The Resolution Room

Career reinvention is rarely neat, and it often starts with a quiet question you cannot unhear. In this episode, I’m joined by Joanna Wong, host of the podcast Chasing Waves, to talk about career transitions, leadership growth, and what it looks like to walk away from what is not working without treating quitting like failure. Joanna’s story spans three continents and global brands including Meta, Spotify, and The Trade Desk, and she shares the lessons that only come from doing the hard pivots in real time.We unpack what career reinvention actually requires, including the mindset shift from chasing status to chasing alignment. Joanna talks about the signals that it might be time to move on, the role values play in decision making, and why leadership is less about being the smartest person in the room and more about building a team where different strengths can do their job. We also discuss how some organisations create clearer pathways by recognising both individual contributor and people leader tracks.We then move into quitting with purpose and visibility, including Joanna’s Memento Mori exercise as a practical way to confront how finite time really is. We also talk personal brand in a way that is useful rather than cringe, how to be memorable for the right reasons, and why visibility inside organisations is often a leadership skill in disguise. If you are searching for career change advice, leadership development, or how to reinvent your career without burning everything down, this conversation will give you a grounded place to start.CHAPTERS00:00 Introduction01:29 Why Chasing Waves Exists02:20 Letting Go of Corporate Identity03:53 Burnout and Permission to Dream07:05 Podcast Wins and Hard Parts09:44 From Technician to Manager14:01 Leadership Lessons and Conflict18:13 Tough Conversation Example20:33 Hard Talk Aftermath22:33 Trust Built Over Time24:09 Conflict Fuels Growth24:49 Stop Hiring Clones26:35 Personal Brand Visibility30:24 Why Managing Matters32:18 Chasing Waves Vision34:11 Coaching vs Mentoring38:02 Quitting and Life Dots41:02 Where to Find JoannaLINKS:Joanna:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/joannawong-chasingwaves/Website: https://chasingwaves.co/More From Damien:Website | LinkedIn | YouTubeWORK WITH ME:Book a Mediation or a 15-minute Discovery call with Damien: https://www.evolveresolve.com/bookingWebsite: https://www.evolveresolve.com/LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/damien-van-brunschotYouTube: @evolveresolve Email: [email protected]

Mindful leadership is not a wellness trend, it is an attention skill, and in this episode I sit down with Susan Pearse to talk about what that really means in modern work and life. Susan and I have known each other for 30 years, and this conversation is both personal and practical, tracing how she stepped away from the corporate path early and went on to build some of Australia’s first mindfulness based leadership programs, long before smartphones and constant notifications became the norm.Susan and I discuss what mindfulness in leadership looks like day to day, including attention management, presence, and the hidden cost of busyness as a badge of honour. Susan shares why training the mind is not about escaping pressure, but learning to meet it with more clarity, better decision-making, and stronger relationships. If you are searching for mindful leadership strategies, attention management for leaders or how to stay focused at work, this episode will give you a grounded framework.We also explore how AI affects focus and creativity, and why convenience can quietly erode the deeper thinking leaders rely on. Susan reflects on her work Winning the Second Half and the bigger question behind it: what does “winning” look like in the second act of life, when you stop chasing other people’s definitions of success. This is a conversation about leadership, meaning and choosing what you pay attention to before your attention is chosen for you.CHAPTER MARKERS00:00 Neuroscience, AI and Attention Management05:17 Mindfulness as Attention Training for Leaders06:55 Mental Capacity vs Skill at Work08:59 Busyness Culture and Burnout Risk14:27 Psychosocial Safety and Duty of Care17:16 AI, Neuroplasticity and Use It or Lose It21:31 Authentic Thinking in an AI World23:38 Winning the Second Half of Life29:36 Final Advice and Key TakeawaysGuest linkSusan:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/susan-pearse-022b0311/https://www.susanpearse.com/More From Damien:Website | LinkedIn | YouTubeWORK WITH ME:Book a Mediation or a 15-minute Discovery call with Damien: https://www.evolveresolve.com/bookingWebsite: https://www.evolveresolve.com/LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/damien-van-brunschotYouTube: @evolveresolve Email: [email protected]

