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Broadstairs Consulting Ltd

The Longest Day

The Longest Day is a weekly crisis podcast bringing you leaders’ experiences of crisis in 15-25 minutes.

Latest podcast release

The Longest Day hopes to elucidate what it looks like when experienced leaders face crises.

We want our listeners to learn from the wisdom of our guests, whilst also getting an insight into their personal experiences: what they learned, how they changed, and how they’d do it differently now.

Season 2 features guests including:
  • The Right Hon David Lammy MP
  • Former Liverpool Mayor Joanne Anderson
  • Lieutenant General Arundell David Leakey
  • Dr Raghib Ali OBE MD FRCP
  • Lord Michael Hastings
  • Sir Stephen Timms MP
  • Sir Vince Cable MP

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KEY INSIGHTS
S2E1: Nick Grono, Freedom Fund

September 11, 2001 in New York was Nick Grono’s longest day when in shock, he realised that the unfolding events were terrorist attacks. That day fundamentally changed the approaches of nations to borders and security for the worst. It was an inexorable step to Afghanistan, Iraq, Syria. After studying the drivers of terrorism in a Public Policy Masters at Princeton University, Nick worked for International Crisis Group. On a trip to Uganda and Sudan, he faced a horror of conflict: modern slavery. He met girls who were abducted as sex slaves and boys who were enslaved as child soldiers. He advocates for the end of the othering of vulnerable people and instead ‘understand the humanity at the centre of the question’. His organisation, Freedom Fund, works with grassroots organisations by investing in community-based solutions that impact local communities. In crises, he recommends reaching out for pizza and fries!

As Featured In

Christine Boswell

Business Administrator

Christine holds various Diplomas and Certificates and has a wealth of experience in both large and small companies. Her key skills and expertise are office management/administration, project management, organising events/conferences and teaching/training. She lives in Westgate-on-Sea and enjoys gardening, travelling, card/jewellery making, and volunteering. Her values in life are kindness and integrity and her motto is “inspiration is found in the development of others”.

Nadia Burrell

Nadia is an accredited mediator with the Society of Mediators and established Thanet Mediation Centre. In her work with Broadstairs Consulting, she works closely with organisations to get to the root of their problems and identify the road to resolution. With experience working in the charity, government, and corporate sectors, Nadia has mediated problems from every angle.

Leah Brown FRSA

Leah is an accredited mediator with the Society of Mediators, and the Founder and CEO of Broadstairs Consulting. During her career as a corporate M&A lawyer, Leah found her voice through creative expression. Having written a book on transformation and becoming a self-employed consultant, Leah felt compelled to establish a problem-solving business that helped leaders get to the bottom of business-critical issues.

Saphy

The Dog

Sapphira (“Saphy”) is our sassy micro dog. She keeps us all in check and her Cavapoo charm wins over everyone who meets her. Her favourite place is on a sandy beach chasing a ball. She’s partial to a coffee shop with a comfy sofa but prefers a wine bar or a five star hotel. Her adventures can be found on Instagram @saphythesplendiferous.

Nadia Burrell

Project Lead

Nadia is the Project Lead based in London. She works closely with organisations to get to the root of their problems and identify the road to resolution. She is also an accredited mediator. With experience working in the charity, government, and corporate sectors, Nadia has solved problems from every angle. Her favourite place in the world is Jemaa el-Fnaa in Marrakech, enjoying the sunset and eating street food.

Tom Brewster

Head of Operations

Prior to this role, Tom worked with teenagers for ten years in church settings. That work cultivated a passion for helping people grow, develop and explore. He loves to see people working well together, and enabling teams to thrive and achieve their full potential. He is also studying for an MA, and is the director of Joyful Noise, a song-writing and publishing business. His favourite place in the world is the Lake District.

Owen Rees-Jones

Head of Marketing

After initially training as an architect, Owen made the move into digital advertising. With nearly a decade of experience in content production, programmatic advertising and creative strategy, Owen is passionate about the power of creativity and seeing how it can transform businesses. He is also always up for a beer and a board game and his favourite place in the world is probably somewhere in Africa.

Leah Brown

Founder and CEO

After a career as a corporate M&A lawyer, Leah found her voice through creative expression. Having written a memoir on transformation and becoming a self-employed consultant, Leah felt compelled to establish a problem-solving business that helped leaders get to the bottom of business-critical issues. She has a heart for reconciliation and is a team-player. With a long and distinguished track-record of managing crises, and as an accredited mediator, she is a regular speaker on leadership, governance, transformation and authenticity. In her free time, she enjoys engaging with the community in Thanet, walking Saphy on the beach, and hosting dinners. Her favourite place in the world is where she grew up in the Yorkshire Dales.

Viola Kanu

Operations Coordinator

Viola is passionate about social justice and has 10 years of experience in social policy, community engagement and grassroots organisation. In her spare time, she enjoys investing in the futures of young people and spending time with her loved ones. She is an avid lover of tech and enjoys the finer things of life. Her favourite place to go to is the White Cliffs of Dover where she reflects, meditates and takes in the scenery.