear by to stay connected, included and productive when working remotely :-)

Working from home for long periods of time can be pretty isolating and lonely - it is important that we all keep talking and tools like Zoom and Google hangouts are great to connect you and your team via video and audio.  
Here at Mo we are kicking off every morning with 9am team calls to check in on each other, go through our to do lists and keep our mental health in check with some real conversation (and laughs)! 

Create a dedicated workspace within your home

This morning we were busy sharing photos of the workstations we have created to get into that concentration zone. It means you can focus when working but move away to a different space for breaks and downtime which are also hugely important to keep you refreshed and engaged.

We need to keep up with our work and not let this situation affect our teamwork too much. Slack is the perfect place to file share, create project groups and instantly update each other on progress. 

When we work from our office we have a load of things that break up the day, from coffee making chats to popping out for a Pret sarnie. Working at home alone it is easy to get in the zone and not allow ourselves to have a breather. 
Send yourself out for an early morning walk or get outside at lunchtime. Fresh air and moments fully away from your desk will allow you to refocus and not burnout. 

Music brings us together and can lift the mood in bad times. Over at Mo we have made a collaborative Spotify list where all of our colleagues can add their favourite songs to. We can then work together with the same soundtrack, just like being in the office. 

Exercise is great for the mind and we have decided to create a virtual club where we can workout together. We have a dedicated time (8-8.30am) where we will all log in via Google Hangouts and get going with our exercise of choice.  



It is pretty isolating at the moment with the advice being to stay away from social gatherings. We have decided to host weekly virtual drinks so that we can all catch up over a drink and enjoy some social time. 
It is important to try and have fun along the way despite the times we are facing. Our first was a cheers to Paddy's Day with a Guinness in hand!

Last but definitely not least, of course we have to mention our very own app Mo! Sharing moments will get us through these challenging times and Mo is the perfect place to stay connected across your organisation and share some of the positive things going on in your teams.
If you're looking to help your people feel more together, let's talk. 

There is also a useful list of great tools available (and also featuring Mo), tech against Coronavirus. 


We know how unsettling things feel right now, but make sure you take care of yourself and your teams, we are in this together. 

What better time to get together and delve into wellbeing at work? Amongst unsettling times last week we brought together a passionate and inspiring group of people in the beautiful surroundings of Shoreditch Treehouse, to share how they are tackling wellbeing in the workplace. 

Euan Blair, Co-Founder and CEO of Whitehat, a tech startup building an alternative to university, joined us for a lively and interactive discussion about education, working with a youth workforce, the benefits of working with a diverse workforce and the future of his business. 

What better time to get together and delve into wellbeing at work? Amongst unsettling times last week Mo and Yulife brought together a passionate and inspiring group of people in the beautiful surroundings of Shoreditch Treehouse, to share how they are tackling wellbeing in the workplace. 

To start the evening of honesty, openness and create a moment of zen, we were treated to a guided meditation session before a tasty vegan dinner from Social Pantry. 

Tara, Head of People at Monzo kicked off with our first course. She turned the focus around and got us thinking about the importance of taking care of HR, so that they have the tools and ability to take care of their people (and they will be needed now more than ever). 

HR teams have a big job on their hands and part of that is taking on the problems and worries of their colleagues on a daily basis. This responsibility will have an impact and it is really key that they are given the tools to look after themselves. If your HR team burns out, where will that leave everyone else? 

Monzo have grown rapidly in a short period of time, Tara has watched it go from 50 people to 1,500 in just 3 years globally. They have had to learn quickly that they need to make mental health support a habit, a part of life within their culture.

Stay tuned for our special guest blog from Tara later this week for more on this topic and practical ways to create a long term strategy to support and refresh HR teams. 
You can also check out our podcast with Tara to hear more about their ongoing wellbeing strategy. 

‘People are ready to talk but don’t have a safe space to do so’

Onto the main course with George Bettany Co-Founder and COO of Sanctus, who are on a mission to inspire millions to work on their mental health. They are currently focused on bringing Sanctus to the workplace through Sanctus coaching - a safe, impartial, confident space where employees can work on their mental health with a qualified coach. 

