In this fascinating episode of the Wonder Women podcast, Ria sits down with Heidi Shakespeare, CEO of MEMNON, to hear about her unique career trajectory. Listen as Heidi shares how she always takes every opportunity that comes her way - including an early opportunity to work as a trapeze artist in a travelling circus! Now, that's not something you see on everyone's CV. Throughout Heidi's career, her tenacity and curiosity have led her to enjoy an illustrious career whilst also equipping her with a positive and strong mindset. We discuss imposter syndrome and Heidi's top tips on how to overcome it, as well as why she always encourages people to break the rules, stay open and treat rejection as an opportunity for growth. We also discuss navigating your career as a working parent, embracing life's up's and down's and how transparency at work about your needs as a working parent can empower you and foster better communication and trust with those you work with. Heidi also teaches us that there is no one set path to achieving your goals. Imparting the most important lesson of all - which is to define success by doing something that truly brings you joy.

In this informative and inspiring episode of the Wonder Women podcast, Ria speaks to Hilary Rosen, Director of Commissioning at UKTV. Hilary tells us about the hard work and winding route she took in politics before landing her first role in TV, during an era where female mentors were scarce. Hilary shares some of the clever ways she found to navigate the male-dominated work culture of the time to progress in her career during her childrearing years. Plus, we hear about how the hit TV series Emma Willis: Delivering Babies evolved from a casual discussion about family into something quite groundbreaking. Hilary also reveals vital insight into what being a commissioner entails and the reality of transitioning from a producer into this role, along with valuable tips on what she’s looking for in a pitch to win that coveted commission. Hilary also advises on the pro's and con's of staying too long in a role and shares the importance of always holding 5% of your time and energy back for brand YOU.

In this episode of the Wonder Women Podcast, Sophie Turner Laing takes us on a journey through her career and industry-shifting achievements. Sophie progressed her career by always doing things outside of her comfort zone, leading her to becoming the Managing Director of Sky. She pushed the broadcaster to focus on creating original, non-sport content for the first time and eventually went on to create Sky Atlantic. As she climbed the ladder, Sophie never forgot to give back. She spearheaded the partnership between Sky and the MAMA Youth, along with starting other schemes to help young people get into the industry, before becoming the Chair of the National Film and Television School. Her dedication to championing fairness in early careers continues in this role, as she's introduced cost-of-living allowances for students along with other scholarships and bursaries. Sophie also speaks about balancing parenthood with a career, encouraging women to not feel they have to choose between either. We discuss the current TV landscape, with Sophie expressing her confidence that the industry will bounce back after witnessing similar patterns throughout her long career. Looking ahead to the future, Sophie gives her view of how AI is disrupting the industry and how we can all prepare to be ahead of the curve.

In this inspiring and uplifting episode of the Wonder Women podcast, we speak to Babita Bahal, the Group Head of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion at Fremantle. Her unmatched passion for diversity and inclusion is a delight to listen to, learning about her hopes for the future of the industry, and the amazing initiatives Fremantle are putting in place to create positive change. Babita tells us about how she first got her big break in TV by connections she made at the school gates. Whilst also reflecting on highlights of her career, including co-writing the BBC Diversity Guidelines and how she went on to lead the behind-the-camera work on award-winning project Black to Front where Channel 4 dedicated an entire day of programming and adverts to Black talent. We discuss Fremantle's award-winning all-female production Queens, which trained up freelancers and set industry-shifting boundaries, setting a blueprint for what future TV productions could be. Lastly, we talk about resilience, how to navigate redundancy and the ongoing balancing act of being a working mother in the industry.

In this episode of the Wonder Women podcast, we speak to Creative Director of ENVY Natascha Cadle about her extremely successful career as a business owner. She talks us through the challenges and rewards of starting a business, emphasising the importance of workplace culture and prioritising staff wellbeing. She tells us about how ENVY were trailblazers by starting an academy to help students and graduates break into TV - one of the first schemes of its kind - and how countless thriving careers have come from it. She also gives advice to those working in the industry, including the importance of understanding other departments, how soft skills can take you a long way and how your network can help you achieve your goals. We also celebrate how far the industry has come for female representation and the opportunities that arise when you ask for what you want.

