Work and Wellness

Welcome to Work and Wellness, the podcast for anyone who wants to feel great and perform at their best, without burning out. I’m Ange Davies, a wellbeing speaker and ex-corporate leader, here to help you create a life that feels as good as it looks. Each week, I’m joined by guests who bring real stories and practical insights on what it means to thrive both at work and beyond. Ready to live well and succeed on your own terms? Hit follow and let’s get into it!

Work and Wellness is a education podcast hosted by Ange Davies, with 95 episodes on record and a Required Pod Score of 80.

Ange Davies hosts Work and Wellness, a education show with 95 episodes published.

Our AI reads these to draft pitches. Use them as grounding for a pitch that cites a real guest and a specific topic.

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  Episode #94

  EP 94: Stop Having All the Answers: What Human Leadership Actually Looks Like with May Samali

  Sep 28, 20261h 4mS1

  In this episode I sit down with May Samali, founder of Human Leadership Lab and Fellow of the Institute of Coaching at Harvard Medical School, to explore the human capabilities that no algorithm will ever replicate. Because the skills that got us promoted, perfectionism, having all the answers, pushing through, are often the very same skills that now hold us back as leaders. We get into what it really means to lead with self-awareness, why psychological safety has been completely misunderstood, how to lead through uncertainty, and what sustainable high performance actually looks like when you stop performing and start being human. KEY TOPICS What human leadership actually means and why every person is a leader regardless of title The skills that get us promoted that become liabilities when we lead others Why psychological safety does not mean making everyone comfortable and what it actually requires How to lead through uncertainty without pretending you have answers you don't have The ABC framework of human leadership: adaptability, bravery and compassion Why wellness is a performance strategy, not a nice to have What AI will never be able to do and the human skills it is quietly eroding What May now believes about leadership that she didn't believe ten years ago ABOUT MAY May Samali is the founder and CEO of Human Leadership Lab, a Fellow of the Institute of Coaching at Harvard Medical School, and an executive coach, facilitator and researcher. Her career has spanned corporate law, venture capital, entrepreneurship and leadership development. May works with leaders and organisations to build the human capabilities needed to lead and thrive in a complex, rapidly changing world, with a particular focus on sustainable high performance and what it means to lead with self-awareness, bravery and compassion as AI continues to reshape how we work. CONNECT WITH MAY LinkedIn: May Samali Website: humanleadershiplab.com

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  Episode #93

  EP 93: The Cost of Ambition - What Does a Successful Life Really Look Like? with Kelly Barrett

  Sep 21, 202649 minS1

  What does it actually cost to be ambitious and is it worth it? In this episode, I sit down with Kelly Barrett, founder of Underwear for Humanity, to talk about one of the most honest conversations I've had on this show. Kelly grew up in commission housing, moving every six months, hiding from real estate agents. That instability built a tenacity that would take her to the London College of Fashion, through corporate life, two business closures and ultimately to one of Australia's most quietly radical purpose-led brands. This is a conversation about ambition, identity, burnout and what it really means to build a successful life, not by society's definition, but your own. Kelly doesn't have everything figured out. She oscillates between trust and panic, between hustle and rest, between the woman she wants to be and the workaholic she knows she can become. And that honesty is exactly what makes this episode worth listening to. Key Topics How growing up with financial instability shaped Kelly's ambition and resilience Why closing Silent Arrow, a business deeply tied to her identity, was both heartbreaking and clarifying The kookaburra moment in Byron Bay that became the beginning of Underwear for Humanity Why martyrdom in business is not a virtue and what it actually costs you How Kelly reckons with being a hard worker when that hard work has come at a personal cost About Kelly Kelly Barrett is the founder of Underwear for Humanity, a purpose-led underwear brand embedding social and environmental responsibility into every part of its business model. With over 20 years designing underwear and bras, Kelly co-founded Starcorp in 2009 which became the second largest supplier to one of Australia's largest retailers. She then founded feminist lingerie brand Silent Arrow before launching Underwear for Humanity, where every purchase provides a free pair of underwear to someone in need. A multiple award winner including Banksia and Planet Arc, Kelly is proving that business can be both commercially viable and genuinely good. Connect with Kelly Website: underwearforhumanity.com.au Instagram: @underwearforhumanity Keywords: ambition, entrepreneurship, burnout, purpose, identity, impact business, sustainability, resilience, women in business, success

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  Episode #92

  Ep 92: I’ll Be Happy When… Why Success Isn’t Making Us Happier with Declan Edwards

