How I Work

• Quick Win: What leaders get wrong about saying sorry with Clare Stephens

  Ever caught yourself rehearsing what to say at work - terrified one wrong phrase could spark backlash? In this Quick Win, I speak with Clare Stephens, former Editor-in-Chief at Mamamia, about the fear of getting it wrong, how to handle mistakes, and why the most powerful apology is often the simplest one. Clare learnt the hard way that over-explaining a mistake can make things worse. After facing public criticism early in her career, she reframed her approach to errors – both online and in leadership. Her advice? Keep apologies short, unreserved, and genuine. Then move on. Clare and I discuss: Why leaders fear saying the wrong thing in today’s workplace How to create a culture where mistakes are met with grace, not blame The fine line between accountability and people-pleasing Why long, detailed apologies rarely work The simple framework for owning mistakes and moving forward KEY QUOTES “The best apology is short and unreserved. There’s no excuses. Just, ‘I’m apologising,’ and then you move on.” “You’re actually a worse leader if you can’t be direct.” Connect with Clare Stephens on Instagram, LinkedIn and check out her latest book The Worst Thing I’ve Ever Done here. Listen to the full conversation with Clare here. My latest book The Health Habit is out now. You can order a copy here: https://www.amantha.com/the-health-habit/ Connect with me on the socials: Linkedin (https://www.linkedin.com/in/amanthaimber) Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/amanthai) If you are looking for more tips to improve the way you work and live, I write a weekly newsletter where I share practical and simple to apply tips to improve your life. You can sign up for that at https://amantha-imber.ck.page/subscribe Visit https://www.amantha.com/podcast for full show notes from all episodes. Get in touch at [email protected] Credits: Host: Amantha Imber Sound Engineer: The Podcast Butler See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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• How to make sense of 2025 and design your best 2026, with Lisa Leong (Part 1)

  Some years slip by in a blur, and others demand you stop and ask yourself why certain moments changed you more than you expected. This was one of those years for me. So in the first episode of this two-parter, I sit down with my good friend and ABC broadcaster Lisa Leong to compare the tools, questions and rituals we each used to make sense of 2025 - including the surprises neither of us saw coming. If you're craving a clearer, kinder way to understand what actually shaped your year, this conversation will give you plenty to explore. Lisa and I discuss: Lisa’s favourite reflection tool: the Agile Retrospective The energy audit I’m doing with my husband, including what energised us, what drained us, and the surprising things that lit us up. How I use an interviewing GPT to challenge my thinking, dig deeper and unpack problems. The Life Flow exercise: how mapping highs and lows reveals patterns. How the people around us shaped our year - who influenced us most, and who we influenced. The importance of letting go and deciding what emotional or practical baggage you don’t want to carry into the next year. KEY QUOTES “I still think with these reflection pieces, you should just go with what comes to you naturally, because it’s when we overthink things that we get away from a true reflection.” “Looking back on a year is never really about the events themselves, it’s about what they reveal.” Connect with Lisa Leong on Instagram and LinkedIn. Listen to her show This Working Life, and check out her book with Monique Ross, This Working Life If you want to try one of the reflection tools I mentioned in this episode, you can download the free Year Compass booklet here: https://yearcompass.com/ My latest book The Health Habit is out now. You can order a copy here: https://www.amantha.com/the-health-habit/ Connect with me on the socials: Linkedin (https://www.linkedin.com/in/amanthaimber) Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/amanthai) If you are looking for more tips to improve the way you work and live, I write a weekly newsletter where I share practical and simple to apply tips to improve your life. You can sign up for that at https://amantha-imber.ck.page/subscribe Visit https://www.amantha.com/podcast for full show notes from all episodes. Get in touch at [email protected] Credits: Host: Amantha Imber Sound Engineer: The Podcast Butler See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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• Quick Win: The simple question that stops catastrophising and opens real possibility

  When you’re on the edge of a big leap, do you spiral into everything that could go wrong? What if you asked a different question instead - one that opens the door to possibility rather than fear? In this Quick Win, I speak with educator and author Lael Stone about the powerful mindset shift from “How bad could it be?” to “How good could it get?” It’s a simple reframe that changes how we approach risk, success, and self-sabotage - and helps us recognise when fear is keeping us small. Lael and I discuss: Why our brains are wired to fixate on danger and protection The one question that flips fear into curiosity: “How good could it get?” How family patterns can quietly shape how we define success The hidden guilt that makes some of us sabotage our achievements A practical exercise to break free from old stories and step into growth KEY QUOTE “When you ask, ‘How good could it get?’, you open yourself up to possibilities you didn’t even know existed.” Connect with Lael Stone on Instagram, LinkedIn and her website, and check out her latest book Own Your Story. Listen to the full conversation with Lael here. My latest book The Health Habit is out now. You can order a copy here: https://www.amantha.com/the-health-habit/ Connect with me on the socials: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/amanthaimber Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/amanthai If you are looking for more tips to improve the way you work and live, I write a weekly newsletter where I share practical and simple to apply tips to improve your life. You can sign up for that at https://amantha-imber.ck.page/subscribe Visit https://www.amantha.com/podcast for full show notes from all episodes. Get in touch at [email protected] Credits: Host: Amantha Imber Sound Engineer: The Podcast Butler See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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• Ask Me Anything: How I use AI in real life (plus the tech I rely on to work smarter)