In this enlightening episode of the Wonder Women Podcast, Ria sits down with the Head of Bectu, Philippa Childs to get her take on the current state of the TV landscape from a union perspective. Philppa sheds light on the steps that Bectu are making to create a more equitable future working with Government to support the 68% of freelancers who are currently out of work. Philippa also highlights the need for systemic change in workplace practices, particularly in the area of Unscripted Television. We discuss how diversity and inclusion in organisations has been impacted as a result of the major industry restructures taking place and how Bectu are campaigning for D&I tax break schemes. Philippa also reveals where she gets her source of resilience from and reminds us of the many positive reasons to look to BECTU for support if you're a freelancer navigating the current industry challenges.

In this inspiring episode of the Wonder Women podcast, the BFI's Head of Diversity & Inclusion, Melanie Hoyes speaks about her career journey and how her interest and passion for Diversity, Inclusion and Equity has led her to work on some incredible projects at the BFI. She started as a researcher, unaware that the data she was working with would go on to create a significant shift in the British Film industry. She highlights the importance of data versus perception, as she's seen first-hand how shedding light on the facts is what brings about genuine change. She highlights areas of improvement in the industry such as on-screen diversity, while also addressing where there's still a long way to go in also recognising the significant contributions of off-screen talent. Melanie also runs networking events such as the Black Women's Lunch at Cannes Film Festival, to create a celebratory space for creatives from underrepresented groups, at which the enthusiasm, positivity and huge turnout provides a safe space for this thriving creative community. Melanie also shares valuable advice for anyone looking to connect with these creative networks.

In this exciting episode of the new series of the Wonder Women podcast, we delve into the fascinating 30-year career of the Chair of BAFTA, Sarah Putt to discuss her life-long passion for Film & Television. Sara shares the story of how she innovatively secured her first job in television and how she'd still advise people to try this tactic to get ahead today. We also discuss the current state of the TV landscape, as well as addressing the challenges of coming up in a male-dominated world, and how to handle modern workplaces which still don't have an equal gender split. Plus, Sarah reflects on why there should be equal focus on businesses supporting women who are at mid-senior level in the industry, as much as there is on entry-level workers and how community is crucial to building a support network as you navigate your career. Prepare to be inspired!

From achieving a degree in Biochemistry to becoming one of the world's first ever female Master Distillers at G&J Distillers which is part of the international spirits group Quintessential Brands, Joanne Moore is truly a master of her craft. In this month’s Wonder Women Podcast, Ria talks to Joanne who describes herself as an “accidental distiller” but while she may not have had her career all planned out initially, Joanne's success in a male-dominated industry speaks for itself, proving that you can achieve a fulfilling and rewarding career by working hard and following your passion. The first step to Joanne's success, was when she secured work experience with G&J Distillers whilst at university, this set her up for her first job in distillery, starting off as Quality Controller in the quality lab, where she would test raw materials and finished products. Joanne then quickly rose up the ranks to become Quality Manager, which flourished into 11 wonderful years in the drinks industry before becoming Master Distiller and the first ever female distiller since the company was founded in 1761! By embracing her flair and passion for creating lovely tasting gins, Joanne is now responsible for the creation of four international gins: BLOOM, Berkeley Square London Dry, Opihr Oriental Spiced Gin and Thomas Dakin Gin and for the distillation of Greenall’s The Original London Dry Gin, as well as a number of other brands. Whether you are interested in studying biochemistry or keen to learn what career paths are available in the drinks industry, this month’s Wonder Women podcast is packed with nuggets of advice from Joanne who shares some of the challenges she faced early on in her career and why she thinks more women are joining the drinks business today. There's also an abundance of top tips for creating a better work-life balance and advice on leadership and how best to lead a global team. So why not grab yourself a beverage and have a listen now. Cheers!

If you are thinking of starting your own business, here's some great practical advice from the award-winning entrepreneur, and Founder of Don’t Buy Her Flowers, Steph Douglas whose thoughtful gifting company thrived during the height of the pandemic - with revenues up by 600% on the previous year! In this month's fascinating episode, Steph tells Ria what it was like to have her business expand so rapidly - literally overnight - and how she dealt with it not just logistically, but emotionally during such bizarre times. Don’t worry, this isn’t just a great listen for entrepreneurs or those interested in business. Steph shares some valuable life hacks for achieving work and life balance; a different approach to securing a mentor and how to maintain relationships if you work with friends or family. Interestingly, prior to setting up her own business, Steph worked in Branding and Marketing in government communications and worked on a number of exciting campaigns which included; Join the Army, Stop Smoking and the iconic London Olympics. Trust us when we say, you don’t want to miss this great episode!