George shared the inspiring personal story behind Sanctus which stemmed from a blog post that went viral, mental health in start ups.

It was fantastic to hear the positive feedback that George and the team at Sanctus have had from companies they have partnered with, some saying they it has really changed their life. 

We know it can be difficult for HR teams to build a business case for mental health to be a priority as it isn't measurable. George talked through how there are many layers to this, not only is it a moral thing to do but also helps improve productivity, eliminates risk and is these types of care can really attract people to roles within an organisation. 

Ed Griffin, Director of HR and Research at the Institute for Employment Studies. We were amazed by his story and experience within the NHS, higher education, scientific research, financial services and gas and power has given him a well rounded view on wellbeing. 

He left us with some recommendations which we would like to share with you, as we are confined to our houses right now we could all do with some good reading:

On Ed's reading list:

Let my people go surfing 

A request from Ed - 'Think about what you can really do to support your staff during corona virus outbreak - be alert to their anxieties, keep connected, check in, use social media to spread positivity.'

This will be our last face to face Mo Community event for now but it was perfectly timed to learn from each other and support in these tough times. If you haven't yet do sign up for the Mo Community, we are all in this together. 

Mental health, often a daunting topic, and it can be difficult to know where to begin with a strategy for an organisation. This episode we meet George Bell from Sanctus to tackle the big topic of introducing mental health into the workplace. 

Sanctus, are on a mission to inspire millions of people to work on their mental health. Their big vision is to put the world's first mental health gym on the high street.

They're currently focused on bringing Sanctus to the workplace through Sanctus coaching - a safe, impartial, confidential space where employees can work on their mental health with a qualified Sanctus coach. 

They work with a range of businesses, from the BBC and Red Bull to Just Eat and Aviva and we felt they would be great to chat to about this big topic and get some tips on how to go about introducing mental health into the workplace and normalising these conversations. 

‘Nothing can replace real, genuine human connection’

There is a stigma that mental health and talking about it is bad, when in fact everyone has mental health and it should be looked after in the same way as physical health. 

George explained that mental health should be worked on proactively before reaching a crisis point and by normalising the conversations in the workplace there can be a perception shift. 

We all have mental health, sometimes good, sometimes bad, but working on it regularly and taking time out to understand yourself helps growth both personally and professionally.

‘Give people the space, one person opens up and it creates a culture of permission’

George gives advice of how to start the conversations in the workplace to slowly feed into a culture change. It can be a daunting area for HR teams but you can start small and work up to bigger programmes as the trust and openness is built within your organisation.  

It was great to meet George and get thinking about how we can make work better by opening up these conversations and normalising mental heath. Listen to the full chat now on your preferred platform - Acast, I-tunes or Spotify. 

This is a special live podcast episode, recorded at our moments at work with Euan Blair event, at The Soho Hotel. Euan is the CEO and Co-Founder of WhiteHat, a tech startup building an outstanding alternative to university.
Euan reflects on his own work journey, discusses the benefits of apprenticeship schemes, working with a Gen Z workforce and diversity at work. 

This is a special live podcast episode, recorded at our moments at work with Euan Blair event at The Soho Hotel. 

Euan is the CEO and Co-Founder of WhiteHat, a tech startup building an outstanding alternative to university. Their mission is to develop a diverse group of future leaders through their innovative programmes. 

'Don’t expect to attract diverse talent if you’re fishing for it in the same place'

Euan chats in front of a live audience with Luke, CEO of Mo. He reflects on his own work journey, which initially took a traditional path with a university degree, a masters and then onto a career at a top bank. After working relentlessly, Euan realised that he wanted to make a change and do something he felt passionate about: giving opportunities to a diverse group of people.

The hot topic in this episode is diversity and the importance of opening up opportunities within an organisation to a wider pool of people. If you employ individuals with the same profile and background, it limits innovation. Employees will approach things in the same way and there will be a lack of new ways of thinking/ideas to drive the company forward.

