After a short Summer break, we’re back with a very special episode of The Merri-Cast. We depart from our usual format to pay tribute to the late, great Charles Handy – social philosopher, visionary thinker and one of the most influential voices in leadership and management.

Charles’s insights heavily shaped my own journalistic and entrepreneurial journey. And his books including The Age of Unreason, The Elephant and The Flea, and The Second Curve, continue to inspire entrepreneurs, leaders and anyone curious about the world in which they live.

To honour his extraordinary life and legacy, I’m joined by three fantastic guests:
•Kate Handy – Charles’s daughter, who shares both personal memories and fascinating insights on his work.
•Mark Goyder – Founder of Tomorrow’s Company, a champion of purposeful business and a long-time admirer of Charles’s forward-thinking ideas.
•Andrew Hill – Senior Business Writer at the Financial Times, who offers an interesting perspective into Charles’s relevance to today’s challenges.

From the value of curiosity, to championing hybrid working decades ahead of everyone else, to keeping organisations human in an age of technology and AI – we explore the man behind the ideas and why his thinking matters now more than ever.

Charles Handy Books:
The Age of Unreason: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Age-Unreason-New-Thinking-World/dp/0099548313
The Elephant and The Flea: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Elephant-Flea-Thinking-Looking-Backwards/dp/0099415658
The Second Curve: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Second-Curve-Thoughts-Reinventing-Society/dp/184794132X

What do you do when the career you worked so hard for no longer feels right? And how do you build something new that’s driven by purpose, not pressure?

This week on The Merri-Cast, I’m joined by Emily Gill – Co-Founder of human skills platform Levra and a qualified coach.

In this episode, Emily shares her fascinating career journey from lawyer to Oxford MBA student, to entrepreneurs. It’s full of insight, humility and real-world lessons.

Other key highlights include:
• Her father’s influence, particularly his encouragement that “anything is possible”.
• How her career change came from periods of quiet reflection – not a single ‘lightbulb moment’.
• Her perseverance and belief in long-term goals.
• Learning to embrace uncertainty and imperfection.
• Not taking setbacks personally.
• Building a values-led business with long term impact.
… and much more!

Emily’s honesty and grit makes this episode a must-listen for anyone navigating change or wanting clarity in their entrepreneurial journey.

Emily Gill:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/emilygilllevra/
Website: https://www.levra.me/

Trevor:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/trevormerriden/
Merriborn: https://merriborn.co.uk/
Email: trevor.merriden@merribornmedia.co.uk

We love guests who challenge the status quo – and our latest one does exactly that.

This week, I’m joined by Dani Dufresne – Emmy Award Winning Executive Producer and Founder of The Auxiliary.

Dani’s journey from film school in LA to reinventing how creative production works is inspiring and refreshingly honest. With over 20 years’ production experience across Film, TV, Commercials and Events, Dani’s built an incredible reputation for turning her client’s visions into reality.

In this episode, Dani discusses her experience with burnout, how she found her niche and reinvented herself.

Key insights that Dani shares in this episode include:
• How knowing what she didn’t want helped shape her business model.
• Creating a fractional, creative business that actually works.
• Winning awards, without chasing the spotlight.
• Why brands should rethink how they tell stories.

If you have ever felt stuck in a traditional model – or dreamed of breaking one, then listen to Dani because this episode is for you.

Dani Dufresne:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/danidufresne/
Website: https://www.theauxiliaryco.com/

Trevor:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/trevormerriden/
Merriborn: https://merriborn.co.uk/
Email: trevor.merriden@merribornmedia.co.uk