Sarah Asante was the first ever black, female Commissioner in BBC history and is now an award-winning Commissioning Editor at the multi-channel broadcaster, UKTV where she’s responsible for seeking out, developing, commissioning and executive-producing, scripted comedy shows for Dave and Gold. Sarah joined UKTV from the BBC where she commissioned the cult-hit sketch show FAMALAM along with comedy pilots, Dreaming Whilst Black, Behind the Filter and Fully Blown. Throughout Sarah's career she's also had a variety of roles in the BBC’s comedy team as a Development and Digital Content Editor, before moving into Commissioning and prior to that, she spent over a decade working in commissioning teams across Factual and Entertainment at Fox International Channels, Scripps Networks, ITV and Channel 4. In this fascinating episode, Sarah shares how throughout her career, she has always confidently put herself forward for roles in TV because she knew her worth and valued her own expertise and how working in an all-female team at ITV inspired her, along with some top tips on how best to pitch to comedy commissioners! Sarah’s also a member of the BAFTA TV Committee and acts as the diversity lead for new writer initiatives at UKTV, so grab yourself a notebook and pen, because this one’s a goody!

In this month’s Wonder Women podcast, Ria talks to Fozia Khan, Head of Unscripted at Amazon Studios UK. Fozia oversees a varied slate including All or Nothing: Arsenal, Clarkson’s Farm, The Fake Sheikh and upcoming, 007’s Road to a Million. Prior to joining Amazon, she was a Commissioning Editor for documentaries at Channel 4 where she worked on ground-breaking documentaries such as 24 Hours in Police Custody, Damilola: The Boy Next Door and Is Covid Racist? Fozia’s impressive portfolio and extensive background in programme-making working alongside Patrick Holland at BBC Two and at The Garden Productions where she produced Posh People and Extremely British Muslims make this episode about her incredible career a fascinating listen. Ria asks Fozia about the top issues affecting women in TV - as a senior leader in the industry; a mother and a woman of colour, what needs to change to truly achieve more diversity at senior leadership level and what are the advantages that come with working for a streaming video on demand service compared to a traditional, linear television broadcaster? Sit back, grab a cuppa and be inspired. Fozia is mixing things up in TV and we're excited to see it!

Vikki Stephenson is a Senior Creative, Consultant and Speaker with over 20 years experience, making award-winning campaigns, for the BBC’s highest profile brands such as Planet Earth II, Panorama, CBeebies, EastEnders and most recently, Dracula. Her work has been recognised internationally, winning over 35 industry awards - many since becoming a mum and working part-time. She’s interviewed some big names in her career including Sir David Attenborough and Hans Zimmer, plus she's also recently created a new podcast, Blue Mumdays which supports women going through postnatal depression which offers support to partners, friends and families who are also affected. In this episode, Vikki talks to Ria about the importance of brands not paying lip-service to diversity as businesses restructure in a post-Covid world and why it's vital women speak up for themselves and their achievements, to get ahead in their careers.

Angela Ferreira is a formidable woman. She's an internationally award-winning television producer with over 25 years’ experience working across several genres that include; Scripted, Entertainment, Daytime, Children’s, Music and Reality and she currently heads up Lenny Henry's indie, Douglas Road Productions as the Managing Director where she is gaining a reputation as ‘the teller of untold stories’. As one of the most experienced and respected executive producer's in the British TV industry, there aren't many people who haven't had the pleasure of working with Angela. In this month's episode of the Wonder Women podcast, Angela shares anecdotes from her colourful career with Ria along with her thoughts on the importance of choosing creative projects that are connected to your interests and passions. Grab a cuppa and enjoy your monthly dose of inspiration!

