223. I Thought My Leadership Journey Would Never Happen

223. I Thought My Leadership Journey Would Never Happen

In this episode of the Women Emerging podcast's Journey to Leadership series, Julia Middleton speaks with writer, social entrepreneur and Obama Leader Europe, Mevan Babakar, about a journey she never imagined would be described as leadership. Born in Baghdad, Mevan spent five years as a child refugee after her family fled Saddam Hussein's genocide of the Kurds. As she moved across borders and languages, she found herself translating not only words, but systems, cultures and opportunities for the people around her. Looking back, she can now see those moments as acts of leadership, even though she did not recognise them as such at the time. Together, Julia and Mevan explore what leadership looks like beyond titles and hierarchy. They discuss community, belonging, trust and the many ways people step forward when something needs doing. Mevan reflects on her work in technology, fact-checking and democracy, and why some of society's biggest challenges require more than quick fixes. The conversation also explores the relationship between intellect and instinct, and what happens when the work we do no longer aligns with what we know to be true. Drawing on her experiences at Full Fact and Google, Mevan shares why paying attention to both mind and body can be essential when making difficult decisions. Throughout the episode, she returns to a powerful idea: leadership is not reserved for a select few. It is something people step into every day, often long before they recognise it in themselves. This episode will resonate with anyone interested in leadership, women leading, social impact, community building, belonging, resilience, personal growth and finding the confidence to take up space. About the Guest: Mevan Babakar is a writer and technologist born in Baghdad to Kurdish refugee parents. She built award-winning AI fact-checking tools as Deputy CEO of Full Fact and later led information quality work at Google. In 2023, she she was named an Obama Leader for Europe. Her debut children's book, The Bicycle, was inspired by reuniting with the aid worker who gave her a bike as a refugee 25 years earlier.

222. Shailja Saraswati on the Twin-Track Journey of Leading

In this episode of the Women Emerging podcast's Journey to Leadership series, Julia Middleton speaks with Shailja Saraswati, founder of Unstoppable Network, about the visible journey we write on our CVs and the quieter journey that unfolds beneath it. Drawing on a 25-year corporate career, her deep spiritual practice and the experiences that led her to create Unstoppable Network, Shailja reflects on what happens when the systems around us no longer fit and we begin searching for something more aligned with who we are becoming. Together, Julia and Shailja explore self-leadership, inner authority, intuition, resilience and the role of spirituality in shaping the way we lead. They discuss how women navigate uncertainty, why courage often begins with doing the things we believe we cannot do, and what happens when we learn to trust ourselves more deeply. The conversation also examines storytelling, community and the importance of women learning alongside one another. Throughout, Shailja returns to a powerful belief: that leading starts within, and that the most important person we will ever learn to lead is ourselves. This episode will resonate with anyone interested in self-leadership, personal growth, women leading, intuition, resilience, inner authority and finding the courage to create their own path. About the Guest: Shailja Saraswati Varghese is the Founder of Unstoppable Network and creator-host of Unstoppable Woman. With over 25 years in global media and content across Omnicom Media Group, WPP, Discovery Networks, National Geographic–FOX, and Zee, she has worked at the intersection of content, culture, brand partnerships, storytelling, and growth across markets. Her work focuses on helping founders, experts, and senior leaders build trust, authority, and structured influence through leadership positioning, personal branding, podcast-led IP, and content systems that evolve into monetisable business assets. An ICF-trained PCC-level Executive Coach, Shailja also works with founders and CXO teams on Decision Stability Under Pressure — strengthening judgment, clarity, consistency, and visible authority in high-stakes environments. She has coached and mentored over 1,000 leaders and has been recognised as ET Panache Woman of the Year 2024 and Woman Advertising Maven 2024 by Adtech Today.

