Episode Guest:Sharon Dockerty is the Chief People and Places Officer at Lloyds Banking Group, leading people strategy, workplace experience, and culture across a workforce of around 80,000 colleagues. She’s built her career across major organisations including Heathrow and Vodafone, with a leadership style grounded in resilience, straight talking, and backing young people to thrive.Episode Chapters:0:00 Introduction1:18 What Gets You Out of Bed in the Morning2:07 Sharon’s First Job Selling Flowers at 103:24 Sharon’s Journey from Humble Beginnings3:49 The Four Chapters of Sharon’s Career5:05 Why Career Paths Are Rarely Planned6:39 Learning to Work Hard and Create Opportunity7:48 Advice for People in Career Chapter One8:13 How to Know if You’re Working with the Right People9:07 Choosing Positive People in Your Life11:41 What Sharon Would Do Differently Early in Her Career13:12 Building Heathrow Terminal 513:52 What It Means When Leaders Take a Risk on You15:10 Changing Safety Culture in Construction17:38 Lessons from Lifelong Learning19:31 Leading Through Crisis at Heathrow21:29 The Leadership Lesson That Changed Everything22:38 Handling Pressure and Protecting Your Team24:21 Are Young People Less Resilient Today26:12 Inside the Role of Chief People and Places Officer27:30 Leading 80,000 People at Lloyds Banking Group28:32 How Leaders Know if Culture Is Working29:37 From Leaving Home Young to Banking Leadership31:02 Why Apprenticeships Matter32:36 Apprenticeship Opportunities at Lloyds33:58 Why Tech and Data Are the Future34:27 Why Lloyds Banking Group Matters to the UK36:31 Helping Britain Prosper37:20 Advice for Young People About Money37:45 The Power of Saving Early41:51 Sharon’s Duvet FlipEpisode Partners:📊 Compare the MarketDiscover how you can make a difference at Compare the Market, the company behind one of the UK’s most popular comparison sites. From tech and data to marketing and operations, they’re on a mission to simplify decisions for millions.https://bit.ly/4i53SvjDisclaimer:The content provided on Duvet Flip is for informational and entertainment purposes only and should not be considered professional advice. The views expressed by hosts, guests, brands or contributors are their own and do not necessarily reflect those of the show's producers, sponsors, or affiliates. The information shared is not a substitute for professional advice, including but not limited to career counseling, financial guidance, legal consultation, or mental health support.Listeners and viewers are responsible for their own decisions and actions based on the content provided, and Duvet Flip assumes no liability for any outcomes resulting from reliance on the information shared. By engaging with the show, you acknowledge and agree to this disclaimer.If you’re struggling with debt, trusted advice and free support can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/debt-adviceIf you’re struggling with mental health of any kind, you can find free support here: https://www.nhs.uk/mental-health/

Episode Guest:

Meet Lloyd Mann, VP of Culinary and Global Executive Chef at Sodexo, sharing his career journey and what get's him to flip the duvet in the morning, here on My Duvet Flip!

Episode Partners:

📊 Compare the Market

Discover how you can make a difference at Compare the Market, the company behind one of the UK’s most popular comparison sites. From tech and data to marketing and operations, they’re on a mission to simplify decisions for millions.

https://bit.ly/4i53Svj

Disclaimer:

The content provided on Duvet Flip is for informational and entertainment purposes only and should not be considered professional advice. The views expressed by hosts, guests, brands or contributors are their own and do not necessarily reflect those of the show's producers, sponsors, or affiliates. The information shared is not a substitute for professional advice, including but not limited to career counseling, financial guidance, legal consultation, or mental health support.

Listeners and viewers are responsible for their own decisions and actions based on the content provided, and Duvet Flip assumes no liability for any outcomes resulting from reliance on the information shared. By engaging with the show, you acknowledge and agree to this disclaimer.

If you’re struggling with debt, trusted advice and free support can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/debt-advice

If you’re struggling with mental health of any kind, you can find free support here: https://www.nhs.uk/mental-health/

Episode Guest

Ryan Harvey is Head of AI Engineering at Compare the Market, where he builds teams and capabilities to apply AI in ways that accelerate delivery and increase the impact engineers can have. He’s passionate about mentoring, practical problem-solving, and helping the next generation thrive as the world of work rapidly changes.