In this exciting episode of the Wonder Women podcast, Ria meets Kate Thomas who is the Head of Development at Boom in Wales, prior to that Kate was a Commissioner of Daytime and Features at Channel 4, responsible for shows that include; BAFTA-nominated The Great House Give-Away and Channel 4's most successful brand of 2020, Sarah Beeney's New Life in the Country. With over 22 years of programme-making experience working as the Creative Director at ITV owned production company, Boom and prior to that, as the Head of Development at BBC Studios where she won multiple commissions across Factual, Kids and Scripted television. Kate shares her thoughts on the benefits of commissioning in the Nations and Regions and why more broadcasters should invest in regional production talent to tell the best stories. As a proud Bristolian, Kate also discusses the challenges of assimilating into an industry that historically is prejudice of regional accents and passionately advocates for supporting the working class in the Arts. For anyone aspiring to become a commissioner in TV, this episode is full of insights into what it's actually like to be a Commissioner working at a national broadcaster and is not to be missed!

In this episode of the Wonder Women podcast, Ria meets Katie Benbow who is the Director of Strategy at BBC Studios, where Katie oversees content strategy and investment across the genre, working with the world’s leading Specialist Factual and Documentary makers. Katie loves TV and has built her career around her passion - bringing her editorial and commercial skills together through previous roles as Head of Acquisitions for BBC Studio’s international branded services and Director of Sales Planning where she broke new ground commissioning BBC Brit Poland’s first-ever local production, Packed up Life, and the first series of BBC Lifestyle’s First Dates, South Africa. In this very honest episode, Katie shares with Ria the importance of understanding your strengths and weaknesses; being honest with your line manager about your personal needs when negotiating flexible working and why it's on all of us to send the elevator back down to support the next generation of women. Grab a cuppa and be inspired!

In this inspirational episode of the Wonder Women podcast, TV presenter, Ria Hebden speaks with the award-winning Screenwriter and legendary TV Director and Actress, Kay Mellor OBE about her extraordinary career working in British Television. In this candid and fascinating chat, Kay shares how she steered and directed the fourth series of the hit BBC drama, The Syndicate through the pandemic and actually developed filming protocols which have been used as an industry benchmark for filming drama in a Covid-safe environment. Kay also reflects on the issues which she feels hold female writers back from getting their voices heard and stories commissioned for Television, along with some hilarious anecdotes from her incredible career filming the hugely successful ITV drama, Band of Gold. Plus, hear what huge opportunity Kay turned down when the iconic Film Director, Steven Spielberg called her while she was out shopping in Topshop! Take a break and listen to this wonderful episode which is full of motivational wisdom, career advice and invaluable tips for anyone who aspires to write or direct Television.

Grab a cuppa and listen to this uplifting chat with the legendary Queen of Daytime - Lorraine Kelly CBE as she shares some fascinating anecdotes with Ria, from her incredible career working at the helm of daytime Television over the past 35 years. Hear what happened when Lorraine met the Queen of England and what life-affirming message Oprah Winfrey had to share when she interviewed her! From the challenges she experienced in the early stages of her career, that led her to securing her own TV show; to how she become an ambassador for LGBT rights - Lorraine is undoubtedly a trailblazer for so many people, we dare you not to feel inspired by listening to this episode!

In this honest and revelatory interview, Executive Television Producer, Eve Winstanley shares the power that can come from stepping outside of your comfort zone and asking for what you really want. Listen as she shares some incredible anecdotes from working on some of the biggest Entertainment shows in British Television which include; Strictly It Takes Two, Who Wants to be a Millionaire? and Naked Attraction. Learn how Eve steered her production teams through the global pandemic, under unimaginable pressure to keep the shows on-air and why she cites patience, positivity and kindness as important character traits needed if you want to get ahead in Television.

In the first Wonder Women podcast of 2021, TV presenter, Ria Hebden speaks with Journalist, Akua Gyamfi - the founder of the British Blacklist, a popular online database and directory for black, British creatives. Akua has more than 20 years experience working in British entertainment; with an impressive career that spans fashion, film, television, theatre, print and online media. Would you believe Akua has met the legendary Oprah Winfrey not once, but twice!! Grab a cuppa and listen to her fascinating recollections of rubbing shoulders with Hollywood A-listers, along with Akua's thoughts on the current black renaissance taking place in the UK as a result of the global Black Lives Matter movements.