We loved the energy at this event and it was great to record this episode in front of our live audience to capture the moment. If you owuld like more information about WhiteHat and working with apprentices, do check out their website. 

This podcast series features a whole host of different guest speakers who have a different view of work and how to make it better. 

Please subscribe and let us know what you think of the series. We love hearing from you and we’re very keen to have you involved, hear your thoughts on who we should chat to next (it might even be you) or topics you love us to explore, so we can make sure that we are giving you the best content possible.

You can also listen to the moments podcast on Acast and Spotify.

Here we are, already on the fifth episode of the year! This time round we sat down with David Kosky, Co-Founder of Work.Life, a group of co-working spaces, to explore the growing trend of agile working, the impact the physical workspace has on health and personal connections at work.  

Here we are, already on the fifth episode of the year! This time round we sat down with David Kosky, Co-Founder of Work.Life, a group of co-working spaces focused on workplace happiness, to explore the growing trend of agile working, the impact the physical workspace has on health and personal connections at work.  


Work.Life have opened 15 spaces in London, Reading and Manchester and recently launched a new managed office for larger organisations of 30+ employees.

We spend so many of our hours at work, we want to be in surroundings that make us feel happy. The approach that David and his team at Work.Life have is to keep their spaces small and make the work experience personal for their members.  

 'Work has become a consumer experience''

The world of work is changing, people are starting to move away from careers in the larger corporate companies and are becoming more attracted to smaller, start-up organisations that are more purposeful. 

This is one of the factors that has led to a growth in demand for flexible workspaces that we see pop up all over cities in the UK. 

Not all organisations can fully adopt the co-working space model, but David talks through some ideas and considerations on how to consider design of the physical workspace and how making the experience of work a positive one for employees has business benefits like improved productivity and retention. 

Moments podcast gives you an opportunity to take some time out of your day to listen to different perspectives on work and hear some new ideas that you can take to your organisation. 

Please subscribe and let us know what you think of our episodes. If you have any ideas for topics or guest speakers for the podcast do get in touch!

In this episode we meet Emma Canter to chat about leadership and values. Emma launched her business Mind Values Leadership around 4 years ago following a long career in HR at British Gas.
She discusses how to bring your values to life, the importance of relationships and human connection and making your values unique. 

This episode we meet Emma Canter to chat about leadership and values. Emma launched her business Mind Values Leadership around 4 years ago following a long career in HR at British Gas. 
She supports both individuals and businesses in understanding more about their values, how our mind works and how that shows up in leadership.

Values shape who we are, what we care about, and inform decisions that we make. 

Culture is often spoken about, as though we have complete control and can design it around our values. Emma argues that it is in fact a collection of different people coming together and behaving a certain way, although it can be influenced from the top down. As humans, we want to belong and prove to people we are doing a good job, and so the mimic factor comes into play here.  

Part of Emmas role is to hold the mirror up and make leaders aware that how they express themselves influences the organisational. It's really important for leaders to drive the values to promote the culture that they want. 

How can organisations thread the values into an organisation - should it be process driven? 

Emma talks about how it's more about connection which is much more important than process. An example she drew on was performance management  - there are many processes out there but this can over complicate when all that is really needed is a simple conversation.  

Connection and relationships take more time and effort than processes, but there's greater reward and more of a long term strategy behind it. 

To challenge this Emmas asked - is this HR’s responsibility? There is an expectation that HR are the drivers behind this but it may be fairer to say their role should be more influencing and motivating leaders and teams to all take responsibility. 

We round up the podcast with Emma's top tips that you can take back to your organisation to help influence leadership with the values piece. 

Our podcast series is a great way to take a moment to hear a different perspective of work and pick up some tips. Please subscribe and let us know what you think of our episodes. We love hearing from you and we’re very keen to have you involved, hear your thoughts on who we should chat to next (it might even be you), or topics you would like us to explore, so we can make sure that we are giving you the best content possible.