  Sep 14, 202650 minS1

  What if happiness isn't something you find — it's something you build? In this episode, I sit down with Declan Edwards, happiness researcher, TEDx speaker, author of How to Be Happy and founder of BU Happiness College, to completely reframe how we think about happiness. Because most of us are chasing it the wrong way, waiting for the right achievement, the right milestone, the right moment, when the research tells us something completely different. Declan has spent over a decade studying the science of happiness and translating it into practical skills anyone can learn. We get into what happiness actually is beyond joy and excitement, why the arrival fallacy is keeping so many high achievers stuck, what the 80-year Harvard study found about what actually makes a good life, and the three free practices that Declan believes would change the world if everyone did them. This one is warm, deeply human and full of things that will shift the way you think about your own life. Key Topics Why happiness is not just joy and the slower deeper forms we chronically undervalue The arrival fallacy — why "I'll be happy when" is keeping so many high achievers stuck What the 80-year Harvard study found is the single biggest predictor of a happy life Three free practices under five minutes a day that Declan says would change the world Why happiness is measurably contagious up to three degrees of separation About Declan Declan Edwards is a happiness researcher, TEDx speaker, author and founder of BU Happiness College — built on the belief that happiness is a skill anyone can learn. He has spoken at the United Nations and the Red Cross, and his work has been featured in Harvard Business Review and Psychology Today. He is the host of the How to Be Happy podcast and author of the book of the same name. Connect with Declan Socials: The Happiness Guy BU Happiness College Podcast: How to Be Happy at Work Happiness Scorecard and Burnout Scorecard

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  Episode #91

  EP 91: Why Your Brain Is So Tired (And Your Phone Might Be the Reason)

  Sep 7, 202626 minS1

  When did you last let your brain be bored? In this episode, I get into something that I think is one of the most underrated reasons why so many of us feel mentally exhausted — and it has nothing to do with how hard we're working. It's how constantly connected we are. We have eliminated boredom from our lives almost entirely. We scroll while we wait, listen while we walk, check emails while we eat and reach for our phones before we've even gotten out of bed. And our brains are paying the price. This episode is packed with research on what constant connectivity is actually doing to our attention, our sleep, our mental health and our performance and five practical experiments you can run this week to give your brain the space it's desperately craving. Key Topics Why our brains are exhausted and why constant connectivity is the culprit The myth of multitasking — what your brain is actually doing and why it costs you Why even notifications you don't answer are draining your cognitive capacity The brain drain effect — why your phone doesn't need to be in your hand to be distracting Workplace telepressure — the invisible pressure to always be reachable and what it costs What a 2025 study found when people blocked mobile internet for two weeks Five practical experiments to become more intentional about your technology use Keywords phone addiction, focus, attention, burnout, mental health, productivity, sleep, social media, wellbeing, digital boundaries

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  Work and Wellness

  EP 90: Stop Managing Your Time. Start Managing Your Energy with Dr Amantha Imber

  Aug 31, 202631 minS1

  What if getting more done isn’t about finding more hours in the day? In this episode, I sit down with Dr Amantha Imber — organisational psychologist, bestselling author and founder of Inventium — to talk about her latest book, The Energy Game , and why managing our energy could be far more important than managing our time. Amantha burnt out in 2024 despite being one of Australia’s leading experts on productivity. That experience led her to rethink the way we approach productivity and ultimately became the basis for her most personal book yet — a science-backed look at how to boost, rest and protect your energy so you can perform at your best without running yourself into the ground. We also talk about AI, why it isn’t delivering the productivity gains many organisations expected, what we risk when we outsource too much of our thinking, and the one experiment Amantha challenges every listener to try this week. Key Topics Why time management alone won’t save you from burnout — and what to focus on instead The three categories of energy strategies: boost, rest and protect, and when to use each Why most of us are doing “fake rest” and what real rest actually looks like The minimum viable dose of cold water immersion and why you don’t need an ice bath How AI could be making us cognitively lazy and what we risk losing if we outsource our thinking Why AI isn’t delivering the productivity gains many organisations expected The silent walk — one of Amantha’s favourite strategies and why it works About Amantha Dr Amantha Imber is an organisational psychologist, bestselling author and founder of the award-winning behaviour change consultancy Inventium. In 2021, she became the first Australian to win the prestigious Thinkers50 Innovation Award, described by the Financial Times as the “Oscars of Management Thinking”. In 2025, she was named AI Consultant of the Year at the Australian AI Awards. She is the host of the number-one-ranking business podcast How I Work , with more than six million downloads, and her work has appeared in Harvard Business Review, The New York Times, Forbes and Fast Company . Her latest book, The Energy Game , explores the science of how to better protect, restore and use your energy. Connect with Amantha ⁠Book: The Energy Game⁠ ⁠Substack: One Percent Better⁠ ⁠How I Work podcast

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