In this episode of Midlife Murmurings, Chris Gates sits down with Liz Jewitt-Cross, founder of Future HR and advisory partner at The Coaching Solution. Liz brings over 20 years of experience as a fractional HR and business transformation director, now focused on portfolio consulting, executive coaching, and mentoring.
Together, they explore:
WARNING: This episode contains reference to suicide & mental health.
Connect with Liz:
Connect with Chris & Midlife Murmurings:
Episode Overview
In this conversation, Chris Gates sits down with longtime friend and collaborator Jonathan Salisbury, co-founder of Thinkfully. Jonathan’s work is not about what to think, but how to think — using four powerful strategies that unlock creativity, problem‑solving, and resilience.
Together, we explore both Thinkfully's work, as well as Jonathan's own journey to Midlife, including:
His reflections remind us that nothing is wasted — every experience can be formative if we lean into it with openness.
About Thinkfully
Thinkfully equips leaders and organisations to:
Jonathan has worked with organisations from the NHS to Fortune 500 companies, helping teams think more effectively and collaboratively.
Connect & Collaborate
Jonathan is passionate about partnering with leaders, founders, and communities who want to think differently and lead more regeneratively.
=> If you’d like to explore potential collaborations with Jonathan or learn more about Thinkfully, you can reach out directly:
Key Quote
“Attention is the ignition key for the mind. Where we choose to put our thoughts, everything else flows from that.” — Jonathan Salisbury
In this conversation, tech leader Philippa Clifford-Davies reflects on how midlife is less a crisis and more a rebirth. She shares stories of balancing family and career, navigating curveballs, failure and confidence, embracing authenticity, and finding joy in connection. From redundancy to resilience, and from technology’s rapid pace to the wisdom of gut instinct, Philippa offers a candid look at how midlife leaders can shape culture with values, heart, and impact.
Highlights:
Key Quote:
“Midlife isn’t a slowing down—it’s a deepening.”
Connect:
Philippa Clifford-Davies - Philippa Clifford-Davies | LinkedIn
Chris Gates (host) - Christopher Gates | LinkedIn
Midlife Murmurings - https://linktr.ee/midlife.murmurings
In this episode, host Chris Gates is joined by Jason Pooley, High Performance Coach and former professional athlete, to discuss the often-silent struggle of burnout during the midlife transition.
Jason shares his journey from the intensity of high-level sport and business to deep healing and intentional community building. This conversation offers crucial insights for anyone feeling the "drift," the fatigue, or the quiet invitation to slow down and build a better second half of life.
In this warm and reflective conversation, Chris James joins Chris Gates to explore midlife as a series of intentional pivots — from corporate leadership to startup joy, and into a purpose-driven retirement.
With over 40 years in sales and software, Chris shares what it means to shed prestige, recalibrate identity, and stay true to relational integrity.
From building Day 5 Consulting with Will O’Brien to navigating marriage in retirement, Chris offers practical wisdom and emotional depth. This episode is a masterclass in legacy, humility, and the quiet power of choosing your own rhythm.
🧭 Topics Covered
🔗 Links & Resources
In this bold and brilliant conversation, Gini Holden joins Chris Gates to explore midlife as a portal to liberation. From hacking consumer behaviour with neuroscience to reclaiming irreverence after decades of fitting in, Gini blends science, soul, and storytelling with unapologetic clarity.
She shares how she turned grief into grit, built startups from scratch, and developed a framework for rewiring the brain — not through mindset alone, but through nervous system mastery. This episode is a rallying cry for anyone shedding old identities and stepping into their next chapter with curiosity, courage, and community.
🧠 Topics Covered
🔗 Links & Resources
A midlife conversation with Martin Palethorpe on ego, embodiment, and the quiet revolution of presence.
In this intimate episode, leadership coach Martin Palethorpe joins Christopher Gates to explore the art of living wisely. From ultra-marathons to meditation, divorce to community, Martin shares how tuning into inner wisdom—not ego—has shaped his journey. Together, they unpack the myths of ambition, the power of slowness, and the beauty of showing up authentically. This is a conversation for anyone yearning to live the one precious life with clarity, courage, and soul.
Do like, share and subscribe - and join our Midlife Murmuration in the LinkedIn Group - links in bio!
Connect with Martin via his website, www.be-unbounded.com, where you can find out more about his work, upcoming retreats and coaching opportunities.
In this episode, Chris Gates sits down with Emma Thomas—executive coach, menopause educator, and founder of Managing the Menopause—to explore how menopause can be a gateway to clarity, recalibration, and midlife power.
Emma shares what perimenopause and menopause actually mean, how hormonal shifts impact identity, relationships, and careers, and why workplaces must move beyond policy to culture. This is a conversation about shedding what no longer serves us—and stepping into what’s next.
🧭 Topics Covered
💬 Key Quotes
📚 Resources
🔗You're invited to join our joyous Midlife Murmuration!
Welcome to Midlife Murmurings, where we explore the wisdom, wonder, and wildness of midlife. In this episode, Chris Gates is joined by Julian Burnett—creator, leader, investor, and mentor—for a rich, reflective conversation on what it means to live a legacy.
🌀 Topics include:
🍏 Plus: Julian shares the story behind “Wasted”—a cider brewed in memory of a friend, and a metaphor for legacy, loss, and renewal.
📌 Guest: Julian Burnett
📌 Host: Chris Gates
📌 Series: Midlife Murmurings
📌 Recorded: September 2025
🔗 Join the murmuration
Leave a comment below with your reflections, questions, or your own midlife murmurings. We’d love to hear from you.
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And join the Midlife Murmuration via this link
#MidlifeMurmurings #JulianBurnett #ChrisGates #Leadership #Legacy #AngelInvesting #Parenting #Wellbeing #CrescendoLiving #Podcast
In this episode of Midlife Murmurings, host Chris Gates welcomes master coach Claire Pedrick for a rich, honest conversation about midlife as a season of choice, reflection, and quiet transformation.
Claire shares how her own journey—through coaching, therapy, and walking the Camino—has shaped her understanding of purpose, partnership, and the invisible shifts that come with aging. From the tension between finance and flourishing to the renegotiation of roles in long-term relationships, this episode offers soulful insight and practical wisdom for anyone navigating the second half of life.
🌿 Topics include:
🎧 Listen now and explore what it means to walk your own golden window—with curiosity, companionship, and a little less baggage.
To connect with Claire, you can find her and the Coaching Inn podcast at:-
To find more Midlife Murmurings, and to join our Linked In Midlife Murmuration, follow the links https://linktr.ee/midlife.murmurings
In this episode of Midlife Murmurings, Andi Britt shares his remarkable journey from senior IBM executive to becoming a theology student and world-class triathlete. It’s a story of recalibration—of trading people and technology leadership for embodied wisdom, and corporate certainty & identity for personal growth. Andi also speaks to what has rooted him throughout - his marriage, his community and his faith.
Through quiet reflection and candid conversation, Andi explores his career's joys and struggles, his personal relationships, and the impact and opportunity his retirement has provided.
Listen in for a rich conversation, and add your own murmurings to the conversation and LinkedIn Group.
Connect with Andi at https://www.linkedin.com/in/andi-britt-1718b62/ or via the show.