Episode Timestamps:

0:00 Introduction

0:27 From a Chip Shop in Cyprus to Tech Support

3:07 Automating the Job: Learning to Work Smarter

5:16 Where Ryan’s Love for Tech Began

8:27 What Makes a Great Software Engineer?

11:45 Learning the Hard Way: Early Career Mistakes

14:06 Cheers and Chores in Engineering

16:54 Startup Life vs Corporate Engineering

19:05 The Pressure of Mission-Critical Software

20:20 Why Compare the Market?

22:09 How to Stand Out in an Engineering Interview

24:04 The Power of Mentors (Inside and Outside Tech)

30:12 The Best Career Advice: Seek Forgiveness, Not Permission

32:23 The Future of Engineering in the AI Era

34:52 AI Won’t Replace Engineers – It Will Elevate Them

37:48 Are We Underestimating Junior Engineers?

41:46 How to Break into Software Engineering Today

43:43 What Gets Ryan Out of Bed in the Morning

Episode Partners

📊 Compare the Market

Discover how you can make a difference at Compare the Market, the company behind one of the UK’s most popular comparison sites. From tech and data to marketing and operations, they’re on a mission to simplify decisions for millions.

https://bit.ly/4i53Svj

Disclaimer:

The content provided on Duvet Flip is for informational and entertainment purposes only and should not be considered professional advice. The views expressed by hosts, guests, brands or contributors are their own and do not necessarily reflect those of the show's producers, sponsors, or affiliates. The information shared is not a substitute for professional advice, including but not limited to career counseling, financial guidance, legal consultation, or mental health support.

Listeners and viewers are responsible for their own decisions and actions based on the content provided, and Duvet Flip assumes no liability for any outcomes resulting from reliance on the information shared. By engaging with the show, you acknowledge and agree to this disclaimer.

If you’re struggling with debt, trusted advice and free support can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/debt-advice

If you’re struggling with mental health of any kind, you can find free support here: https://www.nhs.uk/mental-health/

Episode Guest

Sam Walley

Sam is a Commercial Graduate at Compare the Market, currently rotating through teams as part of the company’s graduate scheme. He’s passionate about taking opportunities outside his comfort zone and building a successful career in the commercial world.

Kelly Howes

Kelly is a Software Engineer Apprentice at Compare the Market, having transitioned into tech through coding bootcamps and hands-on learning. She’s passionate about inclusive workplaces, lifelong learning, and building software that makes a real impact.

George Owens

George is a Risk and Compliance Apprentice at Compare the Market, where he works across the business supporting governance, risk, and regulatory understanding. He enjoys the variety of the role and developing confidence by getting involved from day one.

Episode Timestamps:

