The Tom’s Life Lab Podcast

Episode 24: Competence, rejection, and showing up with integrity

This week's episode of Tom's Life Lab is for anyone who has ever felt like they know they're good at what they do, but they've struggled to get it across to others.
You've put in the work, earned your insight and built your capability, but some of those around you just don't get it or, worse, they ignore or reject it. The gap between knowing what you can bring, versus what others are seeing, is identity-shaking. 
If your identity is wound around being capable, then when your competence is met with rejection it can encourage feelings of doubt and have you questioning yourself.
Listen to this episode for tips on how to untangle this identity knot, and for an experiment you can try over the coming week.

Episode 23: Uncover the meaningful moments hiding in plain sight

Welcome back to the Life Lab, where we experiment with life, work, and all the weird and wonderful stuff in between. In today’s episode, we explore how meaning shows up not in the grand gestures or big milestones, but in the small, quiet moments of life, the ones that often go unnoticed.
From late-night sunsets to Lego towers that keep falling over, we look at how to find joy, connection, and purpose in the everyday. We also take this into the world of work, reflecting on the moments that bond teams, build trust, and remind us we’re human, especially in the middle of the mess.
Plus, there’s a simple experiment you can try this week to uncover the meaningful moments hiding in plain sight.
Because maybe, just maybe, these are the golden days.
 

Episode 22: Lean in for change: Be a bridge, not a lighthouse

In this episode of Tom’s Life Lab, Tom explores a truth every leader wrestles with but few talk about openly: how we show up during times of change. When uncertainty strikes, the instinct can be to pull back, go quiet, or try to “fix it all” behind the scenes. But real leadership isn’t about perfection, it’s about presence.
Tom shares why leaning in (not withdrawing) is the most powerful move a leader can make when their team is navigating challenge. Drawing from personal experience and coaching insight, he introduces the idea of the leader as a bridge, not a lighthouse. He offers practical micro-moves that build trust, clarity, and connection in uncertain times.
Plus, you’ll get this week’s Life Lab Challenge, a simple three-check-in experiment to deepen your leadership presence and spark more meaningful conversations.
Whether you're holding space for others or needing a moment to reflect on your own leadership energy, this episode will help you pause, reset, and lean into the discomfort with intention.

Episode 21: Stuck in the middle between the starting buzz and the big finish

Everyone loves a shiny beginning or a big finish. But what about the bit in the middle? The slog. The self-doubt. The “why did I even start this?” phase.
In this episode of Tom’s Life Lab, we’re talking about the hard yards in the middle, where motivation fades, support dries up, and the grind gets real. Tom shares his own mid-journey wobbles (yep, even with this podcast) and why we need to normalise supporting ourselves and each other during the invisible stretch and through the unglamorous bits.
Whether you’re knee-deep in a big goal, supporting someone else who is, or just quietly turning up for day 47 of “still trying,” we see you. Kudos for keeping going. If you need it, here’s your reminder: the middle miles matter. It’s the messy middle, the unseen effort, that makes the finish line possible. Your perseverance might be quiet, relenting and feel like a grind, but if you're still going, you're still growing. 
So, what happens after the beginner's hype and before the big finish? It’s that long, unseen, unglamorous, often overlooked middle, the bit where doubt creeps in and support fades. And that’s exactly when we need to show up for each other, offering steady encouragement that says: I see you, I’m with you, and I haven’t stopped believing in you.

Episode 20: The value of asking "stupid" questions

In this podcast episode, Tom is making the case for asking "stupid" questions.
He explains how holding back is often the worst choice, as when we don't ask, we stay confused. By querying, we learn, and so do those around us.
Listen to the episode to understand:
Why we hold back from asking questions
The benefits of caring more about getting something right over looking smart
How to get better at questioning
It's a short episode, packed with actionable insight for you to practice immediately.

