Your Last Potato

How Do You Lead and Thrive in a Multicultural Workplace? In this episode of Your Last Potato, host Abda Rothman explores what it really takes to succeed—and lead—with cultural sensitivity in today’s global workplaces. She’s joined by Craig Livingstone, a British professional who moved to Finland for love and ended up building a decades-long career navigating cultural integration, language learning, and leadership across borders. Craig shares heartfelt reflections, practical tools, and hilarious missteps from his immersive journey into Finnish society and beyond. 🔹 What You’ll Learn in This Episode: • Culture Is Not Nationality: Understand why culture is less about your passport and more about behavior, context, and shared expectations. • The Power of Language and Silence: Discover why silence is the most important sound in the Finnish language—and how learning even a few words can unlock belonging. • From Outsider to Insider: Hear Craig’s story of moving from the UK to Finland without a job, and how deep cultural immersion led to professional and personal growth. • Leadership in Diverse Teams: Learn how to lead inclusively when your team spans multiple countries, time zones, and cultures. • Communication Missteps and Insights: Why intent, implementation, and interpretation matter more than ever in multicultural settings. • Creating Aspirational Culture: How teams can co-create shared values while still respecting individual identity and communication styles. • Building Psychological Safety: Why vulnerability, active listening, and small acts of empathy are vital for collaboration. • Navigating Language Gaps: Tips for managers and team members to handle language diversity in meetings, social settings, and everyday communication. 💡 Coffee Confessions Segment: Abda and Craig unpack a real-life team dilemma: how can managers foster inclusivity when local employees default to speaking a native language, excluding international team members? Craig offers practical tips—from addressing it head-on to creating intentional language norms—with humility, honesty, and humor. 📌 Actionable Takeaways & Resources Mentioned in This Episode: • Language Learning Tools: Try Duolingo, BBC Languages, or language exchange apps to build confidence. • Cultural Competency Courses: Platforms like Udemy and LinkedIn Learning offer training in cross-cultural teamwork. • Three I’s Framework (Intent, Implementation, Interpretation): Use this mindset to reframe cross-cultural misunderstandings. • Behavioral Leadership Practices: How to embed respect, inclusion, and psychological safety into everyday team dynamics. Craig’s story is a vibrant reminder that true leadership is about adaptation, not authority. Whether you're navigating a multicultural team or stepping into a new country and culture, this episode is full of real-world wisdom—and plenty of laughs—for building workplaces that thrive on diversity.

What does it really take to leave a stable career and bet on your dream? In this episode of Your Last Potato, Abda Rothman speaks with Katarina Ausenius, a global citizen, executive search veteran, and now debut children's book author, about one of the most courageous moves in a professional’s life: leaving behind success and stability to pursue a deeply personal passion. From building a bold career across continents to finally writing the story that lived in her heart for over a decade, Katarina shares how she navigated reinvention with intention—and joy. 🔹 What You’ll Learn in This Episode: • The Emotional Truth Behind Career Change: Why fulfillment, not just title or paycheck, should guide your path. • How to Prepare for a Leap of Faith: Financial and emotional strategies Katarina used to create a safety net for her dream. • Recognizing When It’s Time to Move On: Signs that your career no longer aligns with your values or identity. • Building Confidence Through Experience: How diverse, international roles shaped Katarina’s resilience and self-trust. • Purpose Over Prestige: The difference between chasing status and creating impact. • Writing a New Chapter—Literally: Behind the scenes of publishing “Nina & Aisha äter fredagsgodis", a children’s book inspired by cross-cultural friendship and belonging. • Staying Grounded During Change: Insights on doubt, self-belief, and the power of knowing your “why.” • The Role of Passion in Long-Term Success: Why excitement and belief are non-negotiable in any pursuit. 💡 Coffee Confessions Segment: Abda and Katarina discuss the emerging trend of micro-retirements among Gen Z and the powerful lesson in pausing before burnout. Katarina reflects on how she became the “pilot” of her own life after years of letting circumstances steer her—and how that mindset shift set her free. 📌 Actionable Takeaways & Resources Mentioned in This Episode: • SWOT Analysis for Career Transitions: A tool to evaluate your risks, resources, and readiness. • Myers-Briggs Type Indicator: For understanding career-aligned personality traits. • LinkedIn Learning & Coursera: Upskilling platforms for career switchers. • Networking & Mentorship: The underestimated lifelines during reinvention. • Financial Buffering: Why saving early can unlock freedom later. Katarina’s story is a reminder that life is too short to not do what lights you up. Whether you're contemplating a shift or actively in transition, this episode is your permission slip to trust yourself, start small, and dare to dream big. 👉 Her new book “Nina & Aisha äter fredagsgodis” is out now—celebrating cultural curiosity and childhood inclusion. Support her mission and buy it here.