0:00 Meet the apprentices and graduates at Compare the Market

0:28 First impressions of the interview process

1:27 Advice for young people applying for apprenticeships and grad roles

1:53 Welcome to My Duvet Flip with Sam, Kelly and George

2:06 Sam’s background and education journey

2:48 Stepping outside your comfort zone at university

3:38 Growing up on a dairy farm and learning hard work

4:29 Discovering commercial work and internships

5:43 Finding the Compare the Market graduate scheme

6:26 What the commercial graduate scheme looks like

6:38 Life two months into the grad role

7:23 Preparing properly for interviews

7:33 Skills learned so far and financial confidence

8:15 Sam’s first week at Compare the Market

8:52 Company-wide events and culture

11:42 Kelly’s non-traditional career journey

13:12 Running a dance school and learning leadership

14:47 Discovering coding during the pandemic

15:53 Applying for the software engineering apprenticeship

16:56 Feeling welcomed during the interview process

17:26 What a software engineer apprenticeship involves

18:46 Learning while working in a real tech team

19:23 Why apprenticeships are a powerful route into tech

19:39 Supportive and inclusive culture at Compare the Market

20:18 Kelly’s advice for future apprentices

21:04 George’s university experience and career thinking

22:14 Adapting to change during COVID

22:36 Finding the risk and compliance apprenticeship

23:16 What risk and compliance work really looks like

24:16 Surprises in the workplace and flat hierarchy

25:26 Learning by being trusted early

26:19 Personal development and the Talent Academy

26:44 Advice for anyone applying to Compare the Market

27:36 What gets Sam, Kelly and George out of bed each morning

28:34 Final thanks and closing thoughts

Episode Partners

📊 Compare the Market

Discover how you can make a difference at Compare the Market, the company behind one of the UK’s most popular comparison sites. From tech and data to marketing and operations, they’re on a mission to simplify decisions for millions.

https://bit.ly/4i53Svj

Disclaimer:

The content provided on Duvet Flip is for informational and entertainment purposes only and should not be considered professional advice. The views expressed by hosts, guests, brands or contributors are their own and do not necessarily reflect those of the show's producers, sponsors, or affiliates. The information shared is not a substitute for professional advice, including but not limited to career counseling, financial guidance, legal consultation, or mental health support.

Listeners and viewers are responsible for their own decisions and actions based on the content provided, and Duvet Flip assumes no liability for any outcomes resulting from reliance on the information shared. By engaging with the show, you acknowledge and agree to this disclaimer.

If you’re struggling with debt, trusted advice and free support can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/debt-advice

If you’re struggling with mental health of any kind, you can find free support here: https://www.nhs.uk/mental-health/

Episode Guest

Niamh Savill is a Senior Solutions Architect at Halo CRM, where she works across consultancy, product development, and customer solutions. With a background in languages, she brings a people-first, curious approach to solving complex technical challenges.

Episode Timestamps

0:00 Introduction

0:33 Meet Niamh and Why She Said Yes to My Duvet Flip

1:31 Niamh’s First Jobs and Early Lessons About Work

2:42 What Early Roles Teach You About Communication

3:10 How to Communicate Better at Work

3:52 Finding Halo Through Indeed

4:33 From Language Degree to a Tech Career

5:01 Niamh’s Journey at Halo CRM

6:49 Building Confidence and Putting Your Hand Up

7:47 Learning on the Job and Asking Questions

8:02 Niamh’s Best Day at Halo and Travelling for Work

8:58 What Halo Taught Niamh About Being Yourself

9:42 How Niamh Describes Halo’s Culture

10:34 Being a Woman in Tech

11:22 Advice to Young Women Applying for Tech Roles

12:08 Do You Need a Tech Background to Work in Tech?

12:58 A Day in the Life of a Senior Solutions Architect

13:51 Why Relationships Matter at Work

14:31 Dealing With Imposter Syndrome

15:36 Finding Best Friends at Work

16:27 Paul’s Leadership Style at Halo

17:44 Can Ambition and Drive Be Trained?

18:53 Niamh’s Advice to Anyone Applying to Halo

19:12 What Gets Niamh Out of Bed in the Morning

Episode Partners

Check out the latest from Halo:

https://halograduates.com and https://www.instagram.com/halonextgen/

Disclaimer:

The content provided on Duvet Flip is for informational and entertainment purposes only and should not be considered professional advice. The views expressed by hosts, guests, brands or contributors are their own and do not necessarily reflect those of the show's producers, sponsors, or affiliates. The information shared is not a substitute for professional advice, including but not limited to career counseling, financial guidance, legal consultation, or mental health support.

Listeners and viewers are responsible for their own decisions and actions based on the content provided, and Duvet Flip assumes no liability for any outcomes resulting from reliance on the information shared. By engaging with the show, you acknowledge and agree to this disclaimer.

If you’re struggling with debt, trusted advice and free support can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/debt-advice

If you’re struggling with mental health of any kind, you can find free support here: https://www.nhs.uk/mental-health/

Episode Guest

Sam Schlimper is Managing Director at Randstad Enterprise, where she works with global organisations to redesign work, unlock human potential, and build future-ready talent strategies. With deep experience across recruitment, financial services, and advisory, Sam is passionate about creating meaningful work that energises people and organisations.