Episode 19: Being a treasure hunter for joy can change your perspective with Raquel Braganza

In this uplifting episode of Tom’s Life Lab, Tom Emery is joined by empowerment coach Raquel Braganza for a conversation about joy, what it really means, how we can cultivate more of it, and why it matters.
Raquel offers a refreshing take on joy as something we actively pursue, rather than something that simply happens to us. Together, she and Tom explore how joy can coexist with other emotions like sadness, how expectations can sabotage our happiness, and why it's so important to build a personal 'menu of joys' to access in different emotional states.
Listeners will be inspired by Raquel’s “treasure hunter” of joy approach, seeing it not as a fleeting feeling but as a daily practice that brings us back to ourselves. Whether it’s through rituals, nature, music or mindfulness, she invites us to notice and name joy in the smallest moments.
This is a conversation for anyone looking to shift their perspective, reconnect with what lights them up, and build emotional resilience in a practical, empowering way.
Raquel offered our listeners a free gift, which you can access here: https://poweredbyjoy.coach/ 
Connect with Raquel on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/raquel-braganza-8b648215b/ 
and Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/raquelbraganza_lifecoach/?hl=en 

Episode 18: From Burnout to Breakthrough with Rob Tracz

In this powerful episode of Life Lab, Tom Emery sits down with performance coach Rob Tracz to explore the journey from hustle-fuelled burnout to founding Prime Performance Coaching. Rob opens up about the emotional and physical costs of overwork, the deeper motivations behind his relentless drive, and how reflection helped him reset. They unpack the pitfalls of hustle culture, the role of resilience, and how embracing discomfort can be a gateway to growth.
Rob now works with entrepreneurs and really driven individuals. His coaching methodology focuses on looking good, feeling good, and doing great things.
Expect practical insights, honest reflections, and a clear call to live and lead more intentionally.
Find out more via Rob's website: https://robtracz.com/ 
Connect with him on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/robtracz/ 
and Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/robtracz/ 

Episode 17 Rumination rewired a toolkit for overthinkers

In this episode of Life Lab, Tom dives into a habit many high performers quietly battle: rumination. If you’ve ever found yourself replaying a meeting moment at 2 am or over-analysing a raised eyebrow in a boardroom, you’re not alone. But what if this pattern of thought wasn’t a flaw, but an untapped strength?
Tom shares a personal story of rumination in an executive setting and explores how the brain’s default mode network, often blamed for anxiety, can also be a powerful tool for creativity, empathy and insight. With a simple 3-step experiment (label it, timebox it, extract the insight), he shows how to harness the loop instead of being trapped in it.
Because the real superpower isn’t overthinking—it’s learning to think deeply without drowning.

Episode 16: The comfort of convenience vs. the cost of connection

We’re more digitally linked than ever—yet so many of us feel alone. With smart assistants, AI-generated replies, and curated feeds shaping our interactions, it’s easy to mistake constant contact for true connection. But is efficiency eroding our empathy?
In this episode, Tom invites us to reflect on what authentic connection looks and feels like, and why it matters. He challenges listeners to embrace the beautifully messy, inconvenient reality of real relationships by trying three practical micro-experiments:
Speaking instead of typing
Responding with curiosity and intention
Having at least one unfiltered conversation
Because in an age of artificial closeness, the most radical thing you can offer is your honest, human presence. Because the future may be digital, but connection is still analogue at heart.

Episode 15: Imposter syndrome, rewriting the inner script

Imposter syndrome affects up to 70% of people (perhaps more) - in this short episode of Tom's Life Lab, Tom delves into this important topic.
Inspired by a recent event at the Fletchers Group Female Lawyers Breakfast Network (FLBN), where Tom hosted a panel on the subject - and was the only male in the room - he details his own experiences of imposter syndrome.
He goes into detail about where these feelings can originate from, the importance of awareness and sharing these experiences, and some ways you can overcome imposter syndrome.
Remember, feeling like an imposter doesn't mean you're a fraud - it means you're growing.
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