221. Dr. Shakenna Williams' Leadership Journey From "Leading the Boys' Club" to "Becoming"

In this episode of the Women Emerging podcast's Journey to Leadership series, Julia Middleton speaks with Dr. Shakenna K. Williams, Executive Director of the Frank & Eileen™ Center for Women's Entrepreneurial Leadership at Babson College, about the experiences that shaped her approach to leading long before it was formally recognised. From childhood fishing trips with her father to becoming the oldest girl guiding a group of younger cousins, Shakenna reflects on the lessons that taught her patience, resilience and responsibility. She shares how those early experiences continued to influence her as she navigated higher education, corporate environments, entrepreneurship and the often-unseen challenges that come with being a woman finding her way of leading. Together, Julia and Shakenna explore confidence, imposter syndrome, mentorship, personal growth and the invisible load many women carry. They discuss what happens when your contribution is overlooked, how to keep moving forward during periods of uncertainty, and why understanding yourself is often the foundation for influencing others. Drawing on her work supporting women entrepreneurs, Shakenna also reflects on the relationship between wellbeing, resilience and entrepreneurship, and why community matters when navigating both personal and professional challenges. This conversation offers thoughtful insights for anyone interested in women leading, entrepreneurship, resilience, confidence, mentorship and finding their own way of shaping what happens next. About the Guest: Dr. Shakenna K. Williams is the Executive Director of the Frank & Eileen™ Center for Women’s Entrepreneurial Leadership at Babson College. She is also an innovator, thought leader, and changemaker. Shakenna K. Williams, Executive Director, CWEL. With her passion to propel women entrepreneurs to new levels of success, she pushes boundaries and opens doors, shaping the future of entrepreneurship, equality, and education through her impactful vision.

220. Trinh Tu's Leadership Journey From "No Way" to "There's No End Point"

In this episode, Julia speaks with Trinh Tu about one of the most difficult — and surprisingly universal — questions in leadership: How do we know when, or whether, we are ready to lead? When Julia first met Trinh, she described her own journey into leadership in four stages: “No way. Dragged in. Glad I did it. No endpoint.” It’s a phrase that captures something many people recognise: the uncertainty, hesitation, and vulnerability that often come with stepping into greater responsibility. Trinh Tu, Managing Director of Public Affairs at Ipsos UK, reflects candidly on why she initially resisted a senior leadership role she had repeatedly been encouraged to take. At the time, she loved the work she was already doing — and excelled at it. Leadership felt unfamiliar: more responsibility, more visibility, and more uncertainty. Most importantly, it felt like stepping into something she wasn’t yet fully prepared for. But the conversation raises an uncomfortable question: Does anyone ever truly feel “ready” for leadership? Or is readiness itself partly an illusion? Through Trinh’s experience of unexpectedly stepping into a major leadership role almost overnight, Julia and Trinh explore what happens when responsibility arrives before confidence fully catches up. A central theme of Trinh’s story is the influence of role models. She reflects on watching her own boss lead through an incredibly difficult period and realising that leadership could look very different from what she had imagined. Instead of command and control, she witnessed decisiveness, momentum, care, and the ability to bring people together during uncertainty. The episode explores how seeing leadership embodied by someone we admire can sometimes help us believe we might be capable of it too. Julia and Trinh also discuss something often overlooked in conversations about career progression: the role of support at home. Trinh speaks openly about the importance of having a partner who both supports and challenges her — someone with a different perspective on life, who encouraged her to think more broadly about what stepping into leadership might mean, not only for herself, but for those coming after her. Together, they reflect on how family, partnership, and the perspectives of those closest to us can quietly shape our willingness to take bigger risks. The episode also explores what leadership actually feels like once you’re in it: the loneliness, visibility, difficult decisions, and uncomfortable transition from being someone’s peer to suddenly leading them. Trinh reflects honestly on moving from a role she had mastered to one where she often felt she was learning in real time — and why bravery sometimes has to come before confidence. A powerful idea running throughout the conversation is Trinh’s belief that great leadership requires balancing anchor and momentum. In uncertain times, people need steadiness, direction, and something to hold onto — but leaders must also remain flexible, willing to adapt, and brave enough to change course when circumstances demand it. The challenge, as Trinh explains, is learning how to provide both at once. Together, Julia and Trinh explore the realities of stepping into leadership unexpectedly, the myth of feeling fully prepared, and what it really takes to lead when certainty is impossible. About the Guest Trinh Tu is Managing Director of Public Affairs at Ipsos UK, which provides policy research and services to government departments and international organisations. She brings a deep understanding of the policy landscape and the challenges affecting refugees in areas such as employment, education and healthcare. Trinh also serves as advisory board member for the independent charity BeTheBusiness, helping small businesses to enhance their productivity. Trinh and her family were refugees from Vietnam, fleeing by boat to escape persecution. Shipwrecked and stranded en route, with the compassion and help of strangers they eventually reached a refugee camp in Hong Kong. They were granted asylum in the UK, where Trinh has built a successful career. Now, she uses her experience and expertise to champion initiatives that provide refugees with the tools and support they need to thrive in the UK. “I am deeply honoured to be appointed as Vice-Chair of UK for UNHCR,” says Trinh Tu. “As a first-generation refugee, I can understand some of the challenges faced by those forced to flee their homes. In these times, with the highest number of displacements of refugees worldwide, I am committed to working alongside the dedicated team at UK for UNHCR to ensure that refugees are not only protected but also empowered to rebuild their lives and thrive.”

