Hats On!

Una infancia interrumpida por la guerra. Un sueño que cruzó fronteras. Una historia sobre la empatía, la educación y las personas que nos ayudan a seguir adelante.Con solo 15 años, Rrezarta tuvo que abandonar su hogar en Kosovo durante la guerra. Tras llegar a un campo de refugiados en Albania, empezó a hacer de intérprete para equipos de ayuda humanitaria y otras familias. En medio de la incertidumbre y la pérdida, descubrió una vocación: ayudar a las personas a comprender aquello que estaban viviendo.Aquel momento fue el comienzo de un recorrido extraordinario: de Kosovo a España, de intérprete a neuropsicóloga, investigadora y madre. En el camino encontró personas que creyeron en ella y aprendió cuánto pueden importar el cuidado, la educación y los vínculos humanos cuando la vida se vuelve especialmente difícil.En esta conversación cálida y conmovedora, recuerda su hogar, la generosidad que presenció durante el desplazamiento, el valor que necesitó para estudiar lejos de su familia y las raíces que sigue llevando con orgullo. También habla de la maternidad, la empatía y las palabras que hoy le diría a su yo más joven: «Calma. Todo irá bien».Una historia sobre la resiliencia, el sentido de pertenencia y las personas que nos ayudan a encontrar nuestro camino.Para escuchar el episodio de Manuela Cabero Morán: https://open.spotify.com/episode/2d9pSbXnbWtg0y8LBqRRsO?si=btwDcmeTQl6eiPfC14rhGw---------------------------------------------------------(ENG) A childhood interrupted by war. A dream carried across borders. A story about empathy, education, and the people who help us keep going.At just 15, our guest was forced to leave her home in Kosovo during the war. After reaching a refugee camp in Albania, she began interpreting for aid workers and other families. In the middle of uncertainty and loss, she discovered a calling: to help people make sense of what they were living through.That moment became the beginning of a remarkable journey—from Kosovo to Spain, from interpreter to neuropsychologist, researcher, and mother. Along the way, she was supported by people who believed in her, and she learned how much care, education, and human connection can matter when life is at its hardest.In this warm and moving conversation, she shares memories of home, the kindness she witnessed during displacement, the courage it took to study abroad, and the roots she continues to carry with pride. She also reflects on motherhood, empathy, and the gentle words she would offer her younger self: “Calm. It will all be okay.”A story of resilience, belonging, and the people who help us find our way.Listen to Manuela Cabero Morán's episode here: https://open.spotify.com/episode/2d9pSbXnbWtg0y8LBqRRsO?si=btwDcmeTQl6eiPfC14rhGwDisclaimer: Guest's opinions are their own and do not necessarily reflect those of Hats On! or its partners. This podcast is not a substitute for professional advice.

What happens when the experiences that challenge us most become the foundation of our purpose?Maya Schmid has spent more than 25 years, building an international career with major consumer goods companies while raising two daughters. Along the way, she experienced the highs of professional growth and the damaging effects of toxic leadership — including the ways workplace stress can follow us home.In this honest conversation, we talk about identity across cultures, motherhood and career ambition, the guilt of trying to be everywhere, toxic bosses, and the courage to leave corporate life and build a new path. Maya shares why leaders need to reconnect with themselves before they can truly lead others — and why the impact of leadership reaches far beyond the office.In this episode:Building a career across Switzerland, Colombia and MexicoRaising two daughters while navigating senior corporate rolesRecognising the ripple effect of toxic leadershipLearning to stop taking everything personallyFinding purpose through coaching and self-leadershipChoosing what matters and believing that change is possibleMaya’s reminder: Your past does not have to determine your future. Your experience is gold — and you still have choices.Find out more about her work: ⁠https://www.mayatpp.com/el-leap-tm-resetDisclaimer: Guest's opinions are their own and do not necessarily reflect those of Hats On! or its partners. This podcast is not a substitute for professional advice.