Vicarious trauma is one of the most overlooked psychosocial hazards at work, especially in high exposure roles like law, insurance, health, and frontline services. In this episode of The Resolution Room, I’m joined by Vanessa Daniel from MLCOA to share 20 practical takeaways for reducing the risk of psychological injury from vicarious trauma, and to make the conversation more useful than the usual “just be resilient” advice.We talk about how workplace health and safety is shifting beyond physical risks and into psychosocial risk management, including what employers and leaders need to understand about their duty to identify, assess, and control these risks. We also unpack why culture matters, why high performers often do not self report, and how regular check ins, training, and supervisor capability can change outcomes before people hit a wall.This is a practical episode for managers, HR, and professionals working with distressing material who want clear, workplace-ready strategies. We cover risk assessments, de-stigmatising help-seeking, structured debriefing, and why vicarious trauma needs to be treated as a leadership issue, not a personal weakness. If you are searching for vicarious trauma workplace strategies, psychosocial safety, or how to prevent psychological injury at work, this conversation will give you a strong starting point.CHAPTER MARKERS00:00 Introduction02:05 Psychosocial Safety Shift04:06 Legal Duties And Key Case06:43 Acknowledge Exposure08:05 Stop Blaming Resilience08:57 Risk Assessments And Controls11:13 Cumulative Exposure Matters12:58 Train Staff And Supervisors14:13 Beyond Self Reporting15:38 Trauma Informed Supervision16:45 Rotating Trauma Caseloads17:30 Monitor Workload Pressure18:31 Reduce Unnecessary Exposure19:27 Protocols for Graphic Evidence19:48 Job Rotation and Mixed Work21:33 Structured Debriefing Culture23:02 Peer Support and Access27:51 Leadership Owns the RiskMore From Damien:Website | LinkedIn | YouTubeWORK WITH ME:Book a Mediation or a 15-minute Discovery call with Damien: https://www.evolveresolve.com/booking Website: https://www.evolveresolve.com/ LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/damien-van-brunschot YouTube: @evolveresolve Email: [email protected] Disclaimer: The content of this podcast is general information only and does not constitute legal or medical advice.©2026 mlcoa | Law, Medicine & Everything in Between.

Vicarious trauma is not just a clinical concept; it is a real workplace risk for lawyers, claims teams, clinicians, and anyone who spends their days reading, hearing, or working inside other people’s worst moments. I’m joined today by Dr Naveed Sheikh, consultant psychiatrist and senior medical practitioner, and Vanessa Daniel, National Customer Legal Manager at mlcoa, to have a conversation about what vicarious trauma looks like in the real world and why psychosocial safety at work is now front and centre.We talk about the difference between direct trauma and vicarious trauma, and why the impact can be cumulative even when you were not physically there. Dr Sheikh explains why not every exposure leads to PTSD, but why it still needs to be taken seriously, particularly in high exposure professions like law, medicine, policing, and insurance. Vanessa shares what this looks like through a medico-legal lens, including how sensitive material shows up in legal work and why systems and culture matter as much as individual resilience.We also explore the legal and workplace obligations around psychosocial hazards, including the growing expectation that employers manage psychological risk alongside physical risk. Dr Sheikh shares practical warning signs to watch for, and what supportive workplaces can do early, including debriefing, mentorship, and normalising help-seeking. If you lead a team, work in personal injury or claims, or want a clearer understanding of vicarious trauma in the workplace, this conversation will give you a grounded place to start.CHAPTER MARKERS00:00 Welcome And Introductions01:17 Dr Naveed Background04:12 What Is Vicarious Trauma05:23 Legal Landscape Overview09:27 Diagnosis PTSD Vs Adjustment12:46 Treating Vs Forensic Roles18:17 Trauma Memory Loop21:31 Workplace Management Strategies25:07 Humour And Resilience26:28 Team Debriefs And SupportMore From Damien:Website | LinkedIn | YouTubeWORK WITH ME:Book a Mediation or a 15-minute Discovery call with Damien: https://www.evolveresolve.com/booking Website: https://www.evolveresolve.com/ LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/damien-van-brunschot YouTube: @evolveresolve Email: [email protected] Disclaimer: The content of this podcast is general information only and does not constitute legal or medical advice.©2026 mlcoa | Law, Medicine & Everything in Between.Mentioned in this episode:mlcoa

Business development in law is changing fast, and this episode is a practical look at what that means for partners, BD teams, and anyone responsible for growth in a law firm. I’m joined by Kim Wiegand and Charles Handley for a wide-ranging conversation on the future of legal business development, legal marketing and the skills firms will need to stay competitive as client expectations shift.We talk about the real role of AI in law firms and why adoption in marketing and BD is still slower than the hype suggests, even though the pressure for efficiency is rising. Kim shares what she is seeing on the ground, including where technology can genuinely support strategy, and where firms risk missing the point by treating AI as a quick fix rather than a capability to build.Charles brings the recruitment lens, including how BD roles in big law are moving from execution to strategic advisory, and why commercial acumen and coaching ability are now non-negotiable. We also explore the human side of growth, influencing partners, breaking down silos, and building client relationships that last, plus what both guests would tell their younger selves about careers in legal BD and leadership.CHAPTER MARKERS00:00 Introduction02:05 BD Landscape Shifts03:12 AI Reality Check05:53 New BD Roles Emerging08:11 From Execution to Advisor12:19 Coaching Partners Mindset15:43 Learning Beyond Law Firms18:03 Investment Gaps and Catalysts18:50 Partnership Model Pressure21:18 Private Equity and Spinouts23:01 Private Equity Readiness24:38 BD as Capital Advisor26:24 Macro Trends and Supply Chains28:53 From Reactive to Predictive BD31:06 Client Relationships and Defence35:34 Upskilling for AI-First Teams38:58 Career Advice and ClosingMore From Damien:Website | LinkedIn | YouTubeWORK WITH ME:Book a Mediation or a 15-minute Discovery call with Damien: https://www.evolveresolve.com/bookingWebsite: https://www.evolveresolve.com/LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/damien-van-brunschotYouTube: @evolveresolve Email: [email protected]