“This is the point in the year where you are supposed to be off doing all the fun things.”

Marketing leader and podcast host Visha Kudhail is articulating the sense of limbo that comes with August. A month in which whether at your desk or by the beach, it can be difficult to maintain momentum.

Kudhail hosted a special mini version of Behind the Face of Success podcast, bringing back the first-ever guest, the Royal Ballet’s longest-serving principal dancer, coach and artist Ed Watson. The episode was a moment of reflection as the duo shared their learnings and Kudhail looked back on the show so far. Kudhail harked back to Watson’s advice that challenges in your life are ‘just turbulence.’

Navigating that turbulence in the summer months topped the discussion with Kudhail sharing that she is jumping in the car and going to the seaside this summer. For Watson avoiding the summer slump means that he focuses on setting himself up to succeed from the very start of the day.

“I don’t allow myself to not do much if I don’t have that much on,” he shared, adding: “I like to give myself that normality of getting up early and going to the gym.” Spending time on his body in turn then intentionally allows him to have a ‘day off’.

“My motivation is highest in the morning,” shared Watson. With Kudhail agreeing that her energy has shifted allowing her to focus on herself, not just her work.

In the special podshort the duo used the spark of the summer break to look back and focus on growth. A year into the podcast Kudhail shared how the insights have given her a fresh perspective. Of course, fear of failure and self-doubt creeps in but the perspective that brings keeps her grounded. She explained: “The more people who are open with vulnerability the more that other people are ok with it.”

The art of slowness

The duo highlighted the truth that is a salve in the summer months, where the natural cadence of the year means a slowdown of sorts is inevitable. While that might be frustrating for marketing leaders, sometimes it is important to embrace the truth that in order to go fast you need to go slow.

Kudhail has had times in her career when she has felt she has pinged from meeting to meeting. That familiar feeling of sitting in a meeting and being distracted by the next meeting that you have to attend.

In contrast, her experience of hosting Behind the Face of Success has enabled her to really understand the power of giving someone your full attention. “What interviewing people has done for me has really helped me to be present,” she explained.

The joy of doing one thing at a time

Kudhail and Watson also discussed the joy of doing one thing at a time and the importance of managing your visual diet and social media habits. Modern work and life habits can all too easily leave people feeling constantly overstimulated. The irony is that technology designed to connect us can easily leave us feeling ever more disconnected.

Watson shared that he has recently taken X off his phone. While Kudhail discussed her experience of watching back-to-back coverage of the UK riot on social media. “It felt like I got punched in the face three times,” she explained.

Taking steps to protect your mental health and be mindful of the number of tabs open in your brain and the number of times you check your phone also topped the discussion. The duo agreed that trying different things and new approaches is never a waste of time.

As Watson declared aptly: “None of it is silly if it works.”

Behind the Face of Success is supported by Creativebrief and The River Group.

Photo credit Ed: Rick Guest | Photo credit Visha: Bronac McNeill | Cover Art Design: Amansan Creative