What happens when you finally get the career you dreamed of and realise it no longer fits the life you want?In this episode , Alex shares her journey from Romania to the UK, from psychology to a successful HR career, and from corporate leadership to building her own artisan food business.For years, work was central to Alex’s identity. She thrived on achievement, high expectations and external validation. Then motherhood changed everything.Returning to work, trying to be an exceptional professional and a perfect mother, and pushing herself to keep every ball in the air eventually took a toll. Until one day, she realised she couldn't keep going the same way.What followed was a period of reflection, a reconnection with her values, and an unexpected idea inspired by childhood memories of baking with her grandfather and creating her own bread sticks brand.We talk about motherhood and identity, burnout, the pressure to outperform, the courage to pause, entrepreneurship, legacy and learning to build a life around what matters most.One of the most powerful reminders from Alex? You don't have to be fearless to change your life. You just have to stop letting fear make every decision.🎧 Listen to Alex's story on Hats On! Podcast.Find out more about Zabranz: www.zabranz.co.ukDisclaimer: Guest's opinions are their own and do not necessarily reflect those of Hats On! or its partners. This podcast is not a substitute for professional advice.

What if returning from maternity leave isn't about getting back to who you were before? What if it's about recognising who you've become?Liz spent more than a decade leading teams across some of the UK's biggest organisations, working on complex transformation problems. She was ambitious. Her career was a huge part of her identity. Then she became a mother. And returning to work wasn't the smooth transition she had expected. She was sleep deprived. Her family dynamics had changed. And yet she expected herself to perform exactly as she had before.In this episode of Hats On!, we talk about:The identity shift that happens when women become mothersWhy we give teenagers grace but rarely give new mothers the sameSleep deprivation and its impact on decision-making and performanceSensory load and why the workplace environment mattersThe skills women develop through motherhood — including time management and managing competing prioritiesWhat organisations can actually do differentlyWhy “just be consistent” can be terrible advice for exhausted new parentsAnd what happens when a woman decides to build something of her ownLiz makes a powerful case for something organisations often miss: The woman returning from maternity leave isn't the same person who left. But that doesn't mean she's less capable. And if organisations fail to create the right environment for those capabilities to thrive, they risk losing some of their most experienced talent — straight into their competitors' pipelines.A conversation about motherhood, identity, leadership, sleep, workplace culture and what it really means to return.Find out more about Pealey Consulting: https://www.pealey.co.uk/Disclaimer: Guest's opinions are their own and do not necessarily reflect those of Hats On! or its partners. This podcast is not a substitute for professional advice.

Menopause is not just hot flushes. And it is not something women should simply learn to endure.October is Menopause Awareness Month, with World Menopause Day on October 18. In this deep dive, we want to talk about menopause deeply covering:What actually happens during perimenopause?Why can symptoms begin years before the final period?Why is menopause so much more than hot flushes?What does the evidence say about hormone therapy today?What other treatment options exist?And what does all of this have to do with our workplaces?We talk about sleep, mood, brain fog, cognitive changes, anxiety, chronic pain, migraines, sexual and urinary health, bone health and cardiovascular health — and why these symptoms deserve to be taken seriously.We also look at the workplace because women can spend years experiencing symptoms while trying to perform, lead, make decisions and build careers — often without feeling able to say what is happening.This episode is for women who are already going through menopause, women approaching it, and anyone who wants to better understand what the women around them may be experiencing.Because: Menopause is not a crisis. It is a transition.And like every important transition, it deserves honesty, preparation, community and care.Previous episodes about Menopause:- https://open.spotify.com/⁠episode/2sai1yoesKk00O3k5dz7ul?si=9zsILr3QRrmEatMJmIT02w- https://open.spotify.com/episode/2d9pSbXnbWtg0y8LBqRRsO?si=btwDcmeTQl6eiPfC14rhGw- https://open.spotify.com/episode/0AzujCYJYWAXKjynqLmZUp?si=jCLRKoMjRSKCmmRmNDxziQ&utm_source=copy-linkLinks to Menopause Month:- https://www.macmillan.org.uk/cancer-awareness/menopause-awareness-month- https://www.imsociety.org/education/world-menopause-day-2026/Menopause: Symptoms, treatment, workplace support and why we need to talk about menopause differently.Disclaimer: This episode is for educational purposes and does not replace individual medical advice. Always discuss treatment options with a qualified healthcare professional.