Episode Timestamps:

0:00 Introduction

0:23 What gives you energy and what drains it at work

1:17 Sam’s duvet flip and why self-reflection matters

2:09 First job lessons and learning what you don’t want to do

3:04 Why trying things is essential early in your career

3:39 How Sam fell into recruitment and talent without a plan

4:12 Confidence, training, and learning on the job

4:46 Building confidence in a hybrid and remote world

5:47 Why job descriptions don’t reflect how work really happens

6:33 Do remote workers really miss out on promotions?

7:39 How to know who you are (and why it’s a lifelong job)

8:16 Being good at something that slowly drains you

9:10 Why fun, energy, and people keep you in a job

10:05 What makes a great recruiter today

11:40 How people really get jobs beyond their CV

12:44 Understanding human potential at its core

14:13 Simple ways to identify your own potential

15:36 Are you stuck in the ‘frozen middle’?

16:29 What it feels like when work slowly erodes you

17:36 Mucky ducks and how bad culture spreads

18:57 What to do if you are the mucky duck

20:04 Knowing when it’s time to leave an environment

22:13 Why human connection matters more than ever

23:14 AI, young people, and the future of work

24:45 Why early careers need new, non-traditional routes

25:46 The beehive analogy and problem-solving talent

26:47 Why AI should be treated like a colleague, not a tool

28:37 The danger of cognitively offloading your thinking

30:08 How to work with AI without losing your edge

32:43 Psychological safety and AI adoption at work

35:40 Confidence, power, and who embraces AI first

38:38 Lessons from Sam’s time at Barclays

40:33 What Randstad Enterprise does and why Sam loves her work

43:49 The red folder quick-fire questions

48:24 Sam’s duvet flip and what really gets her out of bed

Episode Partners

📊 Compare the Market

Discover how you can make a difference at Compare the Market, the company behind one of the UK’s most popular comparison sites. From tech and data to marketing and operations, they’re on a mission to simplify decisions for millions.

https://bit.ly/4i53Svj

Disclaimer:

The content provided on Duvet Flip is for informational and entertainment purposes only and should not be considered professional advice. The views expressed by hosts, guests, brands or contributors are their own and do not necessarily reflect those of the show's producers, sponsors, or affiliates. The information shared is not a substitute for professional advice, including but not limited to career counseling, financial guidance, legal consultation, or mental health support.

Listeners and viewers are responsible for their own decisions and actions based on the content provided, and Duvet Flip assumes no liability for any outcomes resulting from reliance on the information shared. By engaging with the show, you acknowledge and agree to this disclaimer.

If you’re struggling with debt, trusted advice and free support can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/debt-advice

If you’re struggling with mental health of any kind, you can find free support here: https://www.nhs.uk/mental-health/

Episode Guest

Pete Harris is the President at Pipedrive, with a career spanning from auditing at Deloitte to global leadership. Known for his grounded wisdom and purpose-driven mindset, Pete brings clarity and compassion to every room he walks into - or in Pete's case, runs into!

Episode Timestamps:

0:00 Introduction

0:55 Meet Pete Harris – President at Pipedrive

3:00 The Flight That Changed Everything

6:20 Why Pete Turned Down Partnership at Deloitte

9:00 Discovering Your Purpose in Life and Work

12:15 Pete’s Hierarchy of Needs

15:10 From Corporate Climb to Courageous Quit

18:00 The Power of Support: Marriage, Mentors & Mindset

21:30 Resigning With Grace and Class

24:00 Pete’s Ironman: Testing Limits and Finding Clarity

28:00 What Endurance Taught Pete About Insecurity and Self

31:10 Talking Money: Value, Confidence & Childhood Habits

35:00 From Seven-Year-Old Saver to Global Leader

38:20 Why Your Job Title Isn’t Who You Are

41:00 What Real Wealth Looks Like (And It’s Not Money)

