Host: Julie Williams MSc – Executive Coach & Founder of Lighting Fires
Guest: Greg Owen – Lead Product Designer, The LEGO Group

In this episode of The Lighting Fires Podcast, supported by Henley Business School, Julie is joined by Greg Owen, Lead Product Designer at the LEGO Group, for a thoughtful and honest conversation about transitions, endings, and what it really takes to thrive at work.

Greg reflects on his journey from professional ice hockey into design, entrepreneurship and leadership, and a significant chapter in his career: co-founding the digital design studio Daughter, growing it over seven years, and ultimately making the decision to bring the business to a close.

Julie and Greg revisit the period when Julie was coaching Greg and his business partners, exploring what was happening beneath the surface at the time, what the coaching revealed, and how that work helped Greg gain clarity about his strengths, energy and what he needed in order to do his best work.

This episode offers a rare and refreshing perspective on leadership and entrepreneurship, not through stories of scaling and success alone, but through the reality of recognising when something has run its course and navigating that ending with authenticity and integrity.

Julie and Greg talk about:

• Transitioning from professional sport into business and leadership
• What it's really like to build a values-led business with friends
• Why clarity around roles, energy and purpose matters in leadership teams
• How coaching helped uncover what Greg needs in order to thrive
• Navigating difficult decisions with honesty, care and integrity
• The emotional and practical realities of ending a business
• Letting go, moving on, and finding renewed energy in new roles
• Creating space for reflection during times of uncertainty and change

Greg also reflects on how his background in elite sport shaped his mindset around endings, competition and change, and how coaching techniques continue to influence his work in design and leadership today.

This episode will resonate with business owners, leaders and creatives who are facing change, questioning what's next, or grappling with decisions that don't come with easy answers.

Resources & Tools Mentioned

• Six Thinking Hats – Edward de Bono
  A powerful thinking and decision-making framework that helps individuals and teams explore ideas from multiple perspectives
• The Disney Creativity Strategy (Walt Disney Method)
  A simple yet effective creativity technique that separates thinking into three modes: Dreamer, Realist and Critic — allowing ideas to be explored, shaped and refined without shutting them down too early.

Henley Business School

Interested in a career in coaching? Find out about the Professional Certificate in Executive Coaching at Henley Business School here.

Be sure to mention the Lighting Fires Podcast if you do contact Henley Business School.

Connect with Julie

Website: lightingfires.co.uk
Email: julie@lightingfires.co.uk
LinkedIn: Julie Williams MSc

If you found this episode helpful, please leave a five-star rating and review – it helps more listeners find these real-world leadership stories and insights.

Host: Julie Williams MSc- Executive Coach & Founder of Lighting Fires
Guest: Alex Weller- Founder of Above Digital

In this episode of The Lighting Fires Podcast, supported by Henley Business School, Julie sits down with Alex Weller, founder of Above Digital, whose career spans more than 30 years of evolving brands and building digital experiences, from early work with Universal Music and PepsiCo to today's bespoke websites and branding projects.

Alex describes himself as someone who never liked planning, and for a long time avoided it. Yet through coaching, reflection, and a shift in mindset, he discovered how simple planning, can be transformative. Their conversation explores the tension between wanting freedom and needing structure, why business owners often resist planning, and how Alex found a way of doing it that finally worked for him.

Julie and Alex talk about:

• The pressure of running a business when you're the person responsible for everything

• How creating small pockets of time and space is essential for new ideas and long-term thinking

• Why planning doesn't have to be complicated, and can actually feel grounding

• The unexpected ways coaching continues to shape decisions years after the sessions finish

• How to identify the clients you're best placed to serve

• Why keeping simple notes about your business journey becomes a powerful tool for future planning

• The importance of understanding your own preferences when shaping how you lead

Alex reflects on the pivotal realisation that even when plans feel "pie in the sky," writing things down gives you something valuable to look back on, a narrative of your business that helps you make sense of where you've been and where you want to go next.

Julie also shares coaching insights on finding focus, noticing what's working, creating space to think, and building a plan that feels motivating rather than overwhelming.

Whether you love planning, avoid it, or feel stuck somewhere in between, this conversation offers fresh perspective on how to steer your business with more clarity, confidence, and ease.

Henley Business School

Interested in a career in coaching? Find out about the Professional
Certificate in Executive Coaching at Henley Business School here.

Be sure to mention the Lighting Fires Podcast if you do contact Henley Business School.

Connect with Julie

Website: lightingfires.co.uk
Email: julie@lightingfires.co.uk
LinkedIn: Julie Williams MSc

If you enjoyed this episode, please leave a five star rating and review, it helps more listeners find these real-world leadership tools and stories.