Euan Blair, Co-Founder and CEO of WhiteHat, a tech startup building an alternative to university, joined us for our lively and interactive discussion about education, working with a youth workforce, the benefits of working with a diverse workforce and the future of his business. 

Our first event of 2020 was a busy one, full of energy and audience participation!

Our speaker, Euan Blair, Co-Founder and CEO of WhiteHat, a tech startup building an alternative to university, shared his moments from work and passionately spoke through the benefits of apprenticeship schemes vs university, for both the individual and the business.

Check out some of the takeaways from the chat below. We also recorded a live podcast episode on the evening. 

To open up our discussion, Euan reflected on a significant moment that impacted his life - when his father became the leader of the Labour Party and later went on to be Prime Minister of the country. A very unusual situation to be in at a young age, Euan felt anything was possible but later came to realise that for many there are barriers to success. 

Euan's career journey initially took a traditional path with a university degree, a masters and then onto a career at a top bank. After working relentlessly, Euan realised that he wanted to make a change and do something he felt he felt passionate about: giving opportunities to a diverse group of people.

‘Don’t expect to attract diverse talent if you’re fishing for it in the same place’

Diversity within an organisation is so important - if you employ individuals with the same profile and background, it limits innovation. Employees will approach things in the same way and there will be a lack of new ways of thinking/ideas to drive the company forward.  

WhiteHat have certainly celebrated some significant success in terms of diversity which is something to be applauded. Since 2018 they have had over 65,000 applicants, 65% of those placed were non white, with about half claiming free school dinners and 7% from refugee backgrounds. 

‘Everyone needs to feel a sense of belonging’

Here at Mo we talk a lot about the importance of meaningful relationships and sense of community. University opens up opportunities for building up networks both personally and professionally, which can be a big attraction. 
In comparison apprenticeship schemes traditionally are seen to focus on a specific set of skills rather than building emotional connections.

At WhiteHat they recognised that in order to offer a compelling alternative to university they needed to incorporate this into their programme. They have done this with socials, meet ups, sports teams and professional networking. 


'Gen Z are increasingly seeking out companies that are seen as doing purposeful work.' 

At WhiteHat the focus is working with young talent, in recent years there has been a real shift in the motivations and drivers for this group. Some of the tips Euan had for attracting, motivating and retaining a younger workforce, was around the company purpose and values. This group want to feel that their values are aligned with the company they are giving their time to. Organisations therefore need to ensure they are embedding their values into the business and talking about why they are important. 
 

This evening was a fantastic and positive way to start our 2020 and we can't wait for more. As always any thoughts, feedback or ideas do share with us, we love hearing from you.
You can also check out the full conversation on our live podcast. 
If you would like more information about WhiteHat and working with apprentices check out their website. 

Here we are with our first podcast episode of 2020! To kick start the year Jonathan Emmins, CEO of creative agency Amplify shares his ideas around creating meaningful employee experiences, how to create a culture for a younger workforce and the crossover between HR and marketing.

Here at Mo we love to hear views on work from all kinds of different people, companies and industries. That's why we were incredibly excited to meet our most recent podcast guest, Jonathan Emmins, CEO of brand experience agency Amplify.

Amplify has some pretty impressive, forward-thinking consumer brands in their portfolio including Google, Spotify, Redbull, Netflix and Airbnb. 

Their mission is all around people, brand and culture, and they have a focus on youth brands and engaging a young audience. They also apply this internally. 

As well as building experiences for consumers, they also believe in the importance of engaging their workforce in every moment, bringing them closer to the organisation. 

Jonathan recognises that Amplify’s biggest advocate is their people which is relatable for every organisation. You need to make sure that your workforce is excited and invested to best represent your brand.

He gives his tips on how to bring to life your company values and mission and looks at the key factors that the younger generation of talent are motivated by. Money is becoming less and less important with a shift more towards the experience, culture and relationships.  

When looking at the concept of loyalty, Luke and Jonathan talk about how it is a two way relationship between employee and employer. There is a real strength in supporting through both professional and more personal moments to build up that meaningful working relationship. 