219. Are Women Forced to Choose Between Andy and Miranda?

In the final episode in this series of conversations around Devil Wears Prada, Julia speaks with Maryam after they watch the second film together. Unlike the earlier conversations in the series, this episode shifts away from Miranda Priestly herself and towards Andy — and what her character reveals about confidence, ambition, self-worth and the stories women continue to tell themselves as they lead. Maryam reflects on Andy as someone who is no longer an intern, no longer inexperienced, and yet still behaves as though she must constantly prove she deserves to be in the room. The conversation explores how many women carry old narratives about themselves long after they have developed the capability, instincts and judgement to lead confidently. Together, Julia and Maryam discuss the trap many women find themselves caught in: the fear of remaining too uncertain and over-accommodating, while also fearing becoming hard, untouchable or emotionally distant in order to succeed. The conversation also revisits many of the tensions explored across the wider Devil Wears Prada mini-expedition. Does excellence inevitably create pressure? Can ambitious women avoid becoming emotionally extractive leaders? What happens when stress simply gets passed down organisations? And how do women lead without reproducing the same cultures that exhausted them? A central theme in the episode is the emotional complexity of leading. Julia and Maryam reflect on loyalty, validation, psychological safety, female friendships, and the importance of recognising the quieter people who often hold organisations together behind the scenes. Returning once again to Miranda Priestly, the episode asks whether the real challenge for women is not choosing between Andy and Miranda, but refusing both models altogether. This final conversation brings the mini-series full circle. What began as a discussion about Miranda Priestly becomes something much larger: a reflection on ambition, identity, authority, burnout, confidence and the possibility of finding another approach to leading. About the Guest Maryam Pasha is a Storytelling strategist, producer and curator. She is co-founder of XEQUALS Studio, a creative studio dedicated to telling stories that can create a just, sustainable and joyful future. Projects include TEDxLondon, the Climate Curious Podcast and THE HERDS London. As a storyteller and coach she has worked with hundreds of speakers, including philanthropists, Nobel-prize-winning academics, business leaders, technical experts, activists and students. She has helped organisations to raise over a $1.5 billion to fight climate change, worked on talks that have been viewed over 25 million times and supported activists who’ve successfully changed the law in England to protect girls from child marriage. Earlier this year she joined the Palestine Comedy Club as an Exec Producer, is on the board on Climate Spring and a visiting Fellow at Oxford University.