How can women own their power unapologetically and make confidence their superpower?   In this episode of Your Last Potato, Abda Rothman speaks with Randa Ahmad, who shares insights from her 27-year career in the male-dominated water sector, about navigating challenges and thriving by embracing unapologetic confidence.   🔹 What You’ll Learn in This Episode: • The psychology of workplace dynamics: Understanding that businesses consist of people with individual differences is crucial. Just as with family, finding common ground is essential. • The Power of Male Allies: Discover how male colleagues can serve as mentors, while recognising potential competition among women and the importance of women empowering each other. • Strategies for Handling Challenges: Learn to address unfair challenges by seeking advice from mentors and colleagues to ensure fairness. • Investing in Yourself: Understand the significance of mental and emotional investment in your career, and learn to prioritise efforts based on the return. • Leadership vs. Management: Empower others to succeed through leadership, with a focus on continuous learning and adaptation. • Building Inner Confidence: Counter negative self-talk and imposter syndrome by building inner confidence and self-belief, understanding that external validation alone is insufficient. • Asserting Authority: Learn strategies for handling pushback and confidently asserting authority in leadership roles by assessing team dynamics and addressing issues effectively. • Setting Boundaries: Appreciate the importance of setting boundaries and taking credit for your work to protect your energy and own your contributions. • Leveraging Resources: Utilise available resources and tools for leadership and career development, such as coaching platforms, networking communities, and mentors.   💡 Coffee Confessions Segment: Randa highlights how being a leader can make team members insecure and the importance of empowering them by building bridges and addressing issues as a group, as well as recognising the need to lead and manage different individuals in different ways.   📌 Actionable Takeaways & Resources Mentioned in This Episode: • BetterUp: A coaching platform connecting professionals with certified coaches. • Mind Tools: Resources offering a variety of articles for personal development. • LinkedIn Learning: Resources for leadership and career development. • Mentors: The importance of finding mentors within your work sphere.   Randa emphasises the importance of strong leadership skills and empowering those around you, advocating for leadership development among young people. The episode concludes with a reminder that confidence is about owning your power and showing up as your authentic self without apology.

Risk is everywhere—so how do you manage it, embrace it, and turn it into an opportunity? In this episode of Your Last Potato, we sit down with Kiril Manin, a seasoned risk manager specializing in non-financial risks, to break down what risk management really means, why it’s a growing career field, and how to navigate uncertainty in business and life. 🔹 What You’ll Learn in This Episode: ✅ What risk management is and why it matters in today’s world ✅ The different career paths in risk and how to find the right fit for you ✅ Top certifications (FRM, PRM, CISA) that can boost your career ✅ How to build career capital in risk management and stand out in the field ✅ Real-life case studies—including a shocking Hollywood Ponzi scheme—and lessons in due diligence & fraud prevention 💡 Coffee Confessions Segment: We break down the case of Zach Horwitz, an aspiring actor who pulled off a $650 million Ponzi scheme by faking Hollywood film distribution deals. What went wrong, and what risk management steps could have prevented this massive fraud? 📌 Actionable Takeaways & Resources Mentioned in This Episode: GARP – Financial Risk Manager (FRM) certification PRMIA – Professional Risk Manager (PRM) training & resources IRM – Risk management qualifications across industries Coursera & LinkedIn Learning – Courses in risk, compliance, and cybersecurity Risk.net & Harvard Business Review – Latest insights in risk management RMA & LinkedIn Groups – Networking opportunities for risk professionals Scamfluencers - Podcast with 'stories of the world's most insidious Scamfluencers'. 🎧 Tune in NOW – Available on Spotify | Apple Podcasts 🔗 Follow & Connect With Us: 🌍 Website: www.YourLastPotato.com 📩 Have a career question? DM us  👉 Subscribe & share this episode with someone looking to break into risk management! #YourLastPotato #RiskManagement #CareerGrowth #ProfessionalDevelopment #FinancialRisk #RiskAndCompliance #Podcast

Ever worked hard, delivered results, and expected to move up—only to be passed over for a promotion? It’s frustrating, even disheartening, but here’s the good news: a setback like this doesn’t have to derail your career. In fact, it can be a stepping stone to something even greater. In this episode of Your Last Potato, we explore why promotions don’t always go as planned, the role of visibility, skill gaps, and workplace politics, and most importantly—how to turn career setbacks into career capital. 🔹 What You'll Learn in This Episode: ✅ The top reasons why people get passed over for promotions ✅ How to seek constructive feedback and turn rejection into growth ✅ Strategies to build leadership skills and enhance visibility in the workplace ✅ Real-life examples of professionals who turned setbacks into career-defining moments ✅ Practical steps you can take today to position yourself for your next opportunity Joining me is Yusra Ahmad, a seasoned professional who has navigated career challenges, pivoted successfully, and will share insights on bouncing back stronger. 💡 Coffee Confessions Segment: What happens when you go on sick leave, only to return and find out your colleague has been promoted over you? We break down this real-life workplace dilemma and discuss strategies for handling unexpected career setbacks. 📌 Actionable Takeaways & Resources Mentioned in This Episode: LinkedIn Learning – Courses on leadership, communication, and technical skills BetterUp – Coaching platform for personalised career guidance Coursera – Certifications from top universities in business, finance, and technology MindTools – Resources for time management, emotional intelligence, and leadership skills Glassdoor – Salary insights and company reviews to help prepare for future promotions Slack Communities – Networking groups for career advice and mentorship Blinkist - Book summaries and audio book guides Cal Newport Amazon Book - So Good They Can't Ignore You 🔗 Follow & Connect With Us: 🌍 Website: www.YourLastPotato.com 📲 Listen on: Spotify | Apple Podcasts  📩 Got a career question? Reach out via our website! 👉 Subscribe & share this episode with someone who needs a confidence boost in their career! #YourLastPotato #CareerGrowth #Leadership #ProfessionalDevelopment #CareerCapital #WorkplaceSuccess