Season 1 | Episode 1: Crux Of It Heather Saunders & Howard Murray - Leadership Intent & Lived Reality

Season 1 | Episode 6: Why Do Some Places Thrive While Others Struggle? | Zoe Ellis-Moore | The Crux Of It

In this episode of The Crux Of It, we sit down with entrepreneur and workplace strategist Zoe Ellis-Moore, founder of Spaces to Places and Office Tier List, to explore the relationship between people, place and business. Drawing on more than two decades of experience across commercial property, destination marketing and entrepreneurship, Zoe shares why understanding human behaviour is at the heart of creating places that people genuinely want to be. Our conversation explores the balance between intuition and evidence in leadership, how organisations can remain relevant in an ever-changing world, and why the most successful businesses are those that continue to evolve alongside the people they serve. Whether you're a business leader, founder or simply interested in the future of work, this episode offers a fresh perspective on leadership, adaptability and the power of creating places with purpose.

Season 1 | Episode 5 : Getting to Know Heather: The Story Behind Crux Design Studio

In this episode of The Crux of It, Heather reflects on the journey of building Crux Design Studio, the future of the business, and the lessons learned from conversations with past podcast guests. The episode explores leadership, growth, creativity, culture, and the realities of building something meaningful over time, while also offering listeners the chance to get to know Heather beyond the role of podcast host. Alongside personal reflections, Heather discusses the recurring themes that continue to emerge through conversations with founders, leaders, and industry experts across the podcast. A thoughtful episode for anyone interested in business, leadership, creativity, and growth.

Season 1 | Episode 4 : How Advisory Models Shape Organisational Outcomes

Expertise is often brought in to create clarity. In practice, it can introduce complexity. In this episode of The Crux of It, Heather is joined by Louise to explore how advisory work shapes organisational outcomes as complexity increases. They discuss when organisations typically bring in external expertise, how accountability can subtly shift across advisors and teams, and why progress can slow even when everyone is technically doing their job. This conversation isn’t about critique. It’s about understanding the patterns that emerge in advisory environments — how they influence leadership confidence, decision-making, and ownership, and what tends to get lost as more expertise is added.

Season 1 l Episode 3: Maintaining Organisational Integrity at Scale: Values, pressure, and the real cost of leadership decisions

Growth is often seen as a sign of progress, but as organisations scale, things rarely stay simple. In this episode of The Crux of It, I’m joined by Catherine Deane to explore what it takes to grow a business without losing sight of what matters. We discuss how decision-making shifts as complexity increases, why maintaining visibility becomes more difficult, and how the pressure to compromise can gradually build. This conversation isn’t about growth strategies or quick wins. It’s about what it really means to lead with values — how they show up in decisions, how they are tested over time, and what it takes to actively protect them as organisations evolve.

Season 1 l Episode 2 : When Systems Shape Behaviour: How Technology Quietly Influences Confidence, Decision-Making, and Execution

Technology is often described as a tool.    In reality, it behaves more like an environment.    In this episode of The Crux of It, I’m joined by Andrew from Uncoded to explore how digital systems quietly shape behaviour inside organisations. We talk about what happens when systems don’t align with how people actually work, why workarounds become normalised, and how confidence and decision-making change when technology either supports or undermines day-to-day execution.    This conversation isn’t about platforms or trends. It’s about how systems influence clarity, trust, and performance — and what leaders often underestimate when technology becomes part of the everyday working environment.