Burnout, Crisis & Starting Again: Phil & Hayley Talk Real Leadership with Angela Hodgson
This week on What One Thing, Phil Davenport (Affirm IT Services) and Hayley Baxter (Corbar Accounting) sit down with leadership consultant Angela Hodgson (Ignite Improvement Ltd), who went from leading a global team through Barcelona riots, burnout and personal loss… to rebuilding her career with clarity, courage and a brand-new purpose.
It’s a powerful conversation — but as always, Phil and Hayley bring it back to what really matters for small business owners across the East Midlands: your people, your values, and the way you lead when pressure hits.
In this episode:
The moment Angela realised corporate cared more about products than people
What it’s like leading a team through real-world crisis — and why clear communication matters
How burnout, grief and Covid created a complete reset moment
The leap from corporate into the SME world (and why it’s more relatable than you think)
Why building visibility online is essential before you ever quit your job
How to find your niche — and the freedom to change it later
Phil’s IT perspective: why “you’re on your own in a crisis” is exactly why SMEs need resilient systems & communication tools
Hayley’s accounting lens: how financial clarity (and partner support!) shapes every big career leap
Whether you’re in corporate and dreaming of your own thing, or already running a business and trying to build a stronger team, this conversation is packed with insight, honesty and proper real-world lessons.
⭐ Your hosts — share their big takeaways:
You can go through more than you ever expected and still come out the other side stronger
If your values and your work don’t align, staying put is often the bigger risk
Visibility matters — online presence, networking and conversations are business gold
You don’t need the perfect niche from day one. You just need to start.
🎁 Angela’s Free Team Performance Assessment
Free gift for the listeners: POWER Framework
🔧 Who This Episode Is For
Business owners in the UK with 5–50 employees who want to:
Build high-performing teams
Strengthen leadership skills
Prepare for growth
Improve communication and resilience
Learn from real stories, not theory
Perfect for manufacturing, professional services, IT-heavy teams, and founders ready to step into leadership.
Connect with Angela
What One Thing Podcast – with Phil & Hayley
Each week, business owners share the one thing that made the biggest difference in their business journey — and hosts Phil (Affirm IT Services) and Hayley (Corbar Accounting) dive into the lessons, laughs, and lightbulb moments along the way.
If you’re a UK business owner looking for real stories and practical insights on growth, leadership, IT, and finance — this is the podcast for you!
Connect with the hosts
Phil Davenport | Affirm IT Services
LinkedIn
https://affirmit.co.uk/
Hayley Baxter | Corbar Accounting
LinkedIn
https://corbar.uk/
Follow What One Thing
Listen & watch on: https://www.pod.whatonething.uk/
Instagram
LinkedIn
YouTube
#UKBusinessPodcast, #SmallBusinessGrowth, #BusinessLessons, #EastMidlandsBusiness