We wrap up the discussion looking at how HR teams can work alongside marketing to create exceptional experiences for their people and ultimately best represent the brand. 

This chat was a really interesting perspective of work giving us some key takeaways on how to bring out the best work of your employees by creating memorable and meaningful experiences. 

Our Moments podcast brings you interviews with people who have a different view of work and can give ideas, insight and different ways to implement change in your workplace.

Please subscribe and let us know what you think of this episode. We always appreciate your feedback and we’re very keen to have you involved, hear your thoughts on who we should chat to next or topic areas that would be of interest to you so we can make sure that we are giving you the best content possible!

It is also available on Acast and Spotify.

We are hot on the podcasts this year! Here is our second episode featuring the very knowledgable Ruth Cornish. She has over 30 years experience within HR and has been running her own HR consultancy, Amelore Ltd, for the last 10 years. 

Ruth has watched first hand how the world of work has changed and evolved over time. Therefore she was the perfect person to join us to discuss the future of work and how the worker relationship with work is shifting. 


We are back already with the next installment of our moments podcast hosted by Luke, CEO of Mo. Our special guest is Ruth Cornish, Founder and Managing Director of HR Consultancy, Amelore Ltd.

Ruth has over 30 years of HR experience under her belt and has worked with some of the biggest corporate names out there including, American Express city investment banks ABN Amro & Charterhouse and Mazars LLP. 					

She launched her own HR consultancy, Amelore Ltd, 10 years ago specialising in supporting business growth and providing strategic and operational HR support. 

Ruth has watched first hand how the world of work has changed and evolved over time. Therefore she was the perfect person to join us to discuss the future of work and how the worker relationship with work is shifting. 

‘’Work is important but other factors outside are becoming just as important’’

One of the first observations Ruth made, was how individuals are striving for a better work/life balance - people are now making choices to give themselves greater flexibility. This can be by taking on freelancing roles over full time employment or seeking flexible working hours. It is important for organisations to be aware of these trends and adjust to keep ahead and attract the best talent.  

‘’Organisations need to be authentic’’

Ruth explains how companies with a clear purpose and values are ahead of the curve. Workers are wanting a more emotional connection and to feel like they are cared for.  
Although money may still be a motivator, there are many other factors that motivate the modern worker.

‘’Corporate loyalty is dying a death!’’

With the shift away from the traditional 9-5 working life, graduates are now actively seeking out small start ups and freelance roles and moving away from the corporate world. 

HR needs to lead the way to remain competitive, building a strong employer brand to stand out.

We round this episode up nicely with Ruth’s 3 top tips on how to practically bring some of the discussion points to life in your organisation.  

Our podcast features guest speakers who have a different view of work, they share their ideas, insights and top tips on how you can make positive changes in your workplace.

Please subscribe and let us know what you think of the series. We love hearing from you and we’re very keen to have you involved, hear your thoughts on who we should chat to next (it might even be you) or topic areas that would be of interest to you so we can make sure that we are giving you the best content possible.

I am really excited to share the details for our first event of 2020! We will be celebrating the end of a long January in the cinema room at the fabulous Soho Hotel to hear more moments from work.


This event series is all about hearing from a diverse range of speakers share their experiences of work. To kick off the new year we will welcome Euan Blair, Co-Founder and CEO of Whitehat, a tech startup building an alternative to university by matching school leavers to career-focused apprenticeships.


Recently featured as ‘one to watch’ in The Sunday Times Fast Track publication Whitehat’s mission is to develop a diverse group of future leaders through their innovative programmes. Euan will be sharing his career journey, the inspiration behind Whitehat and the importance of diversity within the workplace.


Register now to secure your place  - we will be sorting out drinks, canapés, a great talk and you will also have the chance to chat with other HR professionals and people motivated to making work better.

As we start to look forward to 2020, we chat with Katie Jacobs, Senior Stakeholder Lead at the CIPD and former Editor of HR Magazine to take a look back at where HR is now, where we thought it would be and have some predictions of where it is going.

