Welcome to Inclusion Bites, your sanctuary for bold conversations that spark change. I'm Joanne Lockwood, your guide on this journey of exploration into the heart of inclusion, belonging, and societal transformation. Ever wondered what it truly takes to create a world where everyone not only belongs but thrives? You're not alone. Join me as we uncover the unseen, challenge the status quo, and share stories that resonate deep within. Ready to dive in. Whether you're sipping your morning coffee or winding down after a long day, let's connect, reflect, and inspire action together. Don't forget, you can be part of the conversation too. Reach out to jo.Lockwood@seechangehappen.co.uk to share your insights or to join me on the show.

So adjust your earbuds and settle in. It's time to ignite the spark of inclusion with Inclusion Bites. And today is episode 120 with the title valuing your health in business. And I have the absolute honor and privilege to welcome Heather McLennan. And when I asked Heather to describe her superb she said that she has now experienced challenges of work and health from both sides of the fence, both as a professional and also her own personal experiences. Hello, Heather. Welcome to the show.

Hello, Joanne. Thank you so much for having me. It's very exciting to be here with you today.

Brilliant. Well, we we met a few months ago at a networking speaking event, and, yeah, we got chatting. So, yeah, I've been looking forward to this since we met. So valuing your healthy business, and as you say, in your superpower, you've experienced, should we say, poor health or or health that's impacted you in your own life, but also you you advise small business owners and help them recognize how important their health is in their business. So tell us a bit more.

Yeah. So it's probably best to to take you back to the beginning of my career. So I'm a health care professional by training, and I worked from very early stages in what's known to many people as occupational health. So working for large organizations initially at the beginning of my career as part of an occupational health team supporting employees who were injured and supporting their managers to help support them to return to or remain in work. And something we call vocational rehabilitation is the fancy terminology, but really enabling people to stay in work. Because most people do want to work, and it's come it's actually very good for us, which I'm sure we'll get into. So I've been doing that for almost 30 years. But 5 years ago, I also have my own experience of of ill health and some interesting diagnosis.

And I've had to really put all my professional knowledge into play for myself and reach out to many of my colleagues to help me and support me in the same process of of remaining in work. And I was running a small business at the time, so it was especially interesting.

Yeah. I mean, I've I've worked for myself. I've been a solopreneur for, like, 1998 is when I first went out into the proper wide world, but I was freelancing probably 3 or 4 years before that. So I haven't had a full time paid job Mhmm. For an employer since 1994. I think that's that's that's 30 years, isn't it? 30 years. Wow. Yep.

Blimey. No wonder I'm, well, I'm not turning great, but no wonder no wonder I'm stressy sometimes. Yeah. So I was always conscious very, very hyper aware that if I wasn't working, I wasn't earning. Yes. And I'm I'm not one of these people that stands up there and says, I've never had a day off sick in my life. I I value the time when I can't work and I need to take some time off. I'm not stoic and say, I'm gonna soldier through this for the sake of it.

But it is a worry, isn't it? Not having that safety net. Yeah. So I think what's really interesting for