  **Record a question for Amantha’s next Ask Me Anything here: https://www.speakpipe.com/howiwork ** I talk about AI a lot - but if you’ve ever wondered how I actually use it in my own work, not just to experiment but to genuinely save time and think better, this episode is for you. In this Ask Me Anything episode I’m sharing the exact ways I use AI to research faster, write smarter, and stay organised - along with the simple rituals and tech tools that help me cut through distraction and get things done with more focus and flow - plus a sneak peek into my next book, The Energy Game, coming in July 2026. In this episode, I share: How I use AI every day for research, writing, and personal decisions My favourite AI tools - and how each one helps me save time Weekly and daily rituals for managing tasks and priorities How to minimise context switching when juggling multiple roles Building psychological safety through trust and vulnerability My favourite tech tools for meetings, focus, and idea capture An update on my upcoming book The Energy Game Amantha recommends: These are the AI tools I rely on every week - from research to writing and everything in between. Consensus App: https://consensus.app - My go-to AI tool for sourcing and summarising academic research. Perplexity: https://www.perplexity.ai - Great for quick, high-quality overviews when I’m deep in research mode. Notion: https://www.notion.com - My digital home for ideas, projects, and deep work tracking. If you struggle to stay focused across competing roles, these tools help protect your attention. Freedom app: https://freedom.to - Blocks distracting websites and apps across all devices. Forest app: https://www.forestapp.cc - Keeps me off my phone while I’m doing deep work (and grows a tree while I focus). OneSec app: https://one-sec.app - Prompts a mindful pause before opening apps like Instagram. These are the tools that make my workday smoother and help me capture ideas fast. Wispr Flow: https://wisprflow.ai - Converts speech to text instantly. Perfect for emails, notes, and writing without typing. Granola: https://www.granola.ai - A seamless way to capture meeting notes without awkward recording bots. Snipd: https://get.snipd.com/Cx7S/howiwork - My go-to podcast app for saving and summarising the best bits from what I listen to. How I Work conversations that dive deeper into today’s themes: Elan Lee interview: The counterintuitive brainstorming rule that made Exploding Kittens a global hit Aly Solly interview (Part 1): Inside the hardest year at Inventium (Part 1) Aly Solly interview (Part 2): Inside the hardest year at Inventium (Part 2) If you’re ready to seriously up your AI game, check out Inventium’s latest AI programs for 2026 - designed to help you use AI strategically and creatively in your work. https://www.inventium.ai/ Have a question you want me to answer in the next AMA episode? Reach out via email ([email protected]) or socials – I’d love to hear from you! My latest book The Health Habit is out now. You can order a copy here: https://www.amantha.com/the-health-habit/ Connect with me on the socials: Linkedin (https://www.linkedin.com/in/amanthaimber) Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/amanthai) If you are looking for more tips to improve the way you work and live, I write a weekly newsletter where I share practical and simple to apply tips to improve your life. You can sign up for that at https://amantha-imber.ck.page/subscribe Visit https://www.amantha.com/podcast for full show notes from all episodes. Get in touch at [email protected] Credits: Host: Amantha Imber Sound Engineer: Martin Imber See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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• Quick Win: Why your “default behaviour” isn’t actually yours — and how to change it

  What if the way you argue with your partner or push yourself at work isn’t actually yours - but something you absorbed decades ago? In this Quick Win, I’m joined by educator and author Lael Stone, who explains how the stories we inherit in childhood silently shape our beliefs about relationships, money, and success. Lael calls these “imprints” - and once you start recognising them, you can finally begin to choose your own patterns instead of replaying old ones. Lael and I discuss: What “imprints” are and how they form through family dynamics. The surprising ways childhood beliefs can dictate our career choices and relationships. Why understanding our imprints helps us break unconscious habits. How to recognise when fear or loyalty to family stories is keeping us stuck. The freeing realisation that changing your story isn’t disloyal—it’s growth. KEY QUOTE “A lot of the imprints we have are deeply unconscious. We don’t even know they’re there.” Connect with Lael Stone on Instagram, LinkedIn and her website, and check out her latest book Own Your Story. Listen to the full conversation with Lael here. My latest book The Health Habit is out now. You can order a copy here: https://www.amantha.com/the-health-habit/ Connect with me on the socials: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/amanthaimber Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/amanthai If you are looking for more tips to improve the way you work and live, I write a weekly newsletter where I share practical and simple to apply tips to improve your life. You can sign up for that at https://amantha-imber.ck.page/subscribe Visit https://www.amantha.com/podcast for full show notes from all episodes. Get in touch at [email protected] Credits: Host: Amantha Imber Sound Engineer: The Podcast Butler See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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