Welcome to the next podcast! This time round we have a chat with Katie Jacobs, Senior Stakeholder Lead at the CIPD. In her role she focuses on senior leaders and building a community for them - basically, doing what she loves... working with HR professionals across the country. 

In her past life she was a business journalist and has edited some prestigious publications including HR Magazine which ignited her love for the world of work and led her to where she is today.

As we head into a brand new year, we wanted to take a look back at where HR is, where we thought it would be and have some predictions of where it is going and Katie was the perfect person to share this with. 

The good news is there are some big opportunities in store for HR in 2020! Katie feels that there has never been a better time for people leaders to have influence and impact on organisations and their leadership team. 

There has been a shift in focus for the HR function. Katie discusses how it is moving away from being process driven and more towards principles, guidelines, values and the human experience of the workplace. 

Macro factors are having an influence on people at work with one example being sustainability. As more people are increasingly concerned about issues such as climate change, forward-thinking HR will need to consider this to attract and retain talent. 

When looking back at past predictions Katie and Luke discuss how technology has changed (and continues to change) the future of work and how HR plays a role in how this is managed, while maintaining that people-focused-viewpoint.

We wrap the episode up with some interesting thoughts from Katie on what will happen over the next 5 years in the world of HR. (You will have to listen to find out!)

Katie gave us real food for thought on the future for HR with some great real life examples, we could have continued the conversation all day!

Our Moments podcast brings you interviews with people who have a different view of work and can give ideas, insight and practical examples on how you can make positive change in your workplace.

Please subscribe and let us know what you think of this latest episode. We love hearing from you and we’re very keen to have you involved, hear your thoughts on who we should chat to next or topic areas that would be of interest to you so we can make sure that we are giving you the best content possible! 

It is also available on Acast and Spotify.

In this episode we share a moment with Tara, Head of People at Monzo – currently the UK’s fastest growing bank – they are providing a modern alternative to consumer finance and are all about solving problems with the mission of making money work for everyone.

This is my first Moments podcast since joining Mo as Community Lead back in the summer, and I am delighted that it was such a fun, lively and informative chat with someone we have been hoping to have on for a while now.

Tara heads up the People Collective at Monzo and has been part of the company’s amazing journey, as they’ve grown from just 50 people to nearly 1,500 people in just 3 years! 

"Make sure everyone belongs before they arrive"

It’s clearly been an amazing ride and we loved hearing all about it from a people perspective – Tara shared how the company culture has developed over time, the innovative ways to drive/maintain employee engagement and working relationships in a rapidly growing organisation, and the huge importance of a focus on employees health and well-being. 

We really enjoyed our chat with Tara, learning about the challenges and successes of working within a modern, fast scaling organisation like Monzo and picking up some tips along the way!

Our Moments podcast brings you interviews with people who think differently about work; insight and evidence that is making a difference to organisations big and small; and practical ways in which you can make positive changes in your workplace.

Please subscribe and let us know what you think of this latest podcast. We would love to hear from you so do get in touch if you'd like to be involved, have thoughts on who we should chat to next, topics for us to discuss or ways we can make it better and better. 

It is also available on Acast and Spotify.

The lovely Maggie Alphonsi MBE, England Rugby World Cup Winner, commentator, columnist and speaker gave the packed out room a truly inspiring talk on her career, her successes and failures and how they have all contributed to the journey that she continues to be on today.

Yesterday was a big day for us here at Mo. Up in the beautiful surroundings of The Gherkin, we welcomed our community to the second event in our “Moments at work” series. 

Here are some key takeaways from the morning.

Having a purpose is so important. Maggie shared a great story from the women's England rugby team where each player was asked to record a two minute video explaining why they wanted to win the game. The team came together and shared their reasons. By understanding their personal motivations they opened up and allowed themselves to be vulnerable making them a higher performing team and with a strong winning attitude. 