44:15 Time, Presence, and the 18 Christmas Rule

47:00 Leadership, Listening and Talking Last

50:00 The Power of Diversity and Integrity at Work

53:00 Pete on Taylor Swift, Energy Vampires & the A-Team

56:00 Final Reflections and Pete’s Duvet Flip

Episode Partners

📊 Compare the Market

Discover how you can make a difference at Compare the Market, the company behind one of the UK’s most popular comparison sites. From tech and data to marketing and operations, they’re on a mission to simplify decisions for millions.

https://bit.ly/4i53Svj

Disclaimer:

The content provided on Duvet Flip is for informational and entertainment purposes only and should not be considered professional advice. The views expressed by hosts, guests, brands or contributors are their own and do not necessarily reflect those of the show's producers, sponsors, or affiliates. The information shared is not a substitute for professional advice, including but not limited to career counseling, financial guidance, legal consultation, or mental health support.

Listeners and viewers are responsible for their own decisions and actions based on the content provided, and Duvet Flip assumes no liability for any outcomes resulting from reliance on the information shared. By engaging with the show, you acknowledge and agree to this disclaimer.

If you’re struggling with debt, trusted advice and free support can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/debt-advice

If you’re struggling with mental health of any kind, you can find free support here: https://www.nhs.uk/mental-health/

Episode Guest

Alex Glover is Managing Director of Programmatic at Brainlabs, where he leads global innovation in data-driven advertising. His passion for programmatic strategy and graduate development is helping shape the next generation of media talent.

Episode Timestamps:

0:00 Introduction

0:12 Meet Alex Glover, MD of Programmatic at Brainlabs

0:40 The job Alex nearly took (and why he didn’t)

1:48 Discovering advertising through curiosity

3:04 Early experiments with websites and Google Ads

4:16 The career-changing advice Alex got from his dad

5:06 Startup grind: no playbook, just problem solving

6:10 From tiny clients to Mediacom’s biggest accounts

7:33 Why Alex couldn’t stay away from programmatic

8:48 Taking a bet on himself at Brainlabs

10:00 The truth about programmatic advertising

12:05 Advertising’s future: Netflix, Spotify, and beyond

13:42 Inside the Brainlabs grad scheme in Buenos Aires

15:37 How moving to Argentina can kickstart your career

17:23 What makes someone thrive in programmatic?

19:08 Building confidence, then passion

21:07 Jack and Alex on being obsessed with your craft

22:45 Getting promoted: it’s not just about extra projects

24:10 How to stand out in your first job in media

26:04 Why reporting taught Alex the most about marketing

27:18 When Alex felt like a fraud (and what happened next)

29:12 What it’s really like working at Brainlabs

31:20 Why Brainlabs refuses to sell to a holding company

32:46 The culture of innovation and automation at Brainlabs

34:05 How AI is being used by grads at Brainlabs

35:24 “If you do it three times, automate it”

36:48 The one mindset shift every grad needs to hear

38:04 Chapter 1 of Alex’s career: “Working it out”

39:02 Most unexpected lesson from a ‘boring’ task

40:00 When Alex truly felt imposter syndrome

41:12 The job that led to Patagonia

42:00 Jack’s final question: What’s your duvet flip?

43:38 Why achievement, not titles, gets Alex up in the morning

44:30 Final reflections and thank yous

Episode Partners

📊 Compare the Market

Discover how you can make a difference at Compare the Market, the company behind one of the UK’s most popular comparison sites. From tech and data to marketing and operations, they’re on a mission to simplify decisions for millions.

https://bit.ly/4i53Svj

Disclaimer:

The content provided on Duvet Flip is for informational and entertainment purposes only and should not be considered professional advice. The views expressed by hosts, guests, brands or contributors are their own and do not necessarily reflect those of the show's producers, sponsors, or affiliates. The information shared is not a substitute for professional advice, including but not limited to career counseling, financial guidance, legal consultation, or mental health support.

Listeners and viewers are responsible for their own decisions and actions based on the content provided, and Duvet Flip assumes no liability for any outcomes resulting from reliance on the information shared. By engaging with the show, you acknowledge and agree to this disclaimer.

If you’re struggling with debt, trusted advice and free support can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/debt-advice

If you’re struggling with mental health of any kind, you can find free support here: https://www.nhs.uk/mental-health/