‘Be comfortable with being uncomfortable’

Maggie was the first female and female of colour to ever be asked to be a pundit in any male sport. An absolutely incredible achievement but completely away from her comfort zone of the rugby pitch. She learnt to focus on her strengths rather than what she couldn’t do and enjoy the challenge - something which I think many of us should take onboard.

Emotional connection takes time and hard work to build but really is a key ingredient to a high performing team. By understanding each other on a more personal level and celebrating each other's success, there is positive reinforcement and real sense of community in the workplace - basically making everything better.

‘Failure allows you to be successful’

Let’s be honest, no-one enjoys failing. But on the flipside, it can change your mindset and allow you to be successful in the future. Maggie has celebrated many successes in her career which are all priceless moments to her personally, but to get to that point failure has played a key role. 

Maggie is currently part of a great mental health campaign in association with ITV, Britain get talking. Building a high performing team is great but it is also important to look after yourself, however that looks for you.

The morning was such a great way to start the day on a massive high; from the clear weather, panoramic view, audience participation and the inspirational talk itself we loved it. 

We cannot wait for all the events in 2020 and to see you all more regularly. As always any thoughts, feedback or ideas do share, we love hearing from you.

Adam shared with us that as a doctor you are rarely treated as a human and the many successes of the role are never celebrated but the negative parts have lasting effects.

Last night we made the first step in bringing together a collective of people motivated to change the world of work for the better.
The Mo Community was launched over drinks, canapés, fantastic views of London and a look into the life of an employee of the NHS - the moments at work with Adam Kay.

‘If you are not in a good place, you cannot do your best work.’

Reflecting on his hectic life as a junior doctor, Adam gave an honest account of the demanding work culture that he was part of for so long; being undervalued but over worked, giving us a reminder that employee engagement is vital no matter what your career choice. There is a real importance not only for work/life balance, and the wellbeing side of things but also to be there to support colleagues and employees when things are tough.

The evening was a fantastic way to launch The Mo Community and we are all super excited for all the upcoming plans we have for you all.To keep in the know with our events, podcast and other content make sure you are signed up to our community list.

Our next event in this series will be over breakfast at The Gherkin with Maggie Alphonsi, former English rugby union player, commentator and media professional on Wednesday 20 November. She will give her perspective as an employee and will touch upon the importance of relationships at work and how building and maintaining a supportive team at work as well as her challenges of being heard in a male dominated industry. 

On Wednesday 20 November we are hosting our second of a series of three speaker events - moments at work.

On Thursday 19 November we are hosting our second of a series of three speaker events - Moments at work.


Wednesday 20 November, 08:00 – 10:30, The Gherkin 


The next instalment of the Moments at Work Series is here and we are ridiculously excited to be heading over to the Gherkin to hear more moments at work! (and enjoy the stunning views across London). This time round we are joined by Maggie Alphonsi, former English rugby union player, commentator and media professional – arguably the one of the most famous names in women’s team sports.

Her career path has been an interesting journey with challenges and successes along the way. This isn’t a story focused on rugby but about the importance of building and maintaining a strong, supportive and collaborative team to deliver results.


She will also share how she worked under pressure in a male dominated industry and pushed the boundaries to deliver great results! 
Register your details to come along to The Gherkin (and feel free to bring along colleagues) to start your day with inspiration alongside others that are motivated to positively change the world of work.

I come from a saas consultancy background and have worked in the recognition, benefits and wellbeing space for the last few years. I have a real passion for people, I believe that creating a culture of recognition in which people feel that their contribution at work is valued is the key to employee engagement.

I’ve just joined Mo as part of our brand new growth team. It is my job to go out and meet with HR teams and chat to them about their recognition strategies. I am originally from Ireland but landed in the UK after a quick 6 year detour in Dallas, Texas.

I come from a saas consultancy background and have worked in the recognition, benefits and wellbeing space for the last few years. I have a real passion for people, I believe that creating a culture of recognition in which people feel that their contribution at work is valued is the key to employee engagement. So, it’s exciting that I get to work with the HR community to design tailored recognition solutions to simplify their complex challenges. I am really looking forward to meeting some of you at our upcoming community events and chatting about what’s going on in your world.

Outside of helping HR I am a lover of food, travel and art. I can usually be found at a 1Rebel boxing class most mornings. I absolutely love cheesy rom coms and trash TV so if Love Island is your thing, I am your girl! 

The Mo Community launch is here! On Thursday 26 September we are hosting our first of a series of three speaker events - Moments at work.

Thursday 26 September, 18.30 - 21.30, Ace Hotel, Shoreditch 

100 Shoreditch High St, Hackney, London E1 6JQ, UK


The series will feature diverse guest speakers sharing their stories of work - both good and bad - and how they have learnt from their experiences. We will have a first hand insight into the employee experience in different industries and roles.

Our first speaker is Adam Kay, the best selling author of the hilarious book 'This is going to hurt', comedian, TV writer and former doctor. Hear Adam's personal account of significant moments from his working life and how he made a big life changing decision in order to have a positive change. 

He will also treat us to some live extracts from his award winning book, giving a funny but honest (and sometimes a little gruesome), first hand look at life as a junior doctor in the UK.

The Mo Community is a collective with a common passion - we believe in moving forward to create a motivated and happy workforce. This event is just the start to bring us together to be inspired, share knowledge and experiences. 

Adam is a top selling author with This is Going to Hurt, his “hilarious and heartbreaking” (Charlie Brooker), “blisteringly funny” (Jo Brand) memoirs from his former career as a junior doctor which was published by Picador in September 2017.

The book was an instant Sunday Times number one bestseller and the bestselling non-fiction title of 2018. It has spent a record-breaking eleven months at number one in the charts, is the best-selling e-book of all time, and has sold a total of 1.5 million copies. This is Going to Hurt has been translated into 36 languages and achieved number one bestseller status internationally.

If you haven’t yet read it, we highly recommend that you do! His follow-up book, 'Twas the nightshift before Christmas', is due out in October.

He also writes extensively for TV and film, with credits including Mitchell & Webb, Very British Problems, Mrs Brown’s Boys, Crims and Mongrels.

We are delighted to have Adam join us for this first community event to give an inspiring and funny account of his time as a junior doctor, the pressures and levels of burnout he suffered and how he chose to make a dramatic change in career in order to be happier at work.

Make sure you register your details to confirm your place and we look forward to meeting you!.

To give a quick intro to me - I have a background in marketing and event management, with around 12 years experience (eek!) of designing, marketing and delivering a real mix of different events - from award ceremonies to business pitch days, round table 

My name is Claire and I am really excited to be joining the team at Mo in a brand new role as the Community Lead!

To give a quick intro to me - I have a background in marketing and event management, with around 12 years experience (eek!) of designing, marketing and delivering a real mix of different events - from award ceremonies to business pitch days, round table discussions/focus groups to large, full day conferences. 

I have worked for companies such as London Business School and IPSE, The Association of Independent Professionals and the Self-Employed. 

I really love thinking of creative ways to bring people together and as well as providing memorable experiences, helping people to connect and build genuine relationships. Face to face interaction is so important in this modern world!
I attend loads of events myself to keep my mind fresh and build my own network - meeting new people is inspiring! 

I am passionate about the power of relationships and the growing importance of a community. The Mo Community will give us a platform to join together and work collaboratively - a support network with events, both online and face-to-face, and new, regular content. 

I am looking forward to connecting with you all to find out what it means to you, what you want to hear about and how we can support you and your employees in the future of work.

I have a lot of exciting ideas/plans to unite us (and have some fun along the way) to support our quest to change the way we look at work. I do also really want to hear from you to help me understand your challenges, successes and everything in between.  

Us, as a collective, have a common passion - we believe in moving forward to create a motivated and happy workforce. By joining together via the Mo Community we can make a positive impact on the world of work.

I will be in touch again soon with updates but in the meantime please do sign up to hear more from The Mo Community and feel free to contact me directly